Greetings from the Great White North!

Well sorta....

We are heading into our second day of the Northwest Sports Show in downtown Minneapolis, MN at the convention center today and it is FREEZING!  They still have loads of snow up here and my run this morning greeted me with a chilly  -3 degrees.  At least the sun is shining!

We are very excited to be back at this show.  It runs through Sunday, is very well attended, and if you can't find what your looking for at this huge outdoors event you most definitely don't need it and it may not even exist.

For all our readers and guests from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area- we would love to see you!  We are booth number 1248, and as always, we have maple creme cookies to share.

The hours of the show are :

Friday 3/22: 11am - 9pm
Saturday 3/23: 10am - 9pm
Sunday 3/24: 10am - 5pm

You can find more details about the event on the show website.

Crossing the Border with Kids

We know many of you are already working on travel plans for your upcoming trip this summer. There’s plenty to think about when preparing for your trip so we thought it would be a good idea to outline the requirements for crossing the border with kids.

Children ages 16 and up require passports or passport cards. As a reminder the fees for first time applicants are $135 for a passport book or $55 for a passport card. The difference is the passport card is only accepted for LAND travel into Canada and Mexico. This would be an acceptable option for your trip as long as you are not flying. You can find more passport information here http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html. The current processing times are posted as 4-6 weeks. You can cut the time down to 2-3 weeks by paying a $60 expedite fee so it is well worth planning ahead.

For children under 16, passports are not required although you can purchase one. Minor passport costs are $105 for the book or $40 for the card, but are only good for five years instead of ten. As an alternative you can provide a certified copy of the child’s original birth certificate. An important note here is the long form or official state document with seal is required. Frequently, the short form or copy you receive from the hospital is not acceptable for identification. For more information about the correct form and how to obtain one, visit this site http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/consumerawareness/a/birthcert.htm. The original birth certificate is also required to obtain a passport so if you don’t have it, you will need it at some point anyway.

The last requirement for minors under age 16 travelling with only 1 parent or adults other than parents or guardians is a notarized letter from the absent parent or parents granting permission for the child to travel to Canada with the appropriate parties during your travel dates. This is simply a protection to cut down on kidnapping cases. The letter should also include contact information for the absent parent or guardian. Divorced parents should also have a copy of custody papers. We have never had a guest turned away for not having this letter, but several have been scolded and reminded of its necessity.

As long as you plan ahead and gather the necessary documents (passport or birth certificate + permission letter) crossing the border with kids is not a hassle and you’ll be helping to create memories that will last a lifetime for your child!

Iowa Sports Show

Hello everyone!

We are headed out of town at the end of this week to attend the Mid-Iowa Bass Masters' annual event in Des Moines, Iowa.

It is a Saturday/Sunday only show and it takes place at the Iowa state fair grounds.  This is a great event for finding bargain tackle and equipment as well as getting valuable information about fishing in the midwest.  You can find more details about the Mid-Iowa Bass Masters and the event on their website here.

FYI:  There is another great event taking place at the state fair grounds this weekend - a huge arts and crafts show hosted by Callahan Promotions.  It is in the building next to our show and is definitely worth checking out.  A great option if you are bringing a friend/family member/significant other who may have more interest in arts and crafts than fishing!  You can find more details on the Iowa state fairgrounds website here.

If you plan to attend, please stop by our table to say hi and grab a delicious maple creme cookie!  We hope to see some familiar faces...

See you this weekend,
Carrie

Can I bring that?

Happy weekend everyone!

We have had a few questions recently regarding what you can and cannot bring into Canada from the United States.  So, being the nice folks we are, we thought we would try and cover the basics here on the blog.

Below we have listed the most commonly asked about items which you may have considered while planning your trip to Eagle Falls Lodge.  Each amount listed is the limit for taking into Canada duty free:

1. Alcoholic beverages -you are allowed to import only one of the following amounts (per person):
    - 1 case of beer
    - 1.5 liters of wine
    - 1.14 liters of liquor

2. Tobacco products (per person):
    - 200 cigarettes
    - 50 cigars
    - AND 200 grams of tobacco

3. Live bait - you can bring night-crawlers into Canada as long as they are in artificial bedding or newspaper.  You may NOT bring live minnows or leeches.

4. Firearms and other weapons - NOT ALLOWED.  We are a fishing lodge only, therefore no hunting weapons or firearms of any kind are allowed at the Canadian border.

5. Food, plant, and animal related products - Please go to this link for up-to-date regulations regarding various products and limits.  NOTE: Our package includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the duration of your stay; any food you choose to bring would be for travel time or snacks, etc.

The Canada Border Services Agency provides a lot of helpful information on their website, which you can visit here.  On the main home page they have a link on the left side specifically for non-residents, so far that applies to ALL our guests.  Still waiting for our first Canadian angler!  

For returning guests, what type of questions did you have before you crossed the border the first time?  Let us know if we left something out!

Take care,
Carrie

Goodbye, January. Hello, February!

Hey!

Just wanted to stop in and remind everyone that deposits are officially due this week on February 1st.  Crazy right?  Is it just us, or did January fly by?  We really appreciate all of you who make an effort to send your deposits in on time.  It makes it much easier for us to know which weeks to focus on promoting as we attend sports show this spring as well as plan accordingly for the season ahead.  We wrapped up our first sports show yesterday and had a great time at the Illinois Fish & Feather Expo here in Bloomington, IL.  Thank you to everyone who stopped by to visit and learn more about Eagle Falls Lodge.  Here is a peek at our booth:

No idea why I thought the "hands on hips" pose was necessary.  Good grief!  We booked a few groups over the weekend and fielded several calls today in response to the show, so we are pleased!

Side note: What is with the single digit temperatures quickly followed by 50+ degrees today?  For those of you with pets I'm sure you can relate to the constant muddy paws coming in and out, in and out, in and out.  Cosmo and I ran this evening and we both needed a bath afterwards!

Have a great week!

Illinois Fish & Feather Expo

Hey everyone!

Quick recap of the last 5 weeks:

1. Merry Christmas

2. Happy New Year

3. Happy Birthday Travis (& his brother Carson - same birthday!)

4. Hotel Mack opened up with a visit from Carrie's mama, Gran, and brother.  Quick wash of sheets and Travis' sister arrives to stay with us during a medical school rotation in Bloomington, Illinois for the month of January.

5. Good friends continue to visit us (how are we so lucky?) Shout out to Travis & Mary-Jane Owen!

6. Lots of chilly runs with Cosmo while we are fairly unrecognizable due to the amount of clothing required.

I guess we should be used to being busy by now, but how the heck is it almost February already?


Back to the post title:

                          

That "win a trip to Canada!" line is regarding yours truly - Eagle Falls Lodge!

We are excited to start our sports show season and will begin next weekend here in Bloomington, Illinois.  We have done this show each year and it is a really nice event.  We get to chum around with lots of local guests and fishing enthusiasts.  Definitely helps to tide us over while we patiently wait for spring.

This show runs Friday - Sunday, January 25-27 at the Interstate Center (on the McLean County fairgrounds) on the west side of Bloomington, Illinois.  Click here for a map.

Please visit the show website to find out more information about what seminars are planned and what exhibitors will be present.

As always our booth will feature delicious Maple Creme Cookies straight from Canada!

holiday lodge letter

Hello everyone!

I'm sure you are all busy wrapping up any last minute holiday planning, shopping, and decorating - I know we are.  Last week we were in full "lodge letter" mode.  We received our new brochures, went through a few ink cartridges, and unpeeled hundreds of stamps to make sure you received our annual holiday mailing by Christmas.  We are excited to share with everyone the recap from last summer and our plans for the lodge in 2013. 

If you DON'T receive your letter this week please send us an email and we will get one to you as soon as possible. 

I hope everyone has a great week!

Fishing Wish List

Still looking to fill out that holiday wish list?  Here are a few items to consider that will definitely improve your fishing experience.  Summer fishing may seem like a long way off, but it's never too early to start gearing up!

Rubber landing net from Cabela's $59.99 - $69.99
www.cabelas.com
Rubber nets are easier on you and the fish when compared to old non-coated nylon nets.  They don't have knots which can be abrasive to fish and also will cut down on the number of tangled hooks which makes releasing fish much faster and safer.  Be sure to consider what species you are primarily targeting since you'll want a bigger net for Northern Pike than you will need for Walleye.

Dry bags from Cabela's $17.95 - $37.95

www.cabelas.com

Dry bags are a must for me.  There's always something in the boat you want to keep dry whether it's a camera, GPS, papers, or snacks.  It may not be raining, but you'll still have spray from the lake when underway or water dripping off all the fish you're catching.  Cabela's has a great line of dry bags to choose from.  

                                        

                                                 

Lindy Rig Components from Jann's Netcraft $2.59 - $10.99

www.jannsnetcraft.com/lure-making-parts

I don't have time to build all kinds of lures, but if you build it then Jann's Netcraft has the parts for it.  I like their site for the selection of lindy rig components.  They have a terrific assortment of all colors and sizes of beads, blades, hooks, clevises, and swivels.  

Nubait Spinnerbaits $6.95 - $12.95

www.nubaits.com

Don't forget about these deadly spinners that won Bait of the Year in 2010 at Eagle Falls Lodge.  Check out their site where you can customize bead, blade, and tail colors.  These lures work great for consistent Northern Pike action and yield big fish.  

Rapala Clackin' Rap lures from Cabela's $4.99 - $10.99

www.cabelas.com

Last year was the first time I had used the Clackin' Raps and they were well worth the investment.  I replaced hooks on several of them midway through the season due to the numbers of fish they were bringing in and they equaled or outperformed the Husky Jerks that I like to use for trolling and casting.  Bonus - right now they're on sale on the Cabela's site.   

Hope this list gives you a few ideas for upgrading your equipment.  If you find any new (or old) products that make your fishing experience better be sure to let us know!  We love to hear what's working for you and trying new things too.  Photos courtesy of linked sites.  

  

so very thankful

Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone!

Just wanted to check in to wish you and yours a very happy, healthy, and food-laden Thanksgiving tomorrow.  Travis and I will both be running a turkey trot 5k in the morning to kick-start our holiday.  This will be the first time in several years that we have raced head-to-head.  Too bad neither of us are competitive (ha!).  Depending on the outcome and who blogs next there may be some results to brag about.  Wish me luck!

I hope you all have endless things to be thankful for - I know we do.

I thought I would share just a few with you:

- waking up in a warm house with my boys

- truly enjoying everything that comes with lodge ownership

- usually catching bigger fish than Travis

- all the support we receive from family and friends
- getting to eat TWO pieces of pie tomorrow
- spending 5 months of the year in beautiful Red Lake, Ontario
- the communities we live in and the people who have made them feel like home

Cheers!

Why wouldn't we have a Scottish dinner party?

Good morning all!

So a few posts back we listed some of the crazy numbers associated with the 2012 season (read that post here), one of which had to do with some certain dinner guests.  From Scotland.  For real.

I thought I would fill in the details that you have been anxiously awaiting since we left that little teaser of sharing more about this event.

In early August (think Olympics, pre-presidential campaign overload, and lazy days of summer) we received a phone call at the lodge.  It was Lucy from the propane shop in town who we have talked to a few times, but it was still a little surprising to be getting a phone call from her.  She is from Scotland, but has been in Red Lake for a while and married a Canadian.  Travis happened to answer the phone that day and this is what I overhead from their conversation:

Travis:  "How are you?  Yes, the summer is really flying by"....yadda yadda.....
(Lucy's response)

Travis:  "We would love to have you and your relatives out for dinner.  It would be no problem."
(Lucy talking some more)

Travis:  "When are they visiting?
(Lucy's response)

Travis:  "Oh, mid-September. Well, that should be fine.  Just let us know all the details the week before.  We are looking forward to it."    

Now, I'd like to think I am a very reasonable and pleasant person.  BUT!  I think it was fair to jump to the conclusion that my husband had just invited a somewhat large number of people (read: strangers) to dinner after our season was over when we would be trying to close up camp, right?  At this point I must apologize to Travis for the initial reaction I had following the above phone conversation.

Travis, being the good looking and good natured fellow he is, was super excited at the opportunity to host some Scottish visitors.  I mean how often does this situation fall into your lap?  Probably never.

Okay, so it DID sound kind of fun.

Fast forward to mid-September.  We heard from Lucy again about the dinner and learned there would be 8 dinner guests coming to the lodge.  Travis suggested we make the beef brisket, which is quickly becoming our guests' favorite meal.  Sounded good to me.  Well, not really.  It was hard for any of the meals I had just prepared for 15 weeks in a row to make my mouth water, but it sounded like a good idea that others would most likely enjoy.

On the day we expected our guests it was fairly cool and cloudy, with wind gusts over 30 miles an hour.  Due to the wind, boat travel plans had changed for Lucy and she asked if we could come get them in our barge.  The barge is great for transporting large groups of people across the water.  It is also a WIND MAGNET.  But, alas, the brisket was in its 12th hour (literally) and there was no turning back.  Travis and his dad headed over to town to pick them up.  Apparently at the landing in town where we pick up guests Travis was battling wind as he was backing up and turning the barge around to head back to camp.  He missed another docked boat by inches.  INCHES!  Someone was extremely impressed and told him, "Man, you must really know your boat!"  I'm sure Travis was sweating bullets and thanking his lucky stars at his near miss.  Always an adventure, I tell you what.

Everyone made it safe and sound and their somewhat "bumpy ride" didn't phase them one bit.  I guess being from Scotland helped.  We introduced ourselves and gave everyone a quick tour of the camp and had a great meal.  They brought the wine and super fun accents and we had plenty of food and our beautiful view of Parker lake.  It was such a fun evening (this is where Travis says "I told you so!")  and before we knew it was time to head back to town before it was totally dark.

We did get a group picture before they left for proof!

Lucy was so thankful and sweet.  I think they had a genuinely great time and many of her relatives had never been to Red Lake before!  Who knows, maybe we will become the hip dinner spot for Red Lake - locals and visitors alike.  If so we are going to have to teach Cosmo to wait some tables.

I'm sure some of you are preparing for dinner guests of your own as we head into Thanksgiving week.  Anyone hosting out of towners?  Or, better yet, friends and family from out of the county?  If so, best of luck!

Take care,
Carrie