Goin' To The Lake: Ortonville (Day 2)
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Friday was the final day of WCCO's summer road trip around Minnesota and western Wisconsin for 2016.
Frank Vascellaro and Mike Max are about three hours west of the Twin Cities in Ortonville, where Cornfest is getting underway!
RELATED: Goin' To The Lake: Ortonville (Day 1)
Rustling Elms Resort & Aquatic Robotics
Ortonville is a town filled with pride about all it has to offer, and Frank and Mike had a great time getting to know the residents.
The fellas also stopped in Friday to Rustling Elms Resort to say "hi" to Donna, the owner. It is a picturesque setting, and you can tell there is a lot of tradition. Rustling Elms has been around for almost 100 years. They have a lot of families who come year after year to enjoy the 150 feet of beachline, nice cabins and seasonal and overnight RV camping. Five generations of the Johnson family has helped make memories for visitors, and they hope to continue the tradition for years to come.
The big draw in Ortonville, of course, is Big Stone Lake, and some young 4-Hers were there Friday to do their part to keep it clean. Frank and Mike met the Aquatic Robotics group, who are using an underwater robot equipped with a fishing camera to check for invasive species. It is a way to educate people in hopes of keeping the lake clean. The 4-H program in Big Stone County is thriving, with about 200 members.
Perch Fishing On Big Stone Lake
If you are looking for a great place to hunt and fish, head to Ortonville. Mike has spent a lot of time in the area duck hunting, but not as much on the lake -- but that all changed Friday, when they headed out on Big Stone Lake to catch perch. You voted Artie's Bait Shop in Ortonville the Best of Minnesota, so we had Artie and his son, Tanner, take the fellas out to try and catch dinner. And Frank and Mike had an unexpected guest!
Cornfest & Ortonville Baseball
The 78th Annual Cornfest is just getting started here in Ortonville on Big Stone Lake. This town is so proud and they really get into this celebration each year. The beer garden at the festival is benefitting the town's fire department, so drink up. There's also a beanbag tournament, and an ice cream social up at the Big Stone County Museum.
This town has a lot to celebrate right now. For the first time since 1969, the amateur baseball team made the state tournament. They had several players come out of retirement to do it.
Ortonville Football
Summer coming to an end means football season is right around the corner. One week from tonight we'll debut our first High School Sports Rally of the fall, so Mike Max decided to do some in-depth reporting to prepare. He suited up at QB for the Ortonville Trojans!
Roller Skating At Sioux Historic Pavilion
This may be our last Goin' To The Lake trip of the summer, but we have a first in our series: roller skating! Frank and Maxie decided to hit the rink at the Sioux Historic Pavilion to learn about the building's rich history, and see what makes it so special.
But who's the better skater? Watch the video above to find out!
