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Goin' To The Lake: Matt & Kim Visit Osakis (Day 1)

Gallery: Matt & Kim Go Fishing

OSAKIS, Minn. (WCCO) -- It's the first week of July, and WCCO is Goin' To The Lake! This week, Matt Brickman and Kim Johnson headed a few hours northwest of the metro to Osakis, Minn.

The town sits on Lake Osakis, and it's in the heart of cabin country -- about 10 miles east of Alexandria.

Lake Osakis is huge, more than 6,200 acres. It's also full of gamefish, and considered an excellent walleye lake.

In fact, it used to be the birthplace of a lot of the walleye you catch around the state, as the DNR used it for its breeding and stocking programs.

Matt & Kim Arrived In Osakis

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Whiskey has been made in the Lake Osakis area for generations, and it's only recently become legal to produce.

Matt and Kim checked out the alcoholic operations at Panther Distillery on Thursday.  They found that Panther uses Minnesota corn, Minnesota wheat, and Minnesota water in its whiskey.

The two also did shots on live TV.

Matt & Kim Visit Panther Distillery

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Osakis is your classic resort town in Minnesota. It has around 1,600 year-round residents, and a lot more in the summer.

And downtown has everything you need.

Matt & Kim Explore Downtown Osakis

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Of course, Matt and Kim couldn't visit Osakis without going fishing. So, the two got a fishing guide named Scott Merwin, and hit the lake.

See who caught the biggest walleye!

Matt & Kim Fish Lake Osakis

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All great small towns have a good place to get ice cream. In Osakis, that place is the Tip Top Dairy Bar, which has been around since 1955.

They put Matt and Kim to work in a competition to make the perfect twist cone.

See who's got the soft-serve skills.

Matt & Kim Go Head-To-Head At Tip Top Dairy Bar

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Here are links to all the places Matt and Kim visited in Osakis on Thursday, July 3, 2014:

General Osakis Informaion
http://visitosakis.com/

Just Like Grandma's Boutique
http://just-like-grandmas.com/

Panther Distillery
http://pantherdistillery.com/

Jacob's Lefse Bakeri
http://www.gotlefse.com/shop/

Scott's Lake Osakis Guide Service
http://www.lakeosakisguide.com

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For the full schedule for Goin' To The Lake: All Summer Long, click here. You can suggest places for us to visit here.

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Watch the past "Goin' To The Lake" segments.
Watch the past "Goin' To The (Frozen) Lake" segments.

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