Last weekend we had the opportunity to head up to north from the Twin Cities and visit a resort called Madden’s On Gull Lake, which is located near Brainerd!
This trip came at a perfect time, as we had just gotten back from a busy work trip in Indianapolis and were craving quality family time with our kids!
We arrived to Madden’s mid evening on Friday, and immediately it brought me back to my childhood. Every summer we took a family trip to a resort and those memories are still so near and dear to my heart!
The weather was hot and sticky the night we arrived, so the first thing we did was put our swimsuits on and head to the pool! The outdoor pool at the main lodge is located right next to a restaurant and bar which serves poolside, so we grabbed and drink, relaxed, and watched the kids swim! It was the perfect way to kick off the trip!
Afterwards, we headed back to our room, and ordered pizza from “Parfecto Pizza” which is a restaurant located on the resort that delivers to all the rooms! I highly recommend this place when going to Madden’s! The pizza was awesome.
On Saturday morning, we woke up and ventured into Brainerd for a bit. We grabbed donuts and a few groceries for the room, and then headed back to the resort and went down to the beach! The beach was definitely a highlight! They have all kinds of water toys and rafts. We threw life jackets on the kids and swam to check them out!
Case was more excited about play in the sand than swimming. 🙂
Around lunch time we walked over to the pool and let the kids swim some more! We ordered lunch and at it poolside. The food was AMAZING at the Pool Deck restaurant! If you go, you MUST get the Minnesota Salad with salmon. SOOOO good!
Just as we were finishing lunch, it started to rain, so we walked back to our room to rest for a bit. Naps were needed after a busy morning swimming and exploring!
After it cleared up we cleaned up and walked next door to Mission Point Restaurant. It has beautiful views of Gull Lake, and although I was a little nervous about taking the kids to a nice restaurant, the customer service was over the top, bringing the kids plenty of colors and coloring pages, and even some fresh fruit right away when we walked in! The food was AMAZING too! I had the salmon and Jake had a steak!
After dinner we walked over to the park and let the kids play a bit! Then we headed to Chrissy’s Ice Cream Shoppe at the resort. It was quaint and adorable and exactly what you’d hope to expect. The kids grabbed ice cream, and then we walked around a bit more, finding the giant adirondack chair and horse statues for some perfect photo opps!
After this we walked over to the community bon fire that Madden’s hosts every night! They stock it with the makings for s’mores, so naturally we had to stop and roast a marshmallow! It was right on the water and the view was beautiful!
After all this the kids were wiped, so we went back to room and put them to bed! We had two adjoining rooms for our crew which was perfect because we could put the kids to bed, and then Jake and I still had plenty of room to hang out. They even had a fire place and they keep every room stocked with wood! It was the perfect cozy way to end each day!
We truly had the BEST time at Madden’s and could have easily stayed longer. We were there for two nights, and I felt like we just scratched the surface as far as all the activities they had to offer! They had paddleboats, kayaks, golf, tennis, croquet, more swimming pools, and so much more we could have explored! Not to mention the entire Brainerd area is gorgeous and full of fun family activities!
We are looking forward to returning to Madden’s in the future – our kids have been talking about our trip all week! If you are looking for a family friendly resort in northern Minnesota, I would HIGHLY recommend Madden’s!
A huge thank you to Madden’s for hosting us and giving us an incredible experience! We’ll be back soon!
xo,
Amber
P.S. For more reflections on parenthood and life, follow us on Facebook (Hun Let’s Run) and on Instagram: @ambermariekuiper and @jakekuiper! We’d also love for you to subscribe to our Hun, Let’s Run Podcast! For more info about joining our fitness community as a customer or coach, please email us at amber@mommysmetime.com!
