Our Story
Woodlakes is a passion project my husband Andrew and I launched in 2022 after years of having our own experiences up north. Originally from Texas, I was introduced to the area 24 years ago, just a couple of months after meeting Andrew. Every year since he was a baby he and his family had spent summers in their cozy cabin on Lower Cullen Lake in Nisswa. From the first time I visited, I found it to be magical and couldn’t wait to for the next year for our annual stay.
We continued that same tradition when we had our own family years later, making our first trek from Texas to Nisswa when our son was just 6 weeks old, extending our trips to be longer and longer. Our children grew up coming to “the cabin” and consider Nisswa a part of their home. We were even lucky enough in 2012 to be offered a position through Andrew’s job, to relocate from Texas to the Twin Cities, allowing us to be closer to this magical place. We’ve spent many hours boating, tubing, swimming, shopping in town, exploring the Paul Bunyan Trail and enjoying Fourth of July festivities over the years.
As our children grew and became busier with their own endeavors it became trickier to spend as much time at the lake as we had grown accustomed to. We found our little cabin was getting a bit lonely up there in the woods. While we still spend time there, we made the incredibly rewarding decision to share it with others that love the area. In 2022, we began renting it to visitors in hopes that they find the same beauty in the magical waters of Lower Cullen that we do.
Luckily, some of those activities our kids picked up included mountain biking and led Andrew to not only share his love of bikes but also to lead and coach the high school mountain biking team for several years. Through that, mountain biking transitioned from a casual pastime to a full-on passion. While we had watched Crosby, MN grow and change over the years, it was really spending so much time on the Cuyuna Range that made us fall in love with this part of the lakes area. In 2024, we launched Trail Haven, a charming 100-year-old original miner’s home that we’ve continued to improve and make into a base camp for fellow adventurers and visitors.
We’re committed to curating comfortable and enjoyable spaces in Minnesota. We’re hopeful Woodlakes continues to grow, allowing us to give you more opportunities to experience up north. For now, we hope you enjoy our little havens in Nisswa and Crosby!
Xoxo
Rebecca
