Last September my mother and I took a vacation to beautiful Nett Lake, Minnesota to visit some family members and had a wonderful time staying in nearby town of Tower, at the Fortune Bay casino. The experience was affected me in only positive ways.
After driving down a serine two lane road, carved through a pine tree forest, we found ourselves surrounded by natural beauty. Fortune Bay is located on the gorgeous Lake Vermillion, and although the rustic themed interior and comfortable rooms are inviting, the stunning scenery makes it difficult to say inside for long. The area surrounding the resort is home to all different kinds of wildlife. On a few occasions, while out, my mother and I encountered bald eagles. Exploring the environment around Fortune Bay was a rewarding experience for me. While hiking along the many nature paths and driving down country roads, I felt relaxed under the wide, blue skies. I highly recommend visiting during the fall in order to catch the change of the seasons. Also, during this time of year the local residents begin harvesting wild rice from the lakes, an interesting process to learn about.
As my mother and I walked out of the front entrance to have a look around, we saw signs pointing to all kinds of attractions such as the marina and the world-class golf course. However, because we were there to learn more about our Native American ancestry, the two of us chose to visit the Heritage Center, a museum dedicated to enriching visitors with information about the Ojibwe people. Filled with art, photographs, and an extensive amount of historical facts, the museum was one of the trip’s highlights. We even saw reference two some of our relatives. Back at the resort, the Bois Fort Band of the Chippewa was holding a tribal council meeting which was open to the public. Whether you are Native or not it is very interesting to be able to experience the culture of the local people.
The staff at Fortune Bay is also great. We had no trouble with any of the friendly employees. Upon hearing that my mother’s family lived in the area the manager, Norman Adams, came to visit with her and even gave her a free ticket to a concert being played at the resort. This act of personalized kindness was common among the staff of Fortune Bay.
As night fell, the two of us settled into the relaxed lobby area to visit with friends and family. Seated comfortably in front of the fireplace we admired the high ceilings and beautiful wood work in the room and spoke freely in the calm environment. After a while, our group moved to the dining room where we were treated to a delicious meal. The extensive buffet had something each of us enjoyed, from duck and crab legs to potato salad and pizza. And when the attentive server gave us the bill, we found the price to be quiet reasonable. Following, my family who was of age headed for a fun night at the two leveled, expansive casino. Myself and my younger cousins, however, spent our night in the hotel pool and sauna. From the large sundeck outside we could gaze at the stars without any interference from city lights.
Once we’d said goodbye to all of our visitors, my mother and I went back to our clean, comfortable room to go to sleep and upon waking up the next morning we watched the sun rise on our own personal balcony and were excited for our coming day at Fortune Bay.