Northwind Lodge - An "old-fashioned" resort
Story Continued from Home Page...
I watch with amazement as the masses of the oblivious do the North Shore of Lake Superior "rustic thing" in some massive, color-coordinated pastel apartment unit they now market as a "condo". The old resorts along Lake Superior, and sadly, many of the resorts in the Ely area are showing signs of following suit. Section up and develop. Heck, now I'm getting emails from those who have been warped by today's "improved world" asking if I can "check with any of the investors" to see if they are willing to rent a property located here at Northwind Lodge for a few nights. Isn't that a sign of the times? It's not their fault but it's a real shame that these newbies don't even know what a "resort" is anymore!
Well, the world may pass us by, but Northwind Lodge is not following anyone, nor will we ever. So far and since 1939, we still can actually afford to own our property. We haven't been sucked into "the-get-rich-quick" way of doing business that is so prevalent here on the Fernberg road NE of Ely.
Like dominos, so many Minnesota resorts here are giving up, sectioning up, and selling out and otherwise disbanding the resort operation into a Common Interest Community (CIC). Now in 2009 these places (which have been for sale for years now) are showing signs of distress as their speculative property value has dropped substantially. They are still trying to get the high price in a horrible economy but these CIC's weren't selling when the economy was booming. Afterall who wants to share ownership in a 50 foot beach with ten other owners. You have no control over those people - you are stuck with them legally and indefinitely. It's like having a messy/crazy roommate who never graduates. Most prospective customers have figured this out. So the CIC's sit. Meanwhile, the taxes go higher, the cabins rot a little/lot more with each passing season and de-value accordingly. It will be interesting to see how long this can continue. I suspect that some shirts will be lost in Ely and elsewhere in the country.
Along with resorts sectioning up into CIC's, the very character of Ely is dissolving into the ordinary. When, and if, they ever all manage to sell, Ely will be just a big bedroom community. At Northwind Lodge we don't view our resort as merely a property to be bought, sectioned up, and sold and we work so that day never, ever comes. That may have been the current American way of doing business for all the other places, but Northwind Lodge isn't just a business to us. It's always been our home first and our business second. Remember that when the urge to tee-off a bucket of used golfballs from our beach into Jasper lake tries to take hold, or when building a wood fire with 5 foot high flames in the Weber grill right next to your cabin just feels right. I will be coming for you and I will be taking it personally. My choice of language will most likely be off-color as well.
So, if your idea of a vacation is to get rid of the kids with anybody other than Grandma for a week, you'll probably need to find a more "enlightened" vacation place on maybe a condo with a nanny or a cruise ship with plastic figurines and fairy dust, perhaps. If you are looking for a simpler place devoid of noise, traffic, and itineraries; a place where you can cook your own dinner on the barbecue, go into town once in a while to eat and kick back to simpler times; a place where people from all over the country still talk to each other down at the beach; then you'll like our resort a lot. This describes the majority of our guests who stay with us. If you can understand my musings without feeling offended, you'll probably fit in well at Northwind Lodge.
Joe Baltich, Jr.
Co-owner & Webmaster
Considering renting a "vacation home"? - You might want to read this first.
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