Shady Rest Resort & Campground
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Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few questions that we have been asked in the past. Much of the information is included in the web site, but we thought we would make a list of the most frequently asked ones.
. How far are we from the town of Alexandria?
How long does it take to get to Shady Rest from Minneapolis?
What type of fish are there in the lake?
Do you ever offer short stays, other than 7 nights, during the Summer?
What is supplied with the cabin?
I'm staying in a cabin, what do I need to bring?
How many campsites do you have?
Why do you not allow pets at your resort?
Can we have a campfire by the cabin or campsite?
Why do you not allow Jet Skis?
The cabins look new, are they really that nice or were the pictures taken
years ago?
How noisy is it there, will there be any loud parties?
Why do the people visiting have to pay a fee?
Why can't I bring fireworks and set them off?
Do you have smoke free Cabins?
What is your cancellation policy?
I'm bringing a boat, why
can't I park my trailer by my cabin or campsite?
Do you have seasonal sites and are there any available?
Can I put up a tent by my cabin or an extra one at my campsite?
Where is the nearest grocery store?
Can I have my same reservation dates next year?
Can we come earlier or stay later than the check-in/check-out times?
What is the lake like, is it clean?
Do you have a laundry
service on site?
NEW. Do
you sell fishing licenses at your bait shop?
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How far are we
from the town of Alexandria?
You can get to Alexandria
in about 18 minutes by taking a short drive through the countryside. We'll have
detailed maps available to you in your cabin or at the office.
How long does
it take to get to Shady Rest from Minneapolis?
If you are coming on a
Friday, it will take you a bit longer. Minnesotans love to go "Up to the
lake" on weekends so be prepared for some traffic. Otherwise it will take
you about 2 hours from the center of the Twin Cities.
What type of
fish are there in the lake?
Ahh...a fun question. Very
nice sunfish and black crappies, walleye pike, northern pike, large and small mouth
bass, rock bass, yellow bullheads, and carp. Over all a very good
fishing lake. Please visit our FISHING
page for much, much more info.
Do
ever offer short stays, other than 7 nights, during the Summer?
We have been offering 3 and 4 night
packages more and more lately as families find it hard to get away for a whole
week. We usually require that the package begin or end on a Saturday and we may
limit which cabins or dates that the packages will be offered. We have found that families who stay only 3 or 4 nights never
really get a chance to relax or wind down. Although many people are finding it
harder and harder to get away for a whole week, by staying a full week, they get
the chance to relax and be together as a family. How many times have you said,
after a vacation, it was not long enough? There's too much stress in all our
lives, too many schedules, not enough time to enjoy the important things in
life.
What
is supplied with the cabin?
The cabins
are air conditioned, have conditioned and softened water, TV, full size appliances
(Fridge/freezer, stove/oven, microwave), coffee maker, toaster, pots and pans,
and utensils for the number of people the cabin is rated for. It also comes with
a picnic table, your own fire ring, an outside charcoal grill, (an open type
that that stands in the ground and swivels and you would find in a city
park), and an outside deck. Most of the cabins come with full size beds but we
are slowly installing queen size beds to many cabins. Please see the individual
cabin descriptions for more details.
I'm staying in
a cabin, what do I need to bring?
Personal towels, bath towels, beach
towels, personal products, soaps and
shampoos. We provide charcoal grills, however, many prefer to bring a gas grill.
Other items: a blender, extra lawn chairs (we provide 2), beach toys and smiles
because you're heading for the lake!
How many
campsites do you have?
We have 19 sites. Sites
"A"-"F", which are located near the beach and playground and in front of
Cabins 3-5, have electric-water-sewer. Sites "S", "M" and
"N" which are located
behind our store, have the same. Sites "G"-"P" &
"PH" have electric
and water only and are located in front of the mobile home park.
Why do you not
allow pets at your resort?
We love pets, especially
dogs. We stopped allowing pets in our
campground after the summer of 1998. We never allowed them in our cabins. For
many seasons prior to then, we noticed more and more owners not cleaning up
after their dogs or leaving them unattended. A resort is a new surrounding with
lots of strangers and dogs get confused, excited, and unsure of how to act.
Youngsters may see a dog and run up to it and the dog may think it has to
protect itself. Because kids like to run around barefoot without stepping in something,
too many dogs left unattended and the constant barking, all contributed to our no pet
policy. We would also like to go on vacation but we can never take our dog, so we
understand.
Can we have a
campfire by the cabin or campsite?
All cabins and campsites
have their own fire ring. A group campfire may work at some places, but we feel
that families like the privacy of their own. It also helps bring the family
together. We do require that the fires be totally extinguished before
leaving or retiring to bed and that they be contained to the fire ring. NOTE: The
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is now restricting the transporting
of firewood. Check your local ordinance for more information. The spread of diseases and insects have been devastating
our forest and we want to pass along this message.
Why do you not
allow Jet Skis?
Over the years, jet skis
have developed a bad reputation. I would like to rent them I think they are
great fun! However, the noise, the constant running too close to
fisherman, swimmers and docks by irresponsible people brought on more complaints than they're worth. Jet
skis are allowed on the lake, we just don't allow our guests to bring them.
The cabins
look new, are they really that nice or were the pictures taken years ago?
Most
of the pictures were taken within the last year, a very few more than 2
years ago. We are constantly updating our cabins and so we take a new picture
each time to highlight the changes. 36 years ago, when our
family took over Shady Rest, none of the cabins even had bathroom facilities.
The resort guests were mostly men and more interested in the good fishing and
card games than
where they were going to sleep. We wanted to make Shady Rest a "Family
Resort". This meant remodeling and designing the cabins with mom and the
children in mind. Each cabin has been remodeled 2 or 3 times since then with
comfortable bedrooms, clean large bathrooms, kitchens that are modern and clean.
Each fall and spring, we go through all the cabins repairing, touching up, or replacing
anything that needs to be replaced in order to keep each cabin in a modern, as
new condition. Listening to our guests, we use their suggestions in our
future renovations. Some returning guests are surprised that we actually listen
to them and look forward to the improvements we've done. After all, you are the reason we're here.
How noisy is
it there, will there be any loud parties?
Our quiet time is from
11pm to 8am and is strictly enforced. We want everyone to have fun, but we also
expect courtesy to the other guests. Loud or obnoxious language will also not be
tolerated at any time of the day. If you expect to play music loud or be loud during
quiet hours, we would rather you vacation somewhere else. Please remember this
is a family resort. We want you to have fun, but not at the expense of our other
guests. We want everyone to respect the others around them.
Why do the
people visiting have to pay a fee?
Minnesota State Law sections 327.10 to
327.13 requires
everyone that comes to a private resort be registered. In the past, a
person might rent a cabin or campsite and then invite 3 or 4 families to come up
and see them. The resort would become overwhelmed with these visitors using
playgrounds, the resort equipment, recreational games - all for free! The paying
guest had a hard time finding an opportunity to use the resort amenities. Also, when you're not
paying for something, it tends to get abused. Even if a visitor doesn't use any
amenities, they are still taking up space with their extra vehicles, using our
limited septic system, and taxing our insurance coverage. A fee of $5 per
person is a slight fee and helps limit the number of visitors. This is common with most resorts.
Why
can't I
bring fireworks and set them off?
Although the State of
Minnesota has made some fireworks legal, they are only allowed on your private
property and are still illegal in public places. Our insurance coverage does not allow fireworks to be used on ours.
This is strictly enforced!
Do you have
smoke free Cabins?
Yes. As of 2005, all our cabins were
made smoke free. Smokers are welcome and we provide containers on the decks for the
ashes. As with our no pet policy, so many of our guest are sensitive to smoke
and other irritants.
These days, most smokers are use to having to go outside whether they are at
home or at work. It also keeps our cabins cleaner. Violations may be subject to
a $100 fine.
What is your
cancellation policy?
Please understand that our
season is short and we have a very limited time to earn our income for the year.
FOR
CABINS, upon confirmation of your reservation, you become financially
responsible for your entire reservation. We can not refund for early
departures. If you made your reservation before April
1st and you cancel before April 1st, we'll refund your deposit minus a $100 cancellation
fee. If you cancel after April 1st, your deposit non refundable and you are still responsible for the balance of your reservation
unless we are able fill those dates without lose of income. If another cabin
that is already booked and moves into your cabin/reservation dates...we will
then have to rebook their vacated reservation in order for you to have your
deposit refunded minus the cancellation fee. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT
YOU NOTIFY US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IF YOU NEED TO CANCEL IN ORDER FOR US TO FILL
YOUR RESERVATION AND RELEASE YOU OF YOUR OBLIGATION.
For Camping, deposits
are not refundable.
I'm bringing a
boat, why can't I park my trailer by my cabin or campsite?
Trailers are bulky and
take up a lot of space. They block traffic, kill the grass, make the area look bad and may
prevent emergency vehicles from getting to where they need to be. Because of
their low profile, children at night running around have become seriously
injured running into them. All trailers,
loaded or not, must be parked in our designated trailer parking
area.
Do
you have seasonal sites and are there any available?
We do have 70 seasonal
sites and 16 mobile homes. Occasionally, some of these may go up for sale. The
owners of the trailers sometimes sell them on their lot. (Click
here for more information on seasonal sites)
For information , seasonal sites only please call 1-320-554-3777.
(Ron or Eleanor Langhoff)
Can I put up a
tent by my cabin or an extra one at my campsite?
No tents are allowed by
the cabins. Exceptions are screen tents that must be moved daily to prevent the
killing of grass. An extra tent may be allowed at campsites with permission
only. Since a tent is considered an extra sleeping unit, there is a charge
of $26 per night which includes 2 people.
Where is the
nearest grocery store?
We have a convenience store
at our office with bread, milk, eggs, canned goods, chips and candy. About 9 miles away is Tom's Super Value in Glenwood. It has a larger selection.
Alexandria, 18 miles has a super Wal-Mart and a County Market. Sauk Centre has a
Super Wal-Mart also.
Do
you have wireless internet access?
We do
have free wireless access at the store, game room, and around the office. It is
a free open source connection so our guests can stay connected to friends,
family, or even work. Many guests sit at one of our picnic tables outside or in
the game room on not so nice days.
Can I
have my same reservation dates next year?
Yes, if you make arrangements
before you leave. An exception is short stays, that fall in our prime
time. These packages may not be available the following year during the time
period they are offered the current year. Check at the office during
your stay.
Can
we come earlier or stay later than the check-in\check-out time?
Please do not expect
to. During the summer we are almost always completely occupied and we need the
time to not only make sure that each cabin is clean but time to make necessary
repairs. Hotel rooms can be done quickly, these are 2 and 3 bedroom homes with
kitchens and living rooms... they take time to get ready for our next guests.
What is the
lake like, is it clean?
Lake Amelia is the last of
a 3 lake chain. The other 2 lakes, Villard and Leven, act as filters. Amelia is
mostly made up of sand and gravel. During much of the year, you can see down
6-12 feet. Rain, wind, lake level, and lake activity makes it less clear by the
middle of the summer but remains very clean. Our guests often comment how clear
the water is.
Do
you have a laundry service on site?
We have a laundry room
with coin operated washers(2) and dryers(2). The room is open 24 hours. The
laundry room entry is located on the lake side of the office/game room building.
Do
you sell fishing licenses at your bait shop?
After
having fishing licenses for sale at our shop for over 30 years, the MN DNR has
decided to limit the number of outlets that will be able to sell the licenses
and we were one of many that got cut. We are very disappointed but the state
office needs to cut down the number of terminals that they service. If you are
coming from another state, you can get your license through the DNR web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us
Home |Our
Cabins| Cabin
Rates| Our
Camping
| Things to do |
Fish Stories |
Resort Layout |
FAQ's |
Boat
Rentals |Beach
|
Location |
Guest's Comments |
INTERNET SPECIALS! |
All
Availabilities