Ludlow's Island of Contentment

Picture this: the rain is drumming down on the shelter roof, a high wind twists and bends the trees, waves break sharply against rocks on the nearby shoreline, and the temperature is struggling to get up to forty-nine degrees. A whiff of coffee signals that someone is up and about and has set the pot on the fire. (This sounds like the beginning tale of someone's experience in the Boundary Waters during the cool, wet summer of 1993 - right? But wait. There is more.)

The groggy character in our story rolls from the comfort of bed to a sitting position and tentatively reaches out bare toes to search for slippers. A few shuffling steps takes our now vertical and semi-awake person to the comfort of a spacious bath with warm, running water. From the kitchen there is the hum of a microwave and along with the tempting coffee odor, the smell of cooking bacon. A fire burns in the fireplace. On the doorstep is the complementary morning paper. (But this is some city scene, not the northwoods - right? Wrong.) This is Ludlow's Island.

It was mid-morning when my spouse and I arrived at Ludlow's Landing on the south shore of Lake Vermilion, ten minutes from the village of Cook. We cranked the handle of the old-time telephone, waited, as directed on the written instructions, and then picked up the receiver. A friendly voice on the other end of the line promised to come pick us up. Within five minutes ou'r watercraft chauffeur, Brian, a college student working at Ludlow's for the summer, arrived at the covered dock area and greeted us with an easy warmth that set the tone for the day.

Ludlow's Island is located within the boundaries of the Superior National Forest, Voyageurs National Park is within an hour's drive, and from Ludlow's it is easy to access the BWCAW via a portage. The island itself is a miniature northwoods biosphere thick with birch and massive pine trees.

When we reached the island, which is only a stone's throw from the landing, we were welcomed by Mark Ludlow, the affable third generation owner of the island. Mark and Sally, his partner in the resort and in life, have added a fourth generation: Sean, Paul, Annie and Kate.

Mark grew up on the island and in the family resort business. He began his own career life as an instructor of business economics at the University of Minnesota, but when his father decided to sell the resort in 1972, Mark decided to purchase it.

Sally, an art history and English literature major in college, grew up spending summers on Lake Vermilion. When she graduated from the University of Illinois, she decided she wanted to live and work in northern Minnesota, and, as Sally writes in the brief history of Ludlow's, she "...did what most graduates in the early 70s would have done...started a business" - her own real estate agency in Cook. She and Mark met, and, to further quote the history, "a merger was inevitable."

Mark led us up the graveled path from the landing to the lodge. The paths on the island are carved through the natural and diverse ground cover; bracken, raspberry plants, alder, bunchberry plants and all of the brimming greenery crowd along the neat, rocklined pathways. Inside the lodge we settIed in the lounge area. The walls and shelves contained an interesting array of things that relate to the natural life and human history of the Island. Mark pointed to a large photograph on the wall of a moose, taken recently from a nearby roadway.

Photographs of Hod Ludlow, Mark's father, hung on the opposite wall with a photograph of the lodge at Sommer's Canoe Base, the boy scout outfitting base for wilderness canoe trips which Hod helped construct. Hod was the first director of the base.

Hod Ludlow was endowed with the free spirit that leads many to the northwoods. He was the one son in his family who chose not to go to college and to make his life in northern Minnesota. In 1931, at age eighteen, he headed for the family island on Lake Vermilion and spent the winter there in a tar paper shack. Several years later Hod built his first island home, "Night Owl" cabin. It is one of the guest cabins today, and like all the cabins that have been built since, it is spacious, comfortable and comes with all conveniences, including a dishwasher. The cabins also feature the perfect touch to any northwoods home, an honest to goodness stone fireplace with mantel and hearth.

In 1936 Hod married Lillian Larson. They spent the early years of their life at Campbell's Trading Post on Lac La Croix where, according to the Ludlow history, "their only customers were the Indians who lived in the surrounding lakes." In the early 1940s, while Hod was off managing the Boy Scout base on Moose Lake, Lil and the children spent time in a tent on the island while the family cabin was rented out - and thus began the resort business. This is a small part of the rich family tradition that Mark and Sally Ludlow grew up in, and from it comes an understanding and appreciation of the cultural and natural history of the area that is intertwined with the vacation experience at Ludlow's Island.

With Mark as our guide, we learned there are many ways to look at, explore, experience and learn about the northwoods. It doesn't all have to be done from the seat of a canoe. On Ludlow's Island you can experience a great diversity of things: the soothing peace of the lake, beautiful sunsets, the wildlife, plant life, geology and history of the area, the cultures of the people who have lived their lives here, and much more. And if you wish to leave the island, there is a myriad of possible places of interest to explore.

While we sat talking with Mark, a family group came in looking for a short hiking trip activity. Mark suggested an excursion to the Vermilion River gorge and falls. The falls is at the point where the Vermilion River flows into Crane Lake. Mark got out the map and pointed out the route by car to the parking area at the hiking trail access. The hike to the gorge and a view of the extended rocky tumble downstream provides a glimpse of the kind of challenging portage and paddle routes that were traveled by the French voyageurs; those lusty roustabouts who gathered and transported the furs from the wilderness to the trading centers. Later that day, after they returned, we saw the hikers again. They were full of enthusiasm over the sights, sounds and scenic view of the past they had witnessed.

Other popular excursions for island guests are Trout Lake, a portage away in the BWCAW, and Wolf Lake in the Superior National Forest. Both of these lakes are popular with anglers looking for a change of scenery for a day and for those wanting a taste of the wilderness experience. Trout Lake has lake trout to add to the walleye, smallmouth bass and northern pike reeled in from Vermilion.

Ludlow's has two picnic islands on Lake Vermilion and just off of Ludlow's Island is a small island with a campsite including a campfire grate and wooden platform for a tent. Marshmallow sticks and sleeping bags can be provided. The camping island is within yelling distance of Ludlow's Island, so children in their early teens can safely camp there overnight by themselves without concern. Mark pointed out that, in fact, children of all ages are safe everywhere on Ludlow's Island. The island is small, and the resort does not sell food, gas, or bait to anyone but their guests. Any visitor who is not a registered guest is accompanied at all times by a staff person.

Mark took us to visit Baybreeze cabin. As with all Ludlow's cabins, there is every bit as much space as in a comfortable home, there is a view of the lake, and the surrounding foliage is so dense and the cabin so well placed, you have a sense that yours is the only dwelling on the island. The furnishings are all attractive, modern and comfortable. Here and there interesting but comfortable antiques such as bamboo chairs or a dining table Mark and Sally have picked up at an auction add a special dimension of charm. The cabins were featured in Architecture Minnesota because of the unique designs and for-the way all fit into the island landscape to give a sense of privacy and seclusion.

On our tour we met up with a young girl about ten years old. She was carrying a dreamcatcher she had made during a crafts class the day before. A Native American woman had been coming once a week to teach crafts to adults and children old enough to manage the work. The dreamcatcher is a special piece of Ojibwe folk art, a circIe made with a slender, bent branch and crisscrossed on the inside with string or natural fiber to form a net. It is then decorated with feathers or other objects and hung over a child's bed. It catches evil things and keeps them from getting through to the child. There is a small charge to take part in the crafts class - for the materials and instruction. It is an unbelievable bargain given the quality of the craft work and the fact materials are provided. Mark said that next year the instructor might add beadwork to the class. Ojibwe beadwork design is not easy, but it is a delight to the eye with its curves, circles and flowers.

Ludlow's provides a variety of activities designed to acquaint children with "the woods and water environment." The activity may be a trip to see a beaver dam, a cook-out, a movie, a treasure hunt or planting a tree. A slice of education about the tree species is slipped into the planting activity. For instance, in 1993 cedar and white pine were planted and the young foresters learned that the white pine is the favorite tree of black bears because its bark makes it easy to climb. This provided the basis for a short ecology lesson. The name of the child planting the tree is put on a stake next to the tree, and for years to come, the child can check up on his or her tree. "We have to sneak in a replacement now and then," Mark said.

It isn't all crafts and nature walks at Ludlow's. For those who want to pursue serious fishing, Lake Vermilion can provide excellent action, and Ludlow's offers guides and a weekly fishing clinic to assist those who want help. Guides charge from $75 - $150 a day.

For those who want to venture a few days into the Boundary Waters or Voyageurs National Park, Ludlow's has a cooperative arrangement with Ron Bushbaum's La Croix Outfitters in Cook. La Croix provides complete outfitting and will do guided trips in 1994.

During the summer, Ludlow's is primarily a family resort, but in the fall it becomes a place for company conferences and retreats. Mark and Sally have a commercial kitchen in their home, and Sally can provide an elegant menu for up to 40 people. A conferencing group is housed together in one or more cabins, and one of the larger cabins is converted into meeting space.

The Ludlow's complex is centered on the island where the lodge, marina, beach and eleven of the cabins are located. The island sits in a narrows on the lake, and there are three additional cabins on the north shore of the narrows and four on the south shore. On the south shore, in addition to the landing, there are tennis and handball courts. On the north shore there is a hiking trail with exercise stations and a printed guide of plant life to take along on the trail. Guests in cabins on shore are connected by telephone to the island.

All guests, no matter where the location, can get a prompt response to service requests. The staff is as responsive as any staff in the most sophisticated hotel. Do you need flowers, an anniversary cake, help with an unresponsive boat motor? The staff carry beepers, and the moment your call comes in, the response is on its way. Everything at Ludlow's reflects the business acumen of its owners. Efficiency and comfort are the hallmarks of the resort.

Its northwoods setting, nicely appointed cabins and gracious atmosphere have brought Ludlow's Island recognition in such national publications as USA Today, the Chicago Tribune and Family Circle magazines. It is the little touches which Mark and Sally have added that make it special: the morning paper on your doorstep, the fireplace with the filled woodbox, and the gourmet pantry. There is a complete listing of places to eat and places to visit all over the Iron Range from Duluth to Grand Rapids, including the Tower Mine, Ironworld in Chisholm and the International Wolf Center in Ely. All of the island community activities are listed along with the equipment for a variety of water sports. Also included in the Ludlow literature for guests - good reading by the fire - is the history of mining, information on geology of the region, a 1912 cost analysis of saw logs report by N.M. Baker, and an assortment of other data about such diverse things as loons and northern lights.

Not listed but present and entertaining are some homegrown island attractions such as Pinga, the fishing dog. We observed Pinga standing knee deep in water, head cocked to one side, watching attentively. For some time we stood talking to Mark, but Pinga did not move. She takes her fishing seriously. Mark said occasionally one of the children fishing on the dock will throw back a small fish, and the fish will be injured and come limping by. Pinga will try to catch it, but success does not come often. However, like any good angler, Pinga's hope never dims.

Another island event is a ride in the small, white convertible car parked dockside. Rides are given every Friday. After making sure the door was properly locked, Mark backed out into the water and took us for a tour around the island in the Ludlow's Island amphacar (amphibious car). After circumnavigating the island we headed for the south shore and cruised up onto the land where Mark dropped us off. We watched him cruise back across the channel to the family island where there is relaxation, comfort, safety, fun and all of the sights and sounds of the Minnesota border country.

The weekly rate for cabins at Ludlow's Island ranges from $900 to $1425 for two people with an added charge for each additional person. A boat is furnished with the cabin; the motor is extra. For more information, contact: Ludlow's Island Lodge P.O. Box 1146; Cook, MN 55723 (218) 668 -5407.

by: Anne Stewart