This is it. You’ve decided to plan a destination wedding. Best of all, you’re considering having your destination wedding in the beautiful state of Minnesota. First of all, congratulations! Second, get ready. Planning a destination wedding can be intimidating, but there’s good news! It’s one of the best ways to celebrate your big day (or […]

Between the 400 acres of land our resort sits on, the dense Minnesota Northwoods in the surrounding areas, the lake, and so much more, there’s a lot to do at Sugar Lake Lodge! There’s no wrong way to relax during your vacation. If you want to just sit back by the pool or the lake, […]

Let’s talk about kids…and golf. I was very fortunate in that my family has always had a sweet spot for golf – we literally grew up on a golf course. We spent days on the driving range at Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge, swinging too-big-for-us clubs into oblivion and celebrating our efforts with ice cream. We […]

25 Years & Counting Sugar Lake Lodge opened in  June of 1994. Growing up, I spent my summers living with my grandparents, Alex and Myrle Ruttger, while working for my uncle, Jack Ruttger, at Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge. When the opportunity to rebuild  Sugar Lake Lodge presented itself, it was Jack who gave me the […]

An Ode to Campfires When was the last time you  burnt a marshmallow ?  Laughed until your ribs hurt after someone fell off of their chair (backwards)? Listened to the loons calling behind crackling, burning logs? As Minnesotans, we love our time outside more than we love to be passive aggressive. Nothing is more indicative of […]

Thanksgiving is here, and we have been sauntering the resort grounds—of which are very empty and desolate this time of year—reminiscing about the incredible year we had up here at Sugar Lake. Sometimes, it’s hard to believe that connecting with such awesome people is our job. Granted, there are some challenges, and we get flustered […]

I’m so excited to say that I’m writing my first book. But I keep getting distracted! So, I decided to be brave and take a fellow author’s advice to get away from it all and go somewhere to write. I love the comforts of home. And I love hanging out with my husband 24/7. So, […]

If you Google “out of office” responses, you will find a treasure trove of professionally-crafted articles and suggestions for the appropriate automatic email replies for when you’re busy living life outside the office walls. “Start with a cheerful greeting!” “Don’t over communicate—get to the point!” “Include only pertinent details.” “Give senders the name of someone […]

Let’s Get Together Is this the year? Are you finally going to stop talking about getting together as a family and just do it already? Are you tired of saying things like, “I’ve been meaning to call you!” and “I can’t believe I haven’t met Chris’s son’s son yet, and he’s graduating from Harvard this […]