2nd Annual de’Vine to feature Food Network’s Amy Thielen

Grand View’s Winter Culinary and Wine Experience weekend, sponsored by MN Monthly Magazine, is back and better than ever this February 7-9, 2014! With over 100 vintages, culinary classes and wine seminars, a soup challenge, annual artwalk and special guest, Amy Thielen, the weekend is tastefully sensational.

The weekend kicks off on Friday, February 7 with the Robert Sinskey Vineyards Wine Dinner. Cost is $95 per person and reservations are required as space is limited. Click here to view the decadent menu.

Saturday afternoon, enjoy several culinary classes and wine seminars including sushi and sake, cheese varieties, oils and vinegars, along with several chef demos. Sample several of our chef’s prized soups and vote for your favorite during the soup challenge.

Minnesota native and the host of Heartland Table on Food Network, Amy Thielen, will also be in attendance. A 2011 James Beard Award-winning food writer, she has written for Saveur, Men’s Journal and the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and recently published her book, The New Midwestern Table. She will be here to demonstrate one of her Midwestern classics and to sign books.

Later Saturday afternoon, experience over 100 of the finest wines and variety of culinary flavors delicately prepared by our talented chefs during the de’Vine Grand Tasting. The de’Vine Artwalk will follow the de’Vine Grand Tasting from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m and give attendees a first-handed opportunity to vote their favorite canvas from the top 20 submitted. The final artwork chosen will be featured on the 2014 Grand View Wine bottles – including both the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon vintage.

The evening entertainment will be provided by the talented, Divas Through the Decades which is a musical tribute to some of the most influential female vocalists in American pop music, featuring songs from the 40’s, through today’s current hits! Click here to see a sneak peak of the Divas.

Sunday morning, start your day off with an exclusive Champagne Brunch Demo in Cru.

Excluding Friday’s Wine Dinner, the de’Vine weekend is only $224 per person, which includes lodging and breakfast each morning. This also includes one of Grand View’s signature wines. For those who already have cabins in the area, the Saturday Event pass is only $95 per person. You can purchase the Saturday Day Pass at the Grand View Lodge Front Desk, or by calling 218-963-2234  to purchase advance tickets.

Pumpkin Soup

Soup is unquestionably one of the best foods for cold-weather comfort, so enjoy this simple Pumpkin Soup recipe to use on those days you need a little warmth! (For a printable version of these recipes for your recipe box, click here, print and cut.)

Everyday is a Holiday during the 9th Annual Gull Lake Frozen Fore!

The 9th Annual Frozen Fore is the “World’s Largest Golf and Snowmobile Charity Event” taking place in the Brainerd Lakes Area on February 21-23, 2014. This 3-day celebration of all things winter, brings together a weekend of activities and fun for adults throughout the state.

Friday night begins with the 2nd Annual Frozen Flop (our version of winter swimming), followed by the Tent Party, which is located in the middle of Hole-in-the-Day Bay on Gull Lake. The Tent Party will showcase an ice bar, food and live music performed by Mother’s Hotdish, featuring musicians from Soul Asylum and Prince’s Revolution. Click here to see the band in action at the 2012 Tent Party.

Saturday’s “Everyday is a Holiday” event begins where you can jump on provided shuttles, or drive your snowmobiles or vehicles and play nine holes of winter golf at 9 different locations around the Gull Lake. A 4-on-4 Pond Hockey tournament and Digital Scavenger Hunt will also take place during this same time. The Tent Party kicks off at 6:00 p.m. with an ice bar, food and live music from YNOTT and Boogie Wonderland to follow at 9:00 p.m.

Finishing the Frozen Fore weekend is Sunday’s Food Fest event, which features a variety of local dining options showcasing flavors from their restaurant in a taste competition  for the best flavors in the area. Proceeds of the weekend event are donated to Confidence Learning Center, Mount Ski Gull, Blue Line Club & Kids Against Hunger – Brainerd Lakes Area.

This year, KFAN’s Paul “MeatSauce” Lambert, KDWB’s Falen and the Powerloon’s Mac will be the emcees of the weekend’s activities with MeatSauce presenting his show LIVE from Grand View Lodge on Saturday morning at 10 a.m.!

If you’re interested in participating in this fun and charitable event you can buy tickets for $45/person or $50/person weekend of and can be purchased online at www.GullLakeFrozenFore.com, or at any of the sponsoring locations. And If you want to be in the center of all the action, make sure you book your room now! Accommodations start at $160/night and not only will you receive deluxe lodging with breakfast daily, but also have access to all the weekend’s activities, amenities and shuttle service.

Minnesota ICE DAZE is back January 31- February 2

It’s the cold truth – winter is officially here. So we brought back our special MN Ice Daze weekend to help you celebrate life, family and outdoor, winter fun.

As seen on WCCO’s 2013 “Goin’ To The Lake,” news anchors Frank Vascellero and Chris Shaffer made a pit stop at Grand View Lodge and took in all the weekend had to offer. Click here to see last year’s Ice Daze and read below for what we’re offering again this year in 2014.

To kick off the 2014 Ice Daze weekend, we will be offering our weekly wine tastings featuring Oregon and Washington Wines. Enjoy this informal hour of vino education, plus receive a certificate to use in our restaurants for a glass of your favorite wine you tasted during the tasting.

If you want a unique night with the kids, check out our Dive-In Movie at the pool, which can be a blast no matter what your age. Float on your own innertube with your friends and family while watching a movie on the big screen. Complimentary Inner tubes, pizza and popcorn will be provided. But if you prefer to stay dry, swing by the Northwoods Pub for live music both Friday and Saturday evening.

Saturday morning, enjoy an endless Breakfast Buffet, before you venture out for several fun activities such as our Grand View Wellenss Yoga, or Cross-Country Ski Clinic, Broomball, Dog Sled Rides and Pond Hockey. After noon bells, join us at our annual Guest-Only Fishing Derby. Our three-hour derby will give you a chance to catch some tales and land some big prizes.

Fishing holes will be drilled for you and your fishing poles, tackle and bait will also be provided, all at no cost to you. Refreshments and hot dogs will be complimentary, but beer will be an additional charge. Following the derby will be the Ice Daze Olympics, offering families and individuals competition in categories such as Ice Trike Racing, Chip It to Win It, Human Curling, a snow sculpture contest and more.

To top off the weekend is our annual KFAN’s Common Man’s Snowmobile Poker Run on Sunday morning. Five stops throughout the miles of perfectly groomed trails in the Brainerd Area and receive 5 poker cards to get the winning hand for several great prizes. If you don’t have a sled of your own, our friends at Boats ‘N Beyond Rentals have available rentals, plus all the gear at a special price for our guests. After the long journey, head indoors to warm up at Northwoods Pub and enjoy our annual Superbowl Party. Enjoy a Football Lover’s Buffet, trivia, specials and fun.  Plus you can watch the champions of the NFL season battle for the coveted title.

Our MN Ice Daze package is $140/night based on double occupancy. Add $50/additional adult or $10 per child per night for a weekend of fun, music and celebration. It’s Minnesota – time to embrace the season and discover, learn and share.

World’s Largest Charitable Ice Fishing Contest

Mark your calendars for the 24^th annual Brainerd Jaycees $150,000 Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake in Nisswa, Minnesota this January 25, 2014. Join more than 10,000 anglers as they vie for fabulous prizes, including a truck, all-terrain vehicles, ice fishing equipment and so much more! Click here to see a list of all prizes up for grabs.

Friday night, enjoy a Kick-Off Party at Grand View Lodge from 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. featuring liquor, beer and wine tasting, appetizers, a silent auction, raffles, games and music by DJ Walzy for only $35 per person! Saturday’s fishing contest will start at 12:00 p.m. and commence with an award ceremony at 3:00 p.m. on Hole-in-the-Day Bay. Click here to see who and what catch made last year’s leaderboard!

If you’re thinking about dropping a line during this great event, check out our Ice Fishing Extravaganza package with accommodations starting at $180/night. Not only will you get deluxe lodging with breakfast daily, but you’ll also have access to FREE, PRIVATE shuttles to and from the Fishing Extravaganza event, along with admittance into the Grand View Lodge Guest-Only Hospitality tent where you warm up with some great food and beverages. Not only that, but guests will have access to the plethora of other amenities and activities currently available during the weekend. Click here to see a current schedule.

The Extravaganza is a special one-of-a-kind event! Since 1990, this signature event of the Brainerd Jaycees generates more than $1-million in revenue for area businesses and more than $200,000 for over 45 Brainerd Lakes Area charities. Not only that, but the event is completely volunteer-ran and organized and has received national and international recognition in Sports Illustrated, National Geographic, ESPN The Magazine, and MSNBC just to name a few.

If you’re interested in helping out the Brainerd Lakes Community and using your fishing skills to win some great prizes, drop us a line and reserve your lodging today. Limited space is available!

Calling All Local Artists – Canvas Designs Needed for Grand View Wine Labels

Grand View Lodge is pleased to announce its 2^nd Annual de’Vine Culinary & Wine Event, sponsored by MN Monthly Magazine, to be held February 7^th – 9^th. This year will feature an Artwalk on Saturday afternoon, February 8^th from 4:00p.m.-5:00p.m.

The de’Vine Artwalk will follow the de’Vine Grand Tasting and give attendees a first-handed opportunity to vote their favorite canvas from the top 20 submitted. The final artwork chosen will be featured on the 2014 Grand View Wine bottles – including both the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon vintages.

Last year alone, Grand View sold over 3,000 bottles of the Grand View signature wine at its seven restaurants, events, weddings and group functions. And after several guest requests, the signature wines were made available for retail purchase in the Twin Cities exclusively at Liquor Boy last January. Liquor Boy has been in business since November 2012 and is located at 5620 Cedar Lake Rd, St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

Last year’s winner, Jerry Raedeke of Nisswa, work was displayed on both bottles one depicting birch trees at sunset next to the water and another featured Norway pines on the corner of a lake. Although these labels depicted landscapes in a watercolor format, there is no limitation on creativity. The contest is open to all styles of artwork – modern, art deco, landscape and abstract, and should depict scenes and/or impressions of Minnesota.

We ask all artists to contact us that they are working on submissions and leave contact information. Artwork should be 8” x 9.25” in size and signed with a small description noted on the back. If chosen as one of the top 20, artists’ canvases will be enlarged to 3’ x 5’ displays for the Artwalk voting segment. All entries must be done by January 1^st, 2014. Please contact Christine Iannelli at 218-963-2234 ext. 1403 or by email at Christine.Iannelli@granviewlodge.com.

Grand View Lodge named Top 5 Resorts in the Midwest by Condé Nast Traveler

For the second year in a row, Nisswa-based Grand View Lodge has been awarded the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Award for the Top 5 Resorts in the Midwest. Determined by a survey administered to all readers, winning resorts and hotels are rated on a variety of criteria, including Food/Dining, Location, Overall Design, Rooms, and Service.

We strive daily to exceed expectations of our guests,” said Mark Ronnei, General Manager at Grand View Lodge. “However, our guests have now exceeded our expectations by voting us into the top Midwest resorts. It is such a huge honor for not only Grand View Lodge, but rather our community showcasing what the Brainerd Lakes Area has to offer on a global scale.”

According to Condé Nast Traveler, these awards reflect the combined opinions of 79,000 readers rating the cities, islands and hotels they visited in the past year, and the airlines and cruise ships they traveled with. Stretching across the Midwest, Grand View Lodge, the only Minnesota property to be honored, is among a list that profiles the country’s best places to stay, including the American Club of Kohler, Wisconsin and Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri.

Grand View Lodge is home to year-round offerings that include the world-renowned Glacial Waters Spa, first-class wine tastings and culinary events located in the resort’s exclusive wine cellar, extensive kids programs and cozy cabins.  In the winter, there’s dog sledding, sleigh rides, ice fishing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.  In the summer, the resort fills with guests taking advantage of the property’s two championship golf courses (named as one of the Top 125 Golf Resorts in the World by Condé Nast Traveler ), a variety of land and water activities and the views of beautiful Gull and Roy Lakes. Furthermore, Grand View Lodge is equipped with the impressive Gull Lake Center with meeting rooms for all sizes as well as a Grand Ballroom, serving as the perfect backdrop for weddings and special events.

This award, as well as the rest of Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice winners, can be seen online. To keep up with Grand View Lodge’s latest news, events and special promotions please visit the resort on Facebook and become a fan.  For additional resort information and to find out about vacation packages visit www.grandviewlodge.com or call 1-866-801-2951.

Grand View Lodge to host Red Cross blood drive October 30, 2013

The American Red Cross is coming to Nisswa this October and asking the community to consider donating blood at Grand View Lodge

The blood drive will take place Wednesday, October 30, 2013, from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Gull Lake Center at Grand View Lodge. Any persons interested in blood donation should contact Sue Manders at susan.manders@grandviewlodge.com or at (218) 963-8758 or go to http://www.americanredcross.org to register for this opportunity to give blood. Please contact Manders or register online by Monday, October 28th, to ensure staffing support by the Red Cross.

In an effort to say thank you to all donors, Grand View Lodge is offering each donor an entry into a drawing to receive one of the following:

• (1) 18-hole round of golf for two at The Pines or The Preserve

• (1) dinner for two at the Lodge Dining Room

• (1) one hour massage at Glacial Water Spa

• (1) overnight stay for four with breakfast

 Also, if a donor brings a friend, they’ll receive two entries into the drawing.

One pint can save three lives, according to the American Red Cross; this blood drive is a great opportunity to give the gift of life. Please donate blood this October 30, 2013 at the Grand View Lodge blood drive.

A Grand Evening of Piano and Song

Mary Beth Carlson, acclaimed recording pianist and entertainer, will perform in concert Sunday, September 29th, 7:00 p.m., at the Gull Lake Conference Center at Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, Minnesota.

The concert will feature specially chosen songs from the twenty-three piano orchestral CDs she has produced and recorded, several of which have been distributed internationally. Expect to enjoy an evening of memorable music spanning several decades, inspirational favorites, and original songs inspired by life changing events; a heartwarming experience filled with warmth and intimacy, spiced with high-spirited humor.

Mary Beth has performed for a wide variety of audiences, and her inspiring arrangements have been heard throughout the country on many radio stations, including KTIG 102.7 FM in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota.

Joining Mary Beth will be renowned vocalist Mark David Williams. Mark has recorded four vocal CDs and has had leading roles in several musical productions. In 2002 he won the KARE 11 Minnesota Idol contest.

Mary Beth and Mark have been performing together for numerous events over the past thirteen years and have combined their musical talents on two CDs, Reflections … songs for the heart and soul and The Miracle of Christmas, both featuring a blend of impassioned piano orchestral selections and stunning vocal performances.

For additional information about the concert please contact Grand View Lodge at 218-963.8712. For more information on Mary Beth and Mark, please visit www.marybethcarlson.com and www.markdavidwilliams.com.

Hallmarked by Color

As hard as it is to admit, it’s that time of year again. The summer air, full of heat and humidity, will soon be giving way to the crisp, cool air of autumn. You can feel it, smell it and you can definitely see it. Radiant yellow birch and aspen, golden oak and scarlet maple paint a portrait of such brilliance, it can’t be missed.

Peak, fall color in the Brainerd Lakes Area are usually experienced during late September to early October, however, fall colors and their peak color displays change each year according to location, precipitation and temperature variances. The breathtaking yellows, oranges, reds and browns that we witness during the fall are caused by four main groups of biochemical; chlorophyll, carotenoids, anthocyanins and tannins. Varying amounts of these chemicals will give subtle variations in color from one leaf to the next or even tree-to-tree.

If you enjoy outdoor activities, Grand View Lodge offers you a wide variety of options to choose from. Located near the Paul Bunyan Trail, you can get on your bike or one of our complimentary bikes and pedal beneath the canopies of Minnesota’s vibrant fall branches. Horseback riding and guided nature hikes are also available throughout the week.

If fall golf is what you are seeking, take a swing at one of our three golf courses ­– The Garden, The Pines or The Preserve – all located in Minnesota’s rich landscape of forest, which glows brightly with the fall leaves. Cool weather, prime course conditions and the love for the game allow players to enjoy all that fall has to offer.

If you prefer to unwind by the water, join us on our Autumn Pontoon Cruise every Friday through Monday. Sit back and watch Gull Lake sparkle amid woods full of maple, oak, birch and aspen. Or get up-close and personal on our weekly kayak tour, or better yet, go on your own color tour by kayak, canoe or boat.

Buckle up and enjoy the scenic landscape by cruising along Hwy 371 and Hwy 6 – make sure not to miss the country roads between them! Highways 77, 78, 107 and 13 offer breathtaking views and brilliant fall colors that dance in the crisp autumn air. Click here for the best roads for a color tour.

Join us this fall to celebrate and fully revel in the brilliantly colored woods of the Lakes Area. We will be offering our Fall into Wellness Package all month long with rates starting at just $135 a night, special discounts on spa and golf, and a wide variety of wellness activities. Click here to see the Department of Natural Resources Fall Color Report so you make sure you visit the north country when the leaves are most vibrant!