Ruttger's is a Minnesota tradition. Very few places around the lakes of Minnesota are as perfect as Ruttger’s. Ruttger’s has been around since 1898 and has served generations of happy Minnesotans.

Ruttger’s sits on Bay Lake about 125 miles north of the Twin Cities. It's in the little of town of Deerwood. Deerwood can barely be found on a map, as it's a very small town, but you can find it between large Lake Mille Lacs and the town of Brainard. Bay is one of my all-time favorite lakes. It has wonderful little bays and inlets, and is fun to explore by boat.

Ruttger’s has a lot of options, from cabins, to hotel rooms, to townhouses. We were disappointed this year, as the family cabins were all sold out. We did find that the resort fills for the weekends in summer, but oddly, was very empty during the week. We asked for rooms together and on the ground floor, as we had a lot of luggage and one elderly person. (There are no elevators at Ruttger’s). We had reconfirmed out rooms that morning.

When we arrived, we found that none of us had rooms together and were all on the top floor. I don't think the clerks at the front desk handled the situation very well and seemed very unsympathetic to our needs. This was the only drawback to our stay all week.

We did lug our bags up the stairs and were pleased with our room. We had a great screened-in porch overlooking the lake, and it was a wonderful place to sit and watch the world go by. Our room was a nice size and had every room amenity you would expect from a major hotel. Our room had a double bed and a fold-out couch. The room, thankfully, did not have a TV in it - they prefer that you watch the loons on the lake.

Rutterg's has a bar, a wonderful restaurant, a coffee house, two pools, a boathouse to rent boats, and a great beach. Ruttger’s even has a great golf course. You can't ask for a better set up. Ruttger’s keeps itself perfectly maintained. The grounds roll around the lake, and it's a great place for kids to hang and play. Our kids met other kids, and everyone had a blast fishing off the dock together - and they actually caught fish! They also loved swimming in the lake and renting kayaks. It's the kind of place you can let your kids go and not worry.

Ruttger’s is the perfect Northwoods lodge. I was happy with our stay here (except for the reservation problems). The food is good and the setting is all Minnesota!