Ludlow's Island Resort

New Floors in North Star

2011-04-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

Northstar cabin is getting some updates this winter. We just finished taking the carpet out of the living area and replacing it with beautiful hickory floors.

Moving docks

2011-04-04T06:29:00.000-07:00

Well, until yesterday we were starting to see the signs of spring. Snow was melting, ice was getting thinner....and then it started snowing and snowing. Good thing we got these docks moved over to Evergreen just in the nick of time. Thanks for your help Kirby.

WE WANT YOU!!!

2011-02-04T15:19:00.000-08:00

Ludlow's is hiring positions in Guest Services for the 2011 season.

If you know anyone who would enjoy working at the best place on earth pass this opportunity on to them. Contact the resort for more information:

877-LUDLOWS

Snow and Packers

2011-01-31T06:48:00.000-08:00

Snow, snow and more snow. We would love to share more about fun projects, cabin renovations and updates, but we cannot. Shoveling and plowing has become our daily mission. The upcoming bitter cold may force us inside, then we might change our theme.

Due to ridiculous snow levels our staff has expressed their opinion about 2011 in the attached pic.

P.S. thanks for cheering on the Packers, next Sunday should be an interesting day at Ludlow's

Birthday Girl!!!

2011-01-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

Kelly Ludlow turns 30 on Friday! No need for gifts or cards, just do your best to cheer on the Packers through the Super Bowl!!! Yes we are Minnesota residence, but her loyalty to the Green and Gold will never fade. As a Viking fan all I can say is Uffdah.

Cold and Snow

2011-01-20T07:31:00.000-08:00

We are still moving snow pack from roofs and decks. This is Northstar's deck which is holding a packed bank nearly 8ft high! Today's high is -2 and a low of -37. Stay warm. Spring please.

Snow on the Island

2011-01-14T07:51:00.000-08:00

Kelly, Kirby and I were in Montana over the Holidays and have just returned to the island. The snow accumulation is amazing, more than we have seen in years. The posted picture is the boardwalk going up the store by Northstar Cabin. Note the snow level is equal in height to the hand rails....almost 4 ft above the ground! Shoveling roofs and plowing snow has become the primary "project" for winter 2011. Happy New Year

Cold, Cold, Cold day projects

2010-12-15T16:53:00.000-08:00

While the Minneapolis area received almost two feet of snow we got cold temps. The island was getting down to -25, and was not seeing positive numbers throughout the day. At times like this we work inside. This was a great excuse to lay down new floors in Loon's Nest (upstairs of the Lodge). We put down bamboo which is very hard, durable and sustainable. Kirby is not a fan, he finds it hard to get traction, so he is spending more time in his bed than usual. Warmer temps are around the corner and we (including Kirby) will get back outside soon.

Winter Projects

2010-12-09T16:19:00.000-08:00

With the weather getting colder we find ourselves taking on projects that keep us indoors. Currently we are cleaning up and restoring all of the classic signs that indicate cabin names. Each of the signs were routed by Hod Ludlow or Mark Ludlow at the finish of the cabin. It might be easier and cheaper to buy or make modern ones but we insist on keeping our historic pieces.

How do you get to the island when the ice is thin?

2010-11-24T06:05:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year, winter has certainly started. The most common question our guests ask about living on the island is, "How do you get back and forth when the ice is too thin for walking?" Answer, we keep a boating channel open. The current snow build up prevents the ice from getting thicker, fast. In the mean time we just keep breaking the channel open throughout the day, fun stuff. Have a great Thanksgiving.

End of the Season Blues

2010-11-16T05:22:00.000-08:00

We have closed for 2010, but are looking forward to the 2011 season. The Fall weather has been great. We have a good start on our spring projects and are looking forward to winter renovations. The down side to all of this is the lack of guests on the island. Kirby has been forced to spend more time with his only winter companion, Marina the cat.

Check out this blog it has great pics of Ludlows

2010-09-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.chelsiekrafka.com/blog/

Wedding at Ludlow's

2010-09-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had a great celebration. Bridgette and Ryan were wed on Ludlow's Island. It was a great time, thank you to all that attended the event.

Fishing Derby

2010-08-11T15:33:00.001-07:00

This week has been great, hot weather, good fishing and tons of activities for kids. The fishing derby was a hit today, the new record for 2010 is 57 fish in 20minutes.

Paul and Kelly Ludlow

2010-08-05T06:08:00.000-07:00

For those of you that have not been to the resort this year we are happy to announce that Paul and Kelly were married on Lake Vermilion. It has been seven years in the making and we are very happy that the day finally came.

Kelly and Paul Ludlow

Turtle on the Beach

2010-07-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

The summer is going great. Weather is the best it has been in years. The fourth of July came and went with spectacular fireworks. We have some new additions to the island. Over the father's weekend a large snapping turtle laid it's eggs on our beach, we expect new young by September.

Lake Vermilion State Park

2010-06-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

We are having a great spring. Lake Vermilion is now officially going to have a state park. Last week Governor Pawlenty and First Lady Mary Pawlenty were on hand to sign the state closing papers for the Lake Vermilion property which will become a state park. It is going to be great!

Fishing is on! Come on up for some Crappies!

2010-04-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

The early spawn this year will make for one of, if not the best opener ever. If you have the time, or want to celebrate Mother's Day on Lake Vermilion come on up, we are open and ready for guests. Keep in mind the crappie season is well underway, Kirby and Kelly caught this 1.5lb black crappie off our docks!

2010 is going to be a great season.

THE ICE IS OUT ON VERMILION

2010-04-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

We have been boating around the island now for a couple of days, but as of today the ice is off the lake. This is a new record for earliest ice out, the previous date was April 10th! Come on up and see visit.

New Lund rental Layouts

2010-02-01T20:31:00.000-08:00

Winter continues here on Lake Vermilion. In an effort to offer great watercraft rentals for 2010 our Lund hulls are receiving needed restoration. Utilizing the original aluminum hulls the interiors are being refit with new seating and casting bow layouts. The exteriors will have fresh paint and updated decals. All of the rental fleet will be updated this winter. Pictures will be posted as projects get completed.

Kirby the Carpenter

2010-01-15T14:26:00.000-08:00

We have been restoring some of the boats in the Ludlow fleet. First in the shop are the wooden boats. Kelly and Kirby have a great time sanding and finishing the yellow canoe. Kirby is....well not much help at all. Hope you are all enjoying your winter.

Happy New Year

2010-01-07T19:55:00.000-08:00

It has been a little chilly here at Ludlows....take that back it has been really, really cold. When you see International Falls as the coldest spot in the nation, remember, it is just an hour up the road from us. Due to these temps we are working indoors. Both South Shore Cabin and Evergreen Cabin now have hardwood floors in the living and dining rooms. We are trying to convert all living areas to wood floors throughout the resort. Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays From Ludlows

2009-12-24T06:52:00.001-08:00

The Holidays are here. Snow is finally on it's way to Ludlows. We have had a cold, minimal snow, winter start. This has led to great ice and easy access to the woods. Kirby, Kaya, Kelly and Paul have embraced these conditions and have started expanding and clearing our North Shore hiking trail system. The dogs have been a great help with our efforts. By the end of the day Kirby is so tired he refuses to walk home, so Kelly gives him a lift back to the island via snowmobile.

Have a wonderful Holiday weekend. We look forward to seeing you all in the spring.

P.S.

If you Facebook become a fan of Ludlows Resort...we just set up a page and will be posting more pictures to it soon.

-Ludlows Staff

First Ice Last Boat Trip

2009-12-07T16:38:00.000-08:00

It has been a great fall. Unseasonably warm weather has allowed for the completion of many projects. This week the first ice of the winter took hold from shore to island. This is the last boat trip through the ice channel, now we start walking. Good Times!

Minnesota state record Muskie caught on Vermilion

2009-10-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Lake Vermilion had a Muskie Tournament that saw fish well over 40 inches. The biggest was 60 inches and 60+ pounds!!! This is a new record fish for Minnesota. Lake Vermilion is currently ranked the #2 big Muskie lake in Minnesota....looks like next year we just may be the #1 lake. Call Ludlow's for our special fall and spring fishing packages. 877-LUDLOWS

BIG FISHES

2009-09-28T07:01:00.001-07:00

Trophies are coming out of Vermilion left and right!
This 48 muskie was landed last weekend. And Two huge Walleye. One of them is nearly 10 pounds! Come on up for fall colors and great values.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-05T15:28:00.000-07:00

Labor Day weekend and Classic Boat show are off to a great start. Fishing is great, and we have a beautiful fleet of classic boats here at the resort. Come join us for a weekend, fall colors, gourmet food or just a relaxing break before summer is gone.

KIDS CAMP

2009-08-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

Kids camp in in full stride. We are having an awesome time with all the kids. Everyone is having a great time. Come join us for a good time.

Great Fishing

2009-07-23T15:44:00.000-07:00

The fish are biting on Vermilion. This huge 47 inch Muskie was landed recently by Ludlows. It has been a great week, the weather has been perfect. Join us for family fun and great fishing.

Kids Camp Underway!

2009-06-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

Ludlow's Activity Camp was in full swing this week. The weather has been beautiful. Highs in the low 80s with blue skies. Our weekly fishing derby champ was Ricky. Everyone is having fun, come join us for what ever time you can.

Weekend Wedding at the Island

2009-06-15T06:20:00.001-07:00

The weather and the fishing have been great! We just had an Island wedding this past weekend. What a beautiful event. Come join us and take advantage of our special packages for the summer.

Gourmet weekend

2009-06-07T06:04:00.000-07:00

Ludlow's recently had Murray's of Minneapolis and Exec. Chef John Vanhouse put on a spectacular weekend of food and wine. Our next gourmet event will feature The Oceanaire Seafood Room and Exec Chef Rick Kimmes. The weekend date will be September 25th.

Summer is Here

2009-06-02T05:37:00.000-07:00

We have seen great weather, and more importantly great fishing. The spring rains have placed out water levels perfect (under the docks this year) and the foliage is green and lush! Come see us, and take advantage of our spring specials.

THE ICE IS OUT!!

2009-04-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

THE ICE IS OUT ON VERMILION!

Lake Vermilion is enjoying an earlier than last year ice out.

Getting the resort ready for our 70th year of operation is underway.

On the Road Again

2009-03-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

Ludlow's was featured on Jason Davis on The Road last week. If you did not get a chance to see it check out http://kstp.com/article/stories/S510587.shtml?cat=69 to see it.

Will Spring Come?

2009-03-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

After watching us leave on snowmobiles day after day Kirby finally gave in and decided to ride with.

The ice is still here and thick, up to 40 inches in some spots.

We are getting ready for another snow storm and then maybe spring?

Snow Blowing the Rooftops

2009-03-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend the snow blower made it's way to roof of the main lodge. In anticipation of more snow the current waist deep stuff had to go! Amazing we are just 3 hours north of the metro area, but are having a much different "spring". Enjoy the weather, where ever you are.

Dereck and Adam are back for 2009!

2009-02-26T13:17:00.000-08:00

We are happy to announce the return of Dereck and Adam for the 2009 Season. This will be a great way to offer the best service to our guests for the 70th year at Ludlow's in 2009.

We still have snow at Ludlow's, lots of it!

2009-02-20T07:01:00.000-08:00

We have a ton of snow here at Ludlow's. Kirby is enjoying every minute of it. Besides tennis balls snow is his favorite.

Our new spa is well underway and will be open for guest use in May, it will be a great place to relax and enjoy the natural setting.

The Mother's Day Family Weekend takes place at Ludlow's with the Minnesota Fishing Opener. Join us for what is going to be a great time!

Happy New Year

2009-01-12T13:25:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year and Season's Greetings! We hope you all had wonderful celebrations to ring in 2009! As you can see we are enjoying an abundance of snow in the new year. Shoveling has become a way of life around the resort - a task which Kirby unfortunately does not help with!

We are in the midst of working towards the completion of our sauna/spa building! It will be ready for this summer, complete with a full sauna, and spa facilities to include massage, manicures and pedicures! We are glad to be expanding our current spa menu!

We hope everyone is staying warm - we are expecting high temperatures this week of 3 above and low's down to -30!

Ludlow's Gift Page is up!

2008-12-20T06:37:00.000-08:00

Need a gift idea. Look at our new on-line gift shop.

Winter is here! We have great snow and the snowmobile trails are open. We have a road and are driving across the lake. We will send some pictures next week.

Have a great holiday season!

Finally frozen

2008-12-01T16:57:00.000-08:00

It's official - the lake is frozen over! We are now snowmobiling to and from the south shore, and the boat slips have become home to snowmobiles.

As you can tell from the picture, Kirby and Marina sorely miss all the summer guests - they are working on becoming friends.

Our big project for the winter has been combining our sauna building into a sauna/spa combination. The original sauna building has been expanded, with the additional space being set up for massage, as well as manicures/pedicures. We are very excited for its unveiling in 2009.

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

Ending our 69th Season!

2008-10-23T00:26:00.000-07:00

On October 13 we ended our 69th year of serving guests. It was a great season! Our weather started spotty in May but the fishing came through. Beginning in June the sun came out and stayed out through out. Our fall color and weather were spectacular.

We are now planning for 2009. If you have suggestions, pass them on. Watch our blog for some forthcoming announcements about improvements at Ludlow's!

Fall Color Peaks

2008-09-28T00:17:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying unusually nice weather and the landscape is a photographer's paradise! The colors are fabulous! Come up to the area in the next two weeks and you will see the reds of the maples and the yellows of birch and aspen all with a backdrop of green conifers. It really is beautiful!

We have been too busy to take many pics but here is one of our neighboring island.

Labor Day Boat Show

2008-09-02T23:44:00.000-07:00

Great weather prevailed and the boats were beautiful!

The Saturday morning cruise, evening pot luck and Sunday show was enjoyed under great weather with sun and temperatures in the 80's.

Vermilion is a great destination for your fall escape, fall fishing, or enjoying a weekend with Murray's restaurant chef (Sept 26-28) at Ludlow's.

Come up and see us!

Think Fall

2008-08-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

It is not too early to think about spending some "Up North" this fall. The lake levels are great (unlike last fall where we had low levels) and the long range weather forecasts look good as well.

Enjoy our fall value season rates (over 30% off summer rates).

Spend a weekend with Murray's restaurant chef for some spectacular meals and wine (Sept 26-28).

It is quiet time at Ludlow's. Their are few boats on the lake. The Loons are in full chorus looking for mates to fly south within the month. The eagles are still training their young in fishing and foraging.

Come up. Visit us!

Very Fortunate

2008-08-16T03:05:00.000-07:00

Ludlow's has been very fortunate to have received some nice publicity this past month. Minnesota Monthly did an article on island vacations and selected us as the lead feature. Even the cover featured a young woman standing on the rocks off the west end of the island.

Jason Davis "On the Road" featured Ludlow's on KSTP television in late July. If you would like to see the video you can go to KSTP.com and find all of their past shows.

Summer for the past month has been fabulous. Warm days, cool nights, and no wind. Our evenings are cooler than normal but the bright sun brings us to the mid 70's every day. Great sleeping weather!

Summer is in Full Fun!

2008-07-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

The weather has been great and summer is in full swing! Sand Castles are one of the most popular weekly activities. Young and old participate.

We are also doing weekly Amphicar rides, scavenger hunts, hot dog roasts and all kinds of things that keep families together and young people making new friends.

Come on up to the north country!

2008-07-13T05:38:00.000-07:00

Zack Stuckey won our weekly fishing derby last week. Zack caught 41 fish in 20 minutes. Here is a picture of Zack and the other children that participated. We have had a catch and release program for fish off our docks for years and it keeps a good population for all to enjoy.

Great 4th of July

2008-07-04T03:36:00.000-07:00

Families are enjoying beautiful weather, calm waters and some good fishing. Zack Stucky (picture later) won the weekly fishing contest catching 44 fish in 20 minutes. A new record!

The Amphicar is back giving rides. What an experience to go from land to water! We still have space to make families memories at Ludlow's this summer!

The Kids and Fish are back!

2008-06-21T04:10:00.000-07:00

School is out and Ludlow's is now fishing families! Children of all ages are enjoying good fishing and especially off the dock. Our local "pet northerns" have returned larger than ever. See Liam in the picture with "Norman the Northern" who has been released countless times after being caught. He can easily be netted and doesn't seem to mind having his picture taken. All fish caught from our docks must be released so they are available for the next little angler.

Come up and see us. The weather has been great this past week.

2008-06-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

Summer is here!

The sun is out! Our weather has finally turned!

Last week Bridgette and Ryan were up having their engagement pictures taken for their fall wedding with us. They are in the image in our shuttle boat.

Last night we had a beautiful small wedding (pics to follow) in our lodge.

School is out and families are starting to enjoy Ludlow's. Come up and see us.

Our 69th season at Ludlow's!

2008-06-03T02:22:00.000-07:00

Our Family Weekend honoring Mother's Day and the opening of the Walleye season provided great fishing and fun. The Walleyes were deep at 40' and plentiful. The fishing has held up and should peak in the next ten days as the water warms up.

Oceanaire Seafood Room and Executive Chef Rick Kimmes hosted a gourmet weekend at Ludlow's over Memorial Day. We enjoyed great seafood and look forward to the Oceanaire next spring.

Remember Murray's of Minneapolis will be with us September 26-28 for a great fall weekend of food. There is still space!

Spring is coming!

2008-04-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a record (I think) of 42" of snow. The lake is a mess! We had no snow before the 32" and then 10" snow fall. We spent almost all week shoveling out and continuing to try and get ready for our May 9 opening.

Today it is 50 and we thought a shot of Paul enjoying himself on the beach would be appropriate. Remember, this is April 13!

A Great Winter but COLD

2008-01-27T20:19:00.000-08:00

We have another winter with snow! Skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and enjoying it!. Here is a shot with a recent snowfall. It looks a little different than summer at Ludlow's.

We are into winter projects. We restocked the resort with firewood last week. We move it by snowmobile sled from the parking lot over to the wood sheds and to the north shore cabins.

We are also installing new floors in Coffeetime and other cabins. We have selected Tamarack as a flooring material. It was used historically in northern Minnesota cabins because of it's hardness and beauty. We hope you will like it!

We have added to our fleet of watercraft. For 2008 we will have a new 2 person kayak, new fishing motors, and another 60 hp fishing boat.

We hope to see you all at Ludlow's this year!

Fall meeting sets 2008 Priorities

2007-11-03T01:40:00.000-07:00

Everyone came to the table at the fall meeting with lists compiled from their season of listening to guest comments and keeping an eye on everything at the resort.

The first priority was to discuss the guest experience and how we can make it better. Continuing to try and anticipate guest needs and be aware of their expectations are conclusions that must be put into plans of action!

The new concept of "carbon neutral" impact on the environment and "green marketing" has emerged in the public press in the past few years and is a hot topic for every industry. We decided to start sharing with guests what Ludlow's has been doing for some time. We were the first resort in St. Louis County to exceed the waste water treatment code some years ago (1999) and have taken other steps ever since to try and minimuze our impact on the environment. Over the winter we will tell you more...

For cabin improvements we are continuing our new bedding program started last year with new comforters, pillows, and replacing more mattresses. We are also tearing up more carpeting and exposing beautiful old wood floors or creating new ones. It is also time to refurnish a number of the cabins.

We will keep you updated with progress as we move toward winter.

Another Season Comes to a Close

2007-10-18T02:21:00.000-07:00

Our 68th season has come to a close and although everyone on the staff likes to see it end we are already planning for 2008. Our annual staff meeting is this Friday where we review what we did and can do better for 2008. We also bring our ideas for improving Ludlow's and try to prioritize what will be done. If you have any suggestions for improving Ludlow's, let us know!

We will be publishing the results of our meeting at the end of next week.

Mark, Sally, Lori, Monte, Paul, Kelly and the entire staff at Ludlow's wish you a great winter.

We are back on the blog!

2007-09-28T07:02:00.001-07:00

After being off of for almost a year we are now resuming our periodic comments for the Ludlow's Resort blog. Our season has been warm, fun, and full of smiles! We have enjoyed all of our guests.

We are now in our fall season which means people relaxing, fishing and enjoying nature's color palate making our woods an ever-changing display.

Color is now great so plan to spend a few days with us soon!

Gonna miss Ludlow's Island Resort

2006-11-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

Hello everybody, I am posting to inform all of my "retirement" from my guest services position. It has been an awesome past few years here at Ludlow's. I have met a lot of awesome people and great families that I will miss greatly. I would also like to extend a thank you to the Ludlow's for everything they have done for me, they have been awesome to me.

I am starting a new career with Omni Hotels in Jacksonville FL, I am extremely excited to start this and would also like to thank Mark and Sally for helping me obtain the oppourtunity.

If any one would like to get in contact with me the best way would be through email, johnboy419@hotmail.com is my email address and I try and check it frequently. Once again thank you to every one.

Have a good one
Island John

This is my final post for Ludlow's, but dont worry Paul Ludlow will be taking over the posting duties.

Fishing is Great here at Ludlow's Island Resort on Lake Vermilion

2006-09-10T17:41:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would let every one know that the fishing has been awesome these past few days since I last posted a blog. Walleye's are biting like crazy here and even Crappies are picking up again.
If you want to find the Crappies I suggest hiring a guide especially Joe Panichi, he limited out on Walleyes the other day so they went and caught some monster Crappies. Above are a few pictures from the past few days.
Even guest who arent using guides right now are running into the walleye's, so what are you waiting for come on up and take advatage of our special fishing package rates.
Internet was being difficult so I will post the pictures the next chance I get, sorry for the delay.
Have a good one
John

Walleye's are hungry!

2006-09-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year for the resort to quiet down a lot, since kids are back in school now our family resort has undergone it's little transformation from families to couples and fishing party's.
So if your looking for a peaceful weekend or weekday getaway you should give us a call. The resort is pretty quiet right now most guest are out fishing, or relaxing on their porches watching the day come to an end with one of our classic Lake Vermilion sunsets.

Today was a great day for fishing one of our guest that went out with a guide came back 2 hours early since they had reached their limit for walleye's and then some they threw many back that were in the slot limit and still had plenty left over.
I have also been cleaning a lot of fish, in fact our gut bucket is full from all the fish that I have cleaned today so that to me is a sign of good fishing.
Also had a guest go out and get into some walleyes today and has already gone back out to find some more.

Just thought I would keep you posted as I am keeping an eye on the docks waiting for some boats.
Have a good one
John

Puzzle is finished!

2006-09-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

This post is mainly for the Gruber family since they started a huge puzzle the last night here of their stay and we all put a huge dent in it that night, but did not get to finish it. It only took two more days and it was finished, I am sorry I didnt have time to finish it myself but when you leave an unfinished puzzle out they tend to get finished. Above is a picture of what it looks like and it was only missing about 8 pieces, so check Joe's pockets just in case they are there. (just kidding)
Have a good one
John

Classic Wooden Boat Show weekend!

2006-09-04T16:59:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Tom Juul on your Success at the Lake Vermilion Classic wooden boat show.

If your a fan of old wooden boats or "Woodies" labor day weekend is the weekend to stay here at Ludlow's. Our Docks are filled with beautiful wooden boats, plus the locals who own wooden boats come out and its almost like the lake is transported back in time to the 1950's, and it is awesome.
For the wooden boat show weekend we have a couple of get togethers, potluck, and hold a dinner down at the Landing, and also the Harvest Moon. Among these dinners and get togethers they hold a competition at the Landing. This year there was about 30 boats of different makes models, and they award two different awards, one to the peoples favorite, and another for Skippers Choice.

This year Tom Juul of Juul Boat Works who stayed with us won both peoples choice and also the Skippers Choice. The boat he was showing was a 1940 Chris Craft Custom Runabout, the boat is owned by Carl Mammel and was restored by Juul Boat works in 1996. This boat was simply amazing, above I have posted some pictures of Tom and the "Sans Souci".
Below is a small slide show of some other boats that were here this Past weekend, and just some pictures that were taken.

Fishing Report!

2006-08-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

lately with the weather change fishing has been picking up, especially if your on the hunt for the famous Lake Vermilion Walleye. It seems that the fish have moved over to the west end of the lake, I would love to share more with you all but my sources might not appreciate the wide spread word, but if your staying up here with us at Ludlow's Island Resort I would be able to give you the inside scoop,but the best way to find the fish is to hire a guide. We always recomend a guide with your stay since it is a large lake and the fish have many hiding spots that they can move to, if you get a guide for one of your first few days with us it helps your odds during the rest of your stay here.

Above is a picture of Paula and Mark (guests) with fishing guide Doug Knoer, Doug is one of the excellent guide and all around nice guy, who has a great handle on the fishing here on Lake Vermilion. Ask us about Doug and other guides when you call to see what we can set up for you, we use only the best guides on the lake.

Some Sand Castle pics from our contest

2006-08-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

Ok so by popular request and emails that have been sent in here are some pictures of sand castle contestents that did not get to get a print of their pictures. good job with the castles every one!

P.S.
Hannah I found some pictures on my camera and I think I get the point that I need to start reading a certain series of books, I will work on it.

Hello from the Iceberg here at Ludlow's

2006-08-22T00:20:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would post some pictures of our guest enjoying themselves on one of our most popular attractions the Iceberg. Just showing one more reason why you should come up and visit us here at Ludlow's Island Resort.
Have a good one
John

Harry wins Derby

2006-08-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

Above is Harry after winning the fishing derby today, it was an intense competition today with a crowded bunch of kids on the docks and a lot of choas. In a close second was Jason today earlier he caught a monster sunfish off of our docks it was HUGE! here is a picture below.

The recent fishing derby winners

2006-08-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

To all my faithful blog readers I apologize about my tardiness in keeping you all posted as to how everything is going. In this blog I am going to post all of the recent fishing derby winners so that they can all claim their fame here on the blog site. Congratulations to each of you keep up the good work.

John Caught 30 fish in 20 minutes and holds this summers derby record for most fish caught in the derby, congrats!

Reed was part of one of the biggest underdog victories I have witnessed, and won in sudden death overtime, way to go!

Congratulations Kyle on winning a pretty intense fishing derby!

Bear Makes Fish O Fame

2006-08-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

Bear was a Walleye killer this past week, I think he caught more Walleye's than most adults caught that week. By popular demand or A.K.A Andie here is a picture of Bear with some of his Walleye's that made the Fish O Fame.

Boo, Bear, Andie miss you all and the late night crawfish hunting and Bocci ball. Adam and John
have a good one
John
Adam still has his Balloon

Amphicar Rides Again!!

2006-08-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

Come get a once in a life time experience here at Ludlow's and take a ride in our rare amphibious car on lake Vermilion.
Every friday we give amphicar rides to all of our guest who are interested, which driving a car into a lake and not getting yelled at or in trouble is a pretty interesting deal. This year Paul is giving the rides to the guest and the pictures above are from our last amphicar rides day.
hope you enjoy!

Allison catches Norm Jr off of Ludlow's Docks

2006-07-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

Allison Trezona just caught the biggest fish that she has ever caught right here on Ludlow's Island docks. It was a monster of a Northern measuring at roughly 24 inches. Good Job Allison, I knew all that fishing that you and Victoria were doing would pay off.

The Kids all gathered once they heard all the comotion coming from Allison and Victoria to see the Northern that Allison has named Larry, since it wasnt the original Norm.

This week the fishing off of the docks is proving to be some of the best on the lake. I watch guest go out and hunt the lake to find fish and the whole time all the kids are on the docks catching huge Northerns, and big Bass, and loads of Sunfish and Perch.

Norman caught!

2006-07-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

Andrew Koblas managed to catch Norman the Northern off of our docks using his secret bait. Congratulations Andrew on catching Norman within 24 hours of arriving here. Andrew has actually caught Norman 3 years in a row and says "it's easy!".
Have a good one
John

From the Stuckey family

2006-07-19T20:22:00.001-07:00

Hello all-
We just returned from a wonderful family vacation to Northern Minnesota. We stayed at a beautiful small Island resort that Scott worked at for 3 summers while in college. (Kate and Annie Ludlow were our flower girls almost 16 years ago). It is called Ludlows Island and it is on Lake Vermillion in Cook, Minnesota (just about 45 Minutes from International Falls).

We had wonderful weather and enjoyed being away from the Florida heat and humidity. We all enjoyed fishing & boating, swimming, kayaking, paddle boats & canoes. And alot of relaxing-no tv's or phones! Lauren was the big fisherman pulling in a 3 lb and 1lb small mouth bass. Jacob loved organizing the fishing gear and playing "dock boy" in training. Zachary was the swimmer and enjoyed the new water slide.

Hope this finds everyone enjoying their summers.

Jodi and all

From the Stuckey family

2006-07-19T20:22:00.000-07:00

More Pictures from the sailboat races at Ludlow's

2006-07-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

S.S. Napkin VS Lady Bug

Tooty Fruity VS S.S. Wonder

S.S. Wonder VS S.S. Napkin

Lady Bug VS Wikki stick Wonder

Lady Bug VS Wikki Stick Wonder

Lady Bug VS Stargazer

Lady Bug VS S.S. Napkin

Pictures from the sailboat races

2006-07-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

A.C.C Vs Gator Bait

Me and the S.S. Sponge

Patrick had to go he was sinking the S.S. Sponge

Jade and her winning boat "Lady Bug"

Adam and his boat

A.C.C. VS Wikki stick Wonder

A.C.C. VS Gatorbait

A.C.C. VS Wikki Stick Wonder

A.C.C. VS Gatorbait

Sailboat making and Racing tournament NEW at Ludlow's Island Resort

2006-07-17T19:58:00.000-07:00

By popular request we here at Ludlow’s have started a new activity for children to enjoy, Sailboat making. Once the sailboats are made we place them head to head to compete in a small friendly tournament against fellow guest who made sailboats.
This activity did replace our old wikki stick activity but the sailboat activity is one of the most fun activities that I have done with guest.
Today we had 10 guest make sailboats and customize them to their liking, also Adam and Myself had to make some ourselves so that we can compete and challenge each tournament winner, plus they were fun to make. Of course if any of you know me and how much I love cartoons could probably figure out what kind of themed sailboat that I made hence the name S.S. Sponge. Adam made a boat with an Irish theme, he also paid tribute to the retiring wikki sticks and used them on his boat to help with design and floatation.

Today’s tournament was a lot of fun Below are the Races and Racers;

Round 1
Stargazer – Haley
Lady Bug – Jade
Dragon Fly – Kate
Napkins – Ethan
Wikki stick wonder – Brenna
Horsepower – Kristen
ACC – Liam
Gator Bait – Fran rep. Root family
Tooty Fruity – Jordan,
S.S. wonder – Jordan S.

Round 2(winners of Round 1)
Lady bug
Napkins
Wikki stick wonder
A.C.C.
S.S. Wonder

Round 3(winners of round 2)
Lady Bug
Wikki Stick Wonder
Napkins

Final Round(winner of round 3)
Lady Bug
S.S. Sponge

Winner Defeated the dockboy on top of the tournament
Lady Bug – Congratulations Jade

Jacob, Lauren & Zachary 1st Place sandcastle

2006-07-17T05:40:00.000-07:00

Jacob, Lauren, Zachary posing with their sandcastle, with a functional bridge that could even hold my weight.

Last week Lauren and Zachary built an excellent sand castle for our sand castle competition, and with it blew all the competition away and captured first place for the week.
Congradulations Jacob, Lauren and Zachary
John Burger

Reid Underdogs the Fishing Derby!

2006-07-17T05:28:00.000-07:00

Reid posing with his 1st place t-shirt

Last weeks winner of the fishing derby was Reed Geiger. It was another exciting derby of course. When it looked like Ally and Jenna were pulling way ahead of the group with 17 and 18 fish in the final minutes Reid came from behind to Tie the with Ally 21 to 21, so with the world cup going on we decided to have a fish off, I had them go head to head to decide the winner, first one to pull a fish out of the water would be the winner, it took Reid less than 10 seconds to pull the winning fish out of the water.
Congradulations Reid on winning the Fishing Derby
John Burger

Dock boy & Girl training

2006-07-17T05:10:00.000-07:00

Erin takes driving the shuttle extremely seriously

Emma driving the shuttle

This past week I had a pretty easy job since Erin was my assistant dockboy in training. He was very dedicated to his training, he would sit and wait in the shuttle so that he wouldnt miss a ride when it was needed plus I was giving him lessons on how to drive the shuttle which is a pretty Prestigious thing here at Ludlow's Island Resort. Erin was a fast learner and was an great shuttle boat driver, and he gave me a chance to sit back and enjoy the shuttle ride instead of doing all the work. Emma was another shuttle boat enthusiast, she was another great driver also. So I just wanted to say thank you Erin and Emma for the help on the docks and it was great having you here.
Thank you and havea great day
John Burger

Leave a memory

2006-07-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

I thought I would ask past guest who have recently stayed with Ludlow's or even those who have stayed with us in the past to leave me a comment about your stay or send me some pictures of your family or children while you stayed with us. If you need to turn the picture into an html format you can try and use http://www.imagetiger.com/ or feel free to email them to me at info@ludlowsresort.com .
Hope to see some fun photos and or good stories
John Burger
below I leave you with a couple of action shots of our new water slide, and a picture of Nick and Kyle holding a Huge Small Mouth bass

Lake Vermilion Lobster

2006-07-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

Today Lauren and her younger brother Zachary were fishing down on our docks and decided to catch some crawfish instead of fish, so she caught a bunch of crawfish and since she had never eaten or cooked any crawfish her and I decided to cook them up. She said that she liked them, and she shared some with Matt and me also and they tasted like mini lobsters...YUM!
Thanks for the good food
John

Kyle wins Ludlow's Fishing Derby!

2006-07-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

Congradulations to Kyle, this week he won our fishing derby with this years record of 22 fish in the twenty minute contest. It was a pretty exciting derby with a lot of contestants and a lot of fishes caught. Above is Kyle with his first place prize that he got to pick out of our gift store.
Have a good one
John

Muskie Brought in at Ludlow's

2006-06-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

We have had a lot of Muskie spottings and following lures to the boat so far this year. There has also been a few Muskies landed, below is a picture of a beautiful Muskie that was brought in for pictures and then released, it was a nice 40 inch Muskie that was caught in a near by bay. Please feel free to comment or email us with a picture of fish that you have caught while here and we will be glad to post it up to show people who are unflamilar with the lake and how good its fishing is.

Beautiful weather here at Ludlow's Island on Lake Vermilion!

2006-06-25T19:58:00.000-07:00

The weather has been great up here in the north country. The kids are enjoying the beach all day, playing on the paddle boats,hydro bikes, Kayaks,our new water slide, and of course we cant forget the famous Iceberg. I am not trying to rub it in but just wanted to let every one know what they are missing and to get up here and enjoy Lake Vermilion at Ludlow's Island Resort. I just thought I would post some pictures of guest enjoying the resort and of some of the awesome sunsets that we have been having night after night.
Wish you were here
John

Airplane Rides at Ludlow's Island Resort

2006-06-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

One of the other activities that we offer for guest here at Ludlow's is Airplane Rides. Every thursday as long as the weather allows it we have airplane rides available for those who would be interested.
It is an awesome time and a really neat way to see the lake and the lay of the land, I would highly recomend it to any one that is up staying with us, that is as long as you dont mind being that high up in the air.
Below are some pictures of Van Air coming to Ludlow's and parking at our docks to pick up a family to take them on a tour.

Parker wins Ludlow's first fishing derby of the season

2006-06-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

Congradulations Parker for winning todays fishing derby with a total of 9 fish.

Today we hosted our first official fishing derby for the kids at our resort. The fishing derby is one of many childrens activities that we at Ludlow's put together, we have 6 days full of fun for children to participate in.
The fishing derby is a contest of all the children at our resort that we hold on our docks, we give them 20 minutes to catch and release as many fish as they can. we prepare for this and have worms cut up for them so they are smaller and easier to put on a hook, we are also down on the docks enjoying the excitement and cheering the kids on while they fish their hearts outs. The winner of this contest gets to pick out a T-shirt out of our gift shop, and all the other contestants get a smaller prize such as a poster or some assorted candy for being such good sports.

Today's fishing derby was an exciting one we had a lot of kids joining in and catching a lot of fish. There was a 3 way tie going into the derby and it was neck to neck for a while, but once it got down to the last 5 minutes it was a close battle between Parker and Sydney, Parker was in the lead and in the last 15 seconds Sydney caught a final fish that would of tied Parker and put them into a sudden death overtime fish-off. But due to the rules Sydney's last fish didnt count since she had it on and pulled it out of the water but it wiggled off before it got to the docks. Just another fun filled exciting day here at ludlow's.
Have a good one
John

Fishing Report From Ludlow's Island Resort

2006-06-10T21:13:00.000-07:00

The walleyes have been picking back up and are biting a lot more lately. They have been catching most of the walleyes in a spot that is east of our resort that I stumbled upon on my day off and found some. Since that day I have been sharing my knowledge with our guest and it has resulted in numerous groups coming back with their limit in walleyes.
Me with the stringer of Walleye that I am about to clean for our guest.

Also one of our guest that was here the other week was having some really good luck with his bass fishing and caught a lot of bass all weekend, and brought in a Nice 4lb large mouth one night for a picture. so Below is Alec with his beautiful Large Mouth;

New Water Slide at Ludlow's Island Resort!!

2006-06-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

Ludlow's has made an upgrade in our swimming area for your enjoyment! We have a brand new swim dock made with nice plastic fake wood, so no worring about getting any slivers.
We have retired our blue slide and replaced it with a bigger better slide, below is a few pictures of the construction of our new water attraction.

It has running water that pours out of the top to slide down on and as you come out the tube there is a water fall at the end to give you one last splash before you hit the water.

Kids have been playing on it a lot lately and seem to really enjoy our new edition to the resort, hope every one enjoys the new slide this year.

Fishers of men father son fishing outing

2006-05-22T20:40:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we hosted the Fishers of men father son outing, we have had this group coming since 1995 and it is always a good time to have them up.
This year was some of the best fishing I have seen with this group since I have been working here, the walleye's were biting for the first part of the weekend but the Crappies were the big item, there were a couple of hot spots that were nice and close to the resort so it made it nice an easy for the guest to get into some nice crappie action.

The group all chipped in as you can see in the pictures above and had a successful fish fry on Saturday.
Thank you Fishers of men, cant wait to see you next year
John

Help us put Dreamcatcher back together

2006-05-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

Got new Beds at Ludlow's Island Resort

2006-05-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

Today I spent most my day moving old matteresses out of cabins to make room for new ones that we are getting on friday, so now when you come to Ludlow's your nights sleep with the Loons singing on the lake will be that much more comfortable and relaxing.

Above is a small slide show of some of the plants that are starting to bloom on the island. I took some time this morning to appreciate the plant life, such as the ferns uncurling up from the ground, and all the small bushes and plants are budding it makes me that much more excited for the resort to open.
enjoy the pictures and have a good one
John

Ludlow's Island Resort is Opening May 12th

2006-04-30T18:24:00.000-07:00

We are getting closer and closer to opening... I have all the motors on the boats, even put in a couple of our really nice 115hp mirror craft fish ski boats.
Today we finally got all the raking and leaf and stick clean up done. It was a little misty this weekend but nothing unbearable, especially when I heard about all the rain that was happening in the twin cities this weekend.

So late friday afternoon as I was enjoying the soon to be beautiful sunset while putting a motor on the Shuttle boat a female mallard duck came up to me and wanted some of my crackers, so since I live on the island alone right now I decided to enjoy the company of a duck and share my crackers with her. yeah some times its the little things in life that make it fun.

We still have a few openings on our special opening family weekend may 12th, give us a call and reserve your space now before its all gone!!! 1-218-666-5407
Have a great day
John

Beautiful Lake Vermillion, and Crappie Fishing in Black Bay

2006-04-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

Hello again, this is a new record, well I guess it is nothing huge but it is my second posting today.
After Ben,Matt and I got done doing leaves and loading sticks on Saturday Cate and I went out to do some Crappie fishing.
Since I heard that they were biting really good up in Black Bay on Vermillion, and susposedly in two feet of water and on Crappie minnows with a # 6 hook or a flu flu.
Needles to say I found the Crappies they were about 50 feet away and the boat that was next too us limited out within half an hour, and another boat beat us to the spot. So I didnt catch any Crappies, I did stumble upon a Northern while looking for the crappies but I believe thats out of season right now.

All and all we had a great night out on the water, as you can tell by the pictures it was a beautiful day and it was actually a beautiful weekend all together.

Above is a slide show of some of the pictures that we took while out on our little fishing adventure, it was an amazing night the sunset was beautiful as always, the water was so calm that you could see some beautiful reflections, some pictures you can tell and see how it looks like a mirror image.

Just another great reason to come up and visit us here at Ludlow's Island Resort. Visit our website we still have some availability over this spring, summer, and fall.
Hope to see you out here this summer
Have a good one
John Burger

Ben Tibbetts and Mathew Long

2006-04-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

Ben and Matt are both locals of Cook, and go to Highschool here in town. They have been spending their past few summers here at Ludlows working in our guest services department. They are both very hard workers and have a good feel for the resort, above is a slide show of us three working this weekend, we had a lot of raking to do to help with the clean up of the island and these are pictures of just one load that we put onto our amphibious pontoon to take to the local dump.

Paul Ludlow is back on the Island

2006-04-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

Paul Ludlow will be returning to Ludlow's this summer to help out in the day to day management of theresort. Paul, like his siblings, worked at the resort while growing up. During college summers Paul was incharge of guest services and after school headed outfor other experiences. He was hired by Marriott rightbefore 9/11 and spent 18 months in downtown Chicago. He found an opportunity working in Glacier Park for the past three years at St. Mary's Lodge. For those of you who have been to Glacier, St. Mary is the smalltown on the east side at the "Road to the Sun" entrance. He has held numerous positions with St.Mary's, the most recent being rooms division manager. His winters have been spent at St. Mary's winter offices in Sun Valley. May 1 Paul returns to Ludlow's to bring new leadership to the resort. Mark and Sally will be "stepping back"and spending more time enjoying Lake Vermilion.

A lil about John

2006-03-30T12:26:00.000-08:00

Kind of boring but a picture of me in the office this winter.

Hello my name is John Burger those who have stayed at Ludlow’s in the past 2 years might remember me. For those who have yet to stay with us I will give you some details about who I am and what I do here at Ludlow’s.
I graduated from the University of Minnesota, Crookston with a degree in hotel & restaurant management and an emphasis on Spa & Resort Management. I am an only child, I grew up in Afton MN, I attended high school at Stillwater area high school and graduated in 2001. I have always kept a positive outlook on life since its too short to do otherwise. I love helping people and making people happy, which is why I am in the hospitality industry. I love the outdoors, fishing, hiking, meeting new people, and just hanging out and having a good time.
I first started at Ludlow’s through an internship opportunity at my school, I started in guest services as live in help and worked with Than Tibbetts my first summer. It was an awesome experience and I learned so much about everything here that summer. I never thought I could meet such a wonderful bunch of people, both the ones I work with and all the guest that I got to know that summer.
The last summer I graduated college and was ready for my second season at Ludlow’s, that summer I got to be the head of guest services and it was a lot of responsibility, but it was another awesome experience and once again I learned so much. Although I thought that last summer would be my last here at Ludlow’s and I would move on to some other adventure in the hospitality field, but Mark Ludlow offered to have me stay through the winter and learn some more about the business, how could I say no?
So I have spent the winter up here in the North Country, and I have loved it, winter up here is something that every one should experience, I have experienced some rough ones in Crookston but this is different and much more fun.
I am excited to kick off the 2006 season here at Ludlow’s Lori and I have been working pretty hard in the office and this summer is looking pretty busy and should be great, lots of old guest and lots of new ones. I am actually moving out to the resort this coming weekend to start the Island Life that I am used too. I will be living on the island with Adam who is a Ludlow’s guest services veteran, I feel that we will make an awesome team and will have a good time this summer.
There is a lot more but I will save some for the book I write when I am older , haha

Have a good one
John Burger

Adam is Coming back

2006-02-27T10:46:00.000-08:00

Returning this summer to our guest services team for 2006 is our very own Adam Sushoreba. Adam is a native of the Cook area and has been working at Ludlow's for 3 years and is a great asset to us. This year Adam will be Living on the island with me and taking on more responsibility in the guest services at Ludlow's.

I have worked with Adam the past two summers and I am extremely excited to have him living on the island with me, both as a friend and a fellow coworker. He is a very hardworking individual and is very knowledgable about what goes on here at Ludlow's. He is currently going to school at University of Minnesota, Duluth campus majoring in Cell Biology, and his minor is in Chemistry.
Adam is a laid back individual, on his day off you might spot him around the town of Cook hanging out with friends or cruising around the town of Virginia. Adam loves to Fly Fish and be out in the Mountains. (as you can tell from the picture above)
So I just thought I would give you some background on one of our returning staff members and we cant wait to see you this summer. I think its going to be a great one here at Ludlow's.
Have a good one
John Burger

"2005 Property of the Year"

2006-01-31T07:46:00.000-08:00

Ludlow's Island Resort has recently had the honor to be presented with the 2005 property of the year award, it was presented by the Minnesota Association of Innkeepers. Mark and Sally Ludlow were given this award at the Explore Minnesota conference held in St. Cloud MN. So I guess our guest have another reason to come back to beautiful Lake Vermilion and stay with us.
Thanks to our guest to help make this possible
John Burger

New Resort Activity!!!!

2006-01-23T06:40:00.000-08:00

Hello, I know it has been some time since my last post on here I apologize but I have been busy with delivering firewood to the island. It is alot easier to haul wood to an island when the lake if frozen since I am able to drive the truck out to the island and use a snowmobile to get to the wood sheds.(just in case you were wondering how that was done.)
We have gotten a lot more wood this year since we are gonna try an idea that I had this fall of having nightly beach fires for our guest to enjoy.
So I will work on some good campfire stories to share with the guest this coming season, maybe even come up with some good local folk lore about the Vermilion area.

Posted above is a picture of a local crawfish. That one of our very own Ben Tibbetts is holding.
One fun time of the summer is when a certain group of kids come up and we hang out at night and have crawfish catching contest at night. I think this last summer that we caught over 40 crawfish between all of us.
For those of you that havent gone crawfish hunting the easiest way to do it is tie a piece of uncooked bacon on a string and lower it to where you see crawfish and they will go and grab on to it and you can pull them right out of the water. That could be considered a usless piece of information until the day that you are really hungry and only have one piece of bacon.