Goin' To The (Frozen) Lake: Frank, Chris Hit Crosslake
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – It's February and that means we're bring back "Goin' to the Frozen Lake."
This week, Frank Vascellaro and Chris Shaffer are heading to northern Minnesota to check out Winterfest in Crosslake.
The Crosslake Area has about 2,100 permanent residents, but about 60 percent of the homes here are considered seasonal. It makes a lot of sense when you consider the fact that Crosslake has about 121 miles of shoreline.
With that all that shoreline, you can bet the lake is a popular spot to be in the summer or the winter. There were plenty of ice fishing houses sprinkled around Cross Lake and the chain of lakes.
Frank and Chris checked out the Crosslake Dam, run by the Army Corp of Engineers. If you've been up to Crosslake odds, are you've been to this dam or next door to the campground, which is a very popular spot in the summer.
The Crosslake Dam is where the Pine River and Cross Lake meet, and the water is still rushing pretty good.
Northern Minnesota Railroad Heritage Center
One of the best kept secrets in the area is a small, unassuming building off County Road 3: The Northern Railroad Heritage Association, or Northern Trackers, was started all thanks to one woman and her love of trains.
Most people think of Crosslake as a popular summertime destination, but the city is really working hard to get people up here in the winter too. That's right, Crosslake is calling on all cross country skiers to give their trails a try. That new groomer has the city's 10 kilometers of trails in perfect condition, right behind the Crosslake Community Center.
Moonlite Bay Restaurant and Bar
Some of those ski trails will lead you to Moonlite Bay, where owners Jess and Rich have a new addition to their lakeside property. It includes an ice carousel that they just finished up Thursday. They cut a circle in the ice and use an outboard motor to keep it moving. Add some lights and you've got a party on the ice!
When you're up here in Crosslake in the winter, you'll see lots of people using snowmobiles as their main form of transportation. There are miles and miles of trails that lead in every direction, so Frank and Chris had to find some sleds and check them out for ourselves.
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Here are some of the places they checked out on Day 1 of their trip.
