If there have been more than a handful of below zero days this winter, then I’m a monkey’s uncle!  No cross country skiing, at all, but if that means 30 degrees over Christmas break, I’m okay with that for one winter!  I know we talked about record snowfall last year so we may as well have the opposite this year!  That’s what we Minnesotans do you know…talk about the weather…a lot!

WINTER JOBS

As I write, Steve is out checking cabins at Fair Hills for heat left on.  The electric bill came and he found cabin 8 and cabin 72A at about 65 degrees–shucks!  Larry is jabbering away on the phone on the desk next to me, contacting people who haven’t visited for a few years-making sure they know we’re still open in the summer.  Caitlin is putting together a very fun video of “then and now” pictures.  You can watch it here and on Facebook. Garnet is writing to all of you who have mailed in your deposits for 2012.  Justin’s figuring out the Wildflower world for 2012, and the superintendent is organizing the shop.  The way it looks, we may be open the end of February!!  I’m doing things like budgeting, finding fabric for new curtains, ordering new sheets, beds, and sweatshirts and pricing out more A/C for the kitchen.  Those ladies are still too warm on those 85 degree days!   Barb and Dave are back in Florida after spending Christmas with the family at Lake Five.  They’re back playing tennis, doing water aerobics with their neighbors, and walking.  They’ve read some great books too!  Lisa is in Dallas where it is 80 and sunny, at a buying show for her shop in Vergas, Coco’s!! Dan and I are ready for our trip to Hawaii!  10 days in the sunshine and no children! 

THE NEWEST SCHUPPS

Speaking of children, we’d like to introduce you to our first grandchildren, Winston & Eve Schupp.  Anna & Charlie’s twins were born on January 21^st.  Aren’t they precious?   Wouldn’t you know it, they came while we are in Hawaii.  We can’t wait to come home and hold them!

Winston & Eve

NEW STAFF MEMBER

Another addition to Fair Hills is our new sales person, Shannon Malzahn.  Shannon will be luring in all sorts of fun groups to play with us at Fair Hills, Five Lakes Resort and Wildflower Golf Course as our new Group Events Coordinator.  Originally from St. Cloud, MN, she graduated from Tech High School there and also got her bachelor’s degree from St. Cloud State University.  She has a master’s degree from Savannah College of Art and Design in Historic Preservation.  Shannon lives with her husband, three daughters, and a small ensemble of farm animals on a farm near Osage where the family likes to ride horse and play outdoors.  They also own a concession stand that cooks up a menu of beer-braised meat specialties at a handful of events in the summertime. We are all eagerly throwing around ideas with her.  I volunteered to put a little quip in this newsletter about a promotion that we are offering to you.  If you work for a business or own a business that would host a meeting or event, please let us know!  We have set up an incentive program if you contact us about your group.  If your business does a fun getaway and you give us a chance to bid on it, we’ve got some incentives built in for you!  Shannon can be reached at 218-234-4424 or Shannon@fairhillsresort.com.  Thanks for thinking of us in this capacity!

BE OUR FAN

Don’t forget to interact with us on Facebook.  Wildflower is hoping to obtain 500 fans!  When we get to 500, Justin will be giving away a free 2012 membership!  Help us reach our goal, like Fair Hills, Five Lakes and Wildflower Golf Course on Facebook!

SUMMER 2012

Summer Vacation 2012 is closer everyday.  Deposits were due January 15^th ; if you haven’t sent yours in yet, what are you waiting for?  Perhaps you didn’t receive your confirmation email.  If that is the case, give us a call or send us and email and we will send you another one.
There is also still availability for most weeks of the summer.  If you haven’t made your reservation yet or have friends planning their summer getaway, call us to reserve the fun!

We look forward to seeing you all this year.
Beth

Sunset at Five Lakes Resort

Five Lakes  The ice is just thick enough to walk on and skate along the edges.  With so little snow cover (at the time of this writing) it’s been easy to do fall work.  Beth, Dan, Lisa, Steve and Marg have been cutting wood, and working on the BARN.  It will soon be ready for at least three weddings and a banquet this coming year!  The place where the teens used to sleep on “Teen Night Out” in the 1970’s has had a complete makeover.  There are new horse stalls made from the horse barn that was torn down at the University of Minnesota, Crookston.  The main level is going to be a perfect spot for indoor cocktail parties, ladies luncheons and meetings for smaller groups.  Unfortunately for Gunner and Chester, the barn is now too nice for them to live in!  The hay mow has a new floor, and will be getting a deck on the south side with a lift to help folks go up and down the steps.  More on that in later updates!

Emily just finished making the maps for the cross country ski trails.  The largest cabin, Cabin 9, that beautiful log cabin nestled in the woods, is available for rent ALL WINTER LONG.  It can hold up to 10 people!  It has a beautiful kitchen, living room and loft, a wonderful log interior and exterior, and a cozy fireplace for those long winter nights.  See photos of the cabin on fivelakesresort.com/cabinnine

There is over 30K of both classic and skating trails groomed in the winter along with unlimited areas and trails for snowshoeing.   If there’s going to be snow, you have to embrace the season, and Five Lakes is the perfect Minnesota getaway.

The fog rolls in at Wildflower Golf Course

Wildflower Takes a Winter Break!   More than 130 golfers filled the course the weekend of November 13^th.  I guess that they just needed to get in as many rounds as possible and “get it out of their system” before they have to wait till the spring opening.  The grounds crew continued their work through November to assure you have a great golf experience again next summer!

Reservations!  Did you get your email?  Garnet has sent an email to all of the guests who made a reservation for 2012.  Did you get the email?  Check your inbox if it hasn’t arrived, and contact her at garnet@fairhillsresort.com.  Feel free to call us at the musical number of 218-847-7638 or the toll free (less musical) number of 800-323-2849.  The deposit is due January 15^th, and after that date we release your cabin, unless other arrangements have been made.

6 Day Special for 2012 at FH!  Want to be at Fair Hills in 2012, but don’t have a FULL week to spare? Maybe this will help!  We are offering two different 6 day specials, with great rates.  Sunday to Saturday, June 17-23, and Saturday to Friday, August 18-24.  Check out the great rates online at www.fairhillsresort.com/specials

$350 Fair Hills Referral Discount: This applies to current guests who refer a new family to Fair Hills! The new family must stay between June 23 and August 17, 2012. The new family must book a reservation for at least 2 adults and for a minimum of 4 nights. The discount will be taken off your 2012 final bill.  Do you need additional brochures to give to your friends?  Just let us know and they’ll be sent right away.  This information is also available online at www.fairhillsresort.com/specials.

Talent Show Act

Talent Show Tip!  There are so many talented guests who enjoy singing and playing in the talent show.  Now would be the time to look for those karaoke or backing tracks for your performance.  We have had lots of success finding written music and words on Musicnotes.com and several other music related websites.  It also means that you have all winter long to practice up.

Are you friends with Pete on Facebook?

Facebook Friends?  Are you missing the videos from the summer, photos from the past, pancake pictures, Wildflower course updates, Lake Five fishing reports, staff updates, and weekly news about Fair Hills, Wildflower and Five Lakes?  If you’re not on Facebook, well… it’s time!  The technology isn’t going away, and is only getting faster and better!  Yes, you can even see it on your phone, too!  We are so excited about all the news, trivia, photos, and comments from the Facebook pages of our three locations!  Don’t let these wonderful pages be just for the “youth” and the tech savvy adults.  We’re looking to be your “friend!”

Autumn view from the Lobby Roof.

It’s already November! The resort closed October 9th and today is the final day of taking docks in so we should be ready for winter at 4:30 today. Yesterday Lisa and I were working on the long dock by cabin 45 and saw a baby, teenager and papa Muskie! Projects are happening all over the place with Gordy putting a new deck on 39A and 40A, a new roof is happening over the library in the lobby (and some other cabins), a few cabins are getting bathroom updates, and there are always new beds and linens to be purchased! We try and take into account all of the comments you leave for us each week, and make as many happen as possible.

While Fair Hills is shutting down, Wildflower has been seeing golfers come out to enjoy the amazing October weather we’ve had this year. The guys do seem anxious to get to their projects however, and they’re doing what they can while people are still playing.

Five Lakes Resort is where we’re gearing up right now. The barn rehab is in full swing as we’ve booked 3 weddings there for next fall. The cross country ski season is going to happen soon too. There hasn’t been a year that we’ve lived in Minnesota and not had snow. There will be miles of groomed track for skiing, and trails marked for snowshoeing and bird watching (for which Hebe loves to come out)! We have cabin 9 available for rent during the winter out at Five Lakes if you’d like to book a getaway, with or without kids. It’s so beautiful (AND SO QUIET!) in the winter. http://www.fivelakesresort.com/winteractivities

We are including a few fun photos that haven’t made it to the Facebook pages. One of my favorites is when we were short staffed for the last two weddings, Barb and Dave “got to” help with pots and pans. Dave had so much fun he volunteered to do it next summer! Barb is sticking to the morning walks and water aerobics! Another fun job this fall was scraping off the seaweed and zebra mussels attached to the Big Pelican. Another great job that Barb and Dave “got to” help with! The fun never ends around here.

That reminds me that we will start hiring staff for 2012 in the middle of January. If you have someone in mind that you think would work out well as a member of the Fair Hills Staff, have them check out the information/application on the website at http://www.fairhillsresort.com/employment.

Finally, Garnet wants to make sure that I tell you all to be watching your email for a letter from her about your reservation for 2012. She’ll be emailing them starting now and all will be sent before Thanksgiving so if you need to chat with family or friends about vacation plans, you’ll have the information you need. If you don’t get your info, please give a call or email her at garnet@fairhillsresort.com as we’ve had issues in the past with spam and email filters getting in the way!

Finally, heartfelt thank you to all of you who were with us this summer. We love being your summer vacation home and are so honored that you choose to trust us with making your family memories.

Fondly, Beth, Dave and Barb, Garnet, Caitlin and a whole bunch of others who make this place tick!!!

The office in town is in Beth’s DL house basement. Though it is a nice office, it does not have the poolside views of the lake office. It doesn’t have the noise of the waves rolling up on shore or of the golf carts putting around the paths. Each spring and fall we pack up our desks and move. It is great for cleaning & dusting; things we don’t want to move typically get tossed. You’d think that would help us not accumulate so much stuff but you’d be wrong. We have so much stuff! It takes a whole trailer and a few cars to move 5 people from office to office. With help, it usually only takes a few hours!

Summer 2011 was wonderful! It was a busy hot summer filled with fabulous guests, wonderful staff and endless sweet memories. After such a busy season it does feel good to slow down and rest. However in about 2 weeks we will all be itching for the hot busy summer.  At least all this quiet time is filled with thinking about summer.  We are constantly brainstorming ideas to maintain and improve your summer vacation home.  What really helps us get through winter is hearing from you, our guests!  We love to hear from you for family updates, suggestions and of course reservations!

All of us at Fair Hills wish you a happy fall!

It was sunny and the lake was calm, though I was out very early as there are wind warnings out for later today.

Some, but not all of todays sightings include trumpeter swans, geese, loons (within 15 feet of my kayak, content as could be), osprey, bald eagles, great blue heron, buffleheads, wood ducks, mallards, and more.

I heard but did not see the barred owl and sand hill crane.

Now is an interesting time to be here…not for fishing but for birding and wildlife viewing.  Come join me on this quiet lake, with the only noise being the calls of the loons, swans and owls.

Slip away for a few days of peace and quiet and we’ll meet early morning on  glassy Lake Five with our paddles and a steamy mug of coffee.

Lake Five Lisa

I hiked for 4.5 miles and saw two eagles, an osprey in its nest on the power line trail, countless downy woodpeckers, a pleated woodpecker and many more birds.  There are countless varieties of migrating ducks here this time of year.

While on the power line trail I spotted a large dear curled up.  It seemed to be just enjoying the warm spring sun and chose not to run when I went by.  It was fun as my trail took me only about 25 free from the deer.  It just watched me while I watched it as I walked by.

It is, right now, a great time to hike the trails as you can see much more because there is no foliage yet.  I keep an eye out for antler sheds as well.  I’ve hiked the trails here since I was 16 and this time of year I always manager to see new sights.

Of course, I am waiting for ice out and my first sunrise kayak.  It won’t be long, as the ice is getting thin and dark.

March came in like a lion and it doesn’t look like it will leave like a lamb!

It is almost golfing season!

Last year Wildflower Golf Course was able to open for walkers during the last weekend in March.  We are hoping to see the same weather and maybe see some greenish grass soon!  Do you have spring fever?  It won’t be long before you can stop by and hit a round of golf.  Don’t forget to become a Wildflower fan on Facebook so you can stay updated with current golfing conditions and special deals!

The countdown has begun!

In less than 2 months, we will move out to the resort and open up for the 2011 season.  The staff is being hired, new activities are being planned, menus are being updated and many other surprises are being on.  It’s not too late to still make your reservations.  Many weeks are almost full but we still have availability throughout the summer.  If you have your reservation and are all set to come, check on your friends’ vacation plans, as they may still need a place to come this summer. If you refer a family and they book with us for at least 4 nights, you could earn $350 off your final bill! Sharing with friends was never so beneficial!

Are you on Facebook?

Here is your chance to earn a free treat at the soda fountain!  If you make the Fair Hills logo your Facebook profile picture for 1 full week (7 days) during the month of March, you will earn an ice cream float during your vacation at Fair Hills this summer.  If you are a Five Lakes fan, you can also use the Five Lakes logo as your profile picture and you will earn a Fair Hills treat delivered to your cabin at Lake Five.  If anyone asks about your profile picture, you can tell them how much you love Fair Hills and Five Lakes Resorts and refer them to our website! The rules are as follows:  To begin, go to the Fair Hills or Five Lakes Facebook page and save the logo to your computer.  Upload the logo as your profile picture.  Post a message on Fair Hills or Five Lakes’ Facebook page stating that you are participating and the day you start.  We will keep track of your participation.  You must keep it as your profile picture for 7 full days to win!  Visit the Facebook pages for more details.

Do you like to wear Fair Hills apparel?

Have you ever wanted to design your own Fair Hills T-Shirt?  Now you can!  Be as creative as you can and the winning T-shirt will be available for sale in the gift shop.  The design must be one-sided (only the front of a t-shirt) and use only 1 color in printing.  Submissions can be made to Caitlin at email@fairhillsresort.com or PO Box 6, Detroit Lakes, MN 56502.  We will accept submissions for the entire month of March.  Our office staff will then pick the top 3 designs and allow our guests to vote for the final winner in April.  Get out your pencil and paper and find your Fair Hills inspiration.

Invasive Species

Sad news from Pelican Lake, Zebra Mussels were found in the lake this past summer.  They are not native to the area and therefore have no place in the ecosystem.  There will be a special memo to follow with instructions for those of you that bring your boat to Fair Hills for your vacation.  This is also to serve as a reminder for those of you who fish at Five Lakes, to never bring anything that has been in Pelican Lake to Five Lakes, for example, minnow buckets as they can contain the Zebra Mussel in the egg or larvae stage. And for those of you who vacation at Five Lakes, please remember the rule that no outside boats, canoes and kayaks may be brought to the resort.  Lake Five is spring fed and has a fairly good chance of staying Zebra Mussel free if we all do our part!

Birding Festival

If you are an avid birder, there is an amazing festival in Detroit Lakes, and we have to pass on information about it.  More than 250 species of birds live in Becker County because the Detroit Lakes area is in the heart of a transition zone of tall grass prairie, northern hardwood and coniferous ecosystems. Serious birders flock here each spring for the annual Detroit Lakes Festival of Birds.  More info at: http://www.visitdetroitlakes.com/things-to-do/events/festival-of-birds/

We are also mentioning this because bird watching while you’re staying at Five Lakes Resort is so easy, it’s almost like cheating!

Though we are all developing a touch of spring fever, it has been an amazing winter at Five Lakes Resort.  The trails have been maintained in pristine condition and the open house weekends at cabin 8 have been full of fun, food and friends.  Since the snow isn’t gone yet, there is still time to enjoy the wonderful winter conditions at Lake Five.  There is no excuse not to go out and enjoy winter, whether it be on skis or snowshoes, you will have a great time at Five Lakes!

We all hope you and your family are well and we can’t wait to see you this summer!

Beth and the Staff!

Happy Holidays
In the excitement of the holidays, we missed a few things in the last newsletter…

2011 Reservations
It was brought to my attention after some phone calls about the Tour de Hoot that many of you mentioned you hadn’t received your reservation letters that we now email.  Garnet sent everyone an email on or before December 1st with an attachment regarding your 2011 reservations. If you haven’t received an email, please reply to this newsletter or call the office between 8:30 and 3:30, Monday through Friday.  We will be in and out during the holiday week so from 12/23 to 1/3, please leave a message if calling.  Garnet will get in touch with you as soon as she gets back from California. If there’s an urgent question, I’ll be checking email from Cabin 8, at Lake Five, where the Schupp’s and Kaldahl’s spend the holidays!  Thanks!

Tour de Hoot update!!
Omaha, we’ve found a home for the hoot.
TIME:  Wednesday, January 12, 2011 · 7:00pm
PLACE:  Mockingbird Hills Community Center
10242 Mockingbird Drive
Omaha, NE
Hope to see you there, or at one of the other locations on our tour!!!   www.fairhillsrsort.com

Five Lakes Resort
I know we’re just getting organized with the Five Lakes Resort Facebook page, but if you love that place (how can you not?!) become a fan on Facebook for updates on skiing and trail reports, new summer activities, and general news items!   How about that Lisa grooming the trails on the picture above J     http://www.facebook.com/#!/FiveLakesResort

Explanation of who’s who in the Schupp picture
I’ve had so many people write and ask who is who in that long line up of kids that I thought I should give you a run down.  For the one dear, dear person who thought that I looked like one of the kids, you’re vacationing at the resort, FREE, for the rest of your life!  ReAlLy!   For the three people who wrote to tell me that Dan looks like one of the kids, I’m sorry, but your cabin is booked for the next 100 years!!

From left to right:
* Margaret is a senior at Montana State in Bozeman where she’ll graduate with a bio systems and sustainable farming degree.
* Carolyn is a junior at UMD, studying biology and chemistry.
* Charlie is in his first year of grad school at the U of Mn. studying architecture
* Anna and Charlie were married in August of 2009 at a very fun wedding!  After finishing her PhD in Psychology, she started practicing in St. Cloud this fall.
* Emily is living in Detroit Lakes and doing all kinds of projects at the resorts
* Marianna-or NAN- just graduated from St. Thomas in St. Paul, and is working at the U of Mn. doing research
* Andy is finishing high school this year at DLHS and is thinking either UMD or St. John’s-his father’s alma mater.

We all hope you have a wonderful gathering with those people that are near and dear to you over the holidays.  And don’t worry; if you eat too much, we’ll work it off you when you come “on vacation”!!

Beth & the crew at Fair Hills (and Lake Five) resort.

A few reminders about Five Lakes Resort
We just added a bunch of guest email addresses from Five Lakes – welcome! As you know, Elaine decided to retire from her responsibilities as the housekeeper last summer.  If you didn’t get the info on the change, here’s what’s happening. There will be someone checking in with you on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  When you arrive there will be double the amount of towels in your cabin for the amount of people you have indicated will be staying in the cabin.  If you have more or less in your party, please contact us so we can make adjustments.  Housekeeping duties include changing out your towels, removing your trash and recycling, and checking to see if you need any other supplies.  The lack of daily maid service is reflected in the reduction in the rates in 2010.   As before, Max is available if you need something and he’s there almost every day.  His cell # is 218 841 8166.

Quick reminders:
– 4 p.m. check in and 10 a.m. check out
– Pets are not allowed at either resort.  If we find you have a pet in your cabin, a pet & cleaning fee of $50.00 will be charged to your bill and your pet will need to find other accommodations.  We can assist in finding a suitable boarding house.
– Looking for more info/connection to Five Lakes? Please check out our newest online addition – the Five Lakes Facebook Page:http://tinyurl.com/2fhhtxc

BOATS BOATS  BOATS
We have had to make a couple of changes with our boats this year.  Between insurance coverage and inexperienced drivers we are down to one rental speedboat, the Bayliner.  If you are interested in renting a boat for a week, we have information from J & K rentals out of Detroit Lakes.  They will deliver any day of the week, there is a $2/mile delivery charge and they require a $750 deposit.  Their phone number is:  218 847 7291.  Some of their prices are below:
$1,000/wk= 12 person pontoon
$1,200/wk= 14 person pontoon boat
$1,300/wk= 20’ deck boat
$1,400/wk or $325/day = 17’ ski boat
$225/weekday= Jet skis

FM Walleye
Each June the fishermen in the FM Walleye group come to fish in Pelican Lake. This year there were 92 teams competing!! The biggest fish was a 7.99 pound walleye. Boats galore and great weather!! Check out the pictures on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=178723&id=38736878356&ref=mf (You may need to “friend” us to see them.) http://www.facebook.com/#!/fairhillsresort

New Family Discount
Fair Hills Resort is offering a new family discount of $350 to any family whose stay includes at least two paying adults for a four-night minimum stay on the American Plan between June 26 and August 7, 2010. When you check out, we will deduct $350 off your bill for your immediate family. It’s a vacation you will remember for a lifetime. The $350 is available to either the family that recommends a new family, or for the new family who stays, but unfortunately, not both.  We can split it between both parties if you agree to that.

Wild Weeks at Fair Hills August 7-14 and August 14-21, 2010
We’re got some special treats in store for families who stay these weeks, such as childcare available for the little kids (0-4) most mornings, bonus cocktail hours, added kid activities, some chances at free golf at Wildflower. In short too much to mention in an email, but just check out the list here: http://www.fairhillsresort.com/specials.html If this sounds good but you can’t make it for the full week, we totally understand and would love to have you come up for as many days work into your schedule.  We’ll still treat you to a wild and wonderful vacation!

Referral Bonus at Lake Five
You get  $100 for each new family that you send to Five Lakes Resort. Either the new family can book their own and gets the discount, or the referring family can get the $100. The referral can only be used toward the referring family’s stay the same year.  In other words, the referring family will not just get a check in the mail if they tell someone but aren’t staying themselves. The stay must be 4 days in length during the dates of May 1-Oct. 1. http://www.fivelakesresort.com/spcials.html

Looking forward to seeing you soon!  Beth and all ]]> http://blog.fairhillsresort.com/2011/02/16/july-2010-newsletter/feed/ 0