Hobby Retreat
Hot Spots
By Barbara Marshak
Hobby retreat centers have suddenly become some of the most sought after facilities as more and more women are searching to spend days on end pursuing their creative passions. Lake Country businesses that recognized this niche early on provide guests with comfortable rooms, generous working space, a gorgeous lake view and hearty meals—and are now reaping the rewards.
Long Lake Conservation Center Palisade
Contact Anne Dybsetter, (218) 768-4653 www.11cc.org 
The Long Lake Conservation Center has been serving as host to quilting groups for more than twenty years. Averaging about forty women each, these guests are devoted quilters who enjoy the well-lit, spacious work area the center provides. More than twenty quilting, crafting, stamping, and scrapbooking groups now attend Long Lake, with several groups reserving week-ends twice a year. Upon arrival, the women haul out boxes and crates of supplies, fabrics, notions, implements, photos, and colored paper. Others come with sewing machines, rubber stamps, scrap-book binders, and lamps. Some even bring their own chairs! The women stay in lodge guest rooms where two or three women share a large sleeping room.
Staff members at Long Lake quickly learned how much the crafters love having a generous space to lay out their sup-plies for several days in a row. It's an added benefit to have the extended time to work on their beloved projects with-out the usual barrage of interruptions that occurs at home, especially for young mothers. The camaraderie among the participants is evident from the laughter and chatter that fills the air from sunup to sundown.
Camp Shamineau
Motley
Contact: Main Office: (218) 575-2240 www.shamineau.org
With its 292 acres of beautiful woodlands hugging the shores of Lake Shamineau, Camp Shamineau is well known as a busy retreat center for Shamineau Ministries. During March and November, however, the facilities were often empty Not enough snow for winter recreation, but not warm enough for summer activities. About five years ago, intuitive staff members came up with the idea to host a hobby retreat on one such weekend—and a whopping fifteen women attended. By 2003, that number had swelled to approximately fifteen hundred women seeking the fun-filled atmosphere unique to a Scrap-n-Stamp Retreat.
As staff members continued to accommodate the crafters, they began to come up with innovative ways to specifically fit their needs. They now offer a variety of classes at each retreat for both stamping and scrap- booking. Camp Shamineau even contracts to have pedicure and massage services avail - able. Devotions are offered in the evenings, and depending on weather conditions, hay or sleigh rides are sometimes available. Some women choose to simply sit at their tables all day long, and that's okay—the key to providing extras is that they are optional.
The large dining hall becomes the main work center where each woman has her own table with plenty of elbow room. A wall of windows facing Lake Shamineau supplies an abundance of natural light. There is a large tool table available with die cut machines, Xyron machine, and computers with software for fonts, titles, and journaling. The meals are served buffet style and women take their trays downstairs to the game room so supplies can remain on the tables all weekend.
Not to be outdone in creativity, Chefs Dan and Betty Posner, came up with a dazzling cheesecake parade, enticing the ladies to try one or more of their nine different flavors of homemade cheesecake, like Snicker bar or key lime. The now-famous parade—complete with lights and music—is a highlight at each retreat.
Raspberry Ridge
Motley
Contact: Lorna Klefsaas
E-mail: info@raspberryridgecabin.com
The new Raspberry Ridge offers hobby retreats on more of a "create-your-own retreat " style. Located near Camp Shamineau amidst a stance of majestic pines, Raspberry Ridge is strictly a rental facility without classes or supervision. Entrepreneur Lorna Klefsaas started the hobby retreats while on staff at Camp Shamineau, learning the business and getting to know the clientele. As she saw the interest for hobby retreats escalate, Klefsaas conceived the idea of building a facility designed just for that purpose.
When Raspberry Ridge opened its doors in February 2003, the brand-new business was already booked for the entire year without any marketing by Klefsaas. Instead, word of mouth about the three-story walkout cabin spread like wildfire throughout the subculture of scrapbookers. The top lofted floor holds four bedrooms and two large bathrooms, equipped to hold sixteen guests. The second floor houses a full kitchen, dining room, living room with entertainment center, deck, and a four-season porch. This floor also has a host bedroom that will sleep one guest. The walkout level holds a spacious "crop" room outfitted with scrapbooking tools and sixteen, five-foot tables, each with its own cushioned, adjustable chair.
The best advice? Get your reservation in ASAP!
