Ludlow's Island Resort, Minnesota

Hide and seek: Relive the kind of carefree summer you had as a kid, on a private, pine-blanketed island in northern Minnesota.

On Ludlow's Island, just one of 365 emerald-green specks that dot 40,000-acre Lake Vermilion, summer means messing about, and getting about, in boats. The Ludlow family began building the resort more than 70 years ago, handcrafting each of the 20 cabins and adding everything from boat docks to a full-service spa. Most of the one- to five-bedroom cabins are on the island itself—ask for the two-bedroom Sundown for the best evening light—though some are on the mainland. Tykes are kept busy with arts and crafts, marshmallow roasts, and sailboat races. Four nearby golf courses, 1,200 miles of shoreline, water skis, paddleboats, hydro-bikes, and 11.6 million walleye stocked in the glassy lake should keep everyone else occupied. Think of it as sleepaway camp, only with far better food and a heck of a lot more freedom.

Find your way: The town of Cook is a two-hour drive north of Duluth; once you arrive, a valet will shuttle you and your luggage to your cabin by motorboat.

Ludlow's Island Resort
8166 Ludlow Drive
Cook, Minnesota
Tel: 877 583 5697
Cabins from $250 per night for two people

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