CABIN ON THE KETTLE
HINCKLEY, MN
VISIT WEBSITE
Traffic. Icy highways. People. So many people. Winter in the Twin Cities can feel long and claustrophobic. And cold. Let’s not forget cold. If you’re anything like my family, a getaway becomes a necessity right around January. A beach is usually our first choice, but that requires a lot of cash money – cash money that we don’t exactly have right now (high fives for diaper and formula expenses). So we shifted gears and decided to go the route of “cabin in the woods with a warm fireplace.” And we nailed it thanks to Cabin on the Kettle in Hinckley, Minnesota.
Cabin on the Kettle is a short drive from the cities (took us a little over an hour), which is a plus when traveling with small kids. Hinckleyis home to less than 2,000 people, the Grand Casino and Tobies Family Restaurant. Two turns and three miles from the giant casino sat our cabin rental, tucked deep in the woods off a country road with a gated driveway surrounded by trees and set above the Kettle River. I wish more than anything that it hadn’t been -17° that weekend because I would’ve love love loved to have been able to snowshoe or lug the kids around in sleds on the snowy trails or let our pup run free off-trail. The surroundings were exactly what we had in mind. It was as anti-urban-jungle as it comes and right around this time of year, that is a very welcomed environment.
Upon entering the cabin, I noticed two things: it smelled like warmth (I’m not the only one who “smells” heat, am I?) and it was clean – two things I appreciate! I immediately loved the sitting area – especially the fireplace – and the kids were digging the loft. All that being said, my daughter did hit her head three times in the first 15 minutes. Once on the fireplace, once on the slanted loft wall, and once on the spiral staircase. So I’m just going to say it: Parents with walking, toppling toddlers may not have as relaxing a weekend as parents with kids who have a sense of balance and space. The spiral staircase has metal rungs on which little heads can easily bonk and the cast iron fireplace gets very hot so small, wandering hands would need constant supervision. All that being said, my kids did very well. (Granted, they are 4 and 6 and the younger one can’t even hold his head up yet.) I would also recommend this cabin for a romantic getaway or simply a weekend with friends.
Other than those couple of points, this place is crazy relaxing! We brought a ton of games and puzzles and books. I caught up on my magazine reading and we played about a zillion games of hide and seek. I introduced my kids to Pictionary and Charades and we kept the wood fireplace going for two days straight. The cabin provides books and games, towels and detergent, wood for the fire and extra toiletries if you forget something. They have a fully-stocked kitchen and freshly-laundered beds and large windows that made even the sub zero temps feel serene and sunny. There’s also a sauna and a fooseball table in the basement. Important to know that, to get to both of those places, you do need to go outside, which was not pleasant with the frigid temps, but would normally not be a problem at all.
The cabin layout is quaint and simple with a large sunporch, which would be an incredible place to sip coffee in the summer. The front door leads into the kitchen, which goes into the living room. There is a nice-sized dining table where we ate meals and a cute kitchen bar where we made brownies and homemade pizzas. The one bathroom is next to the kitchen and there is a small bedroom with a Queen bed on the other side of the living room. The spiral staircase sits in the middle of the living room and leads up to the loft. The loft is split into two rooms – one with a Queen bed and the other with two Twins. The ceilings are slanted so it feels a bit tight up there, but my kids are short enough that they spent a good chunk of time reading and playing up there. They even put on a song-and-dance performance from behind the railing while we watched from the couch – a “stage,” if you will. The space is great for a family of up to five or so, but I don’t know that it would be roomy enough for more than that. Oh, and did I mention there’s a wood-burning sauna across the front yard? We didn’t use it because…well, brrrr…but if we came back any other time, my swimsuit-cladded butt would be spending a lot of time releasing bad toxins in there.
Our family packed meals to save money and brought the kids an air mattress so we could all sleep on the same level (my kids wake up and wander in the middle of the night and I didn’t want to risk them walking those spiral stairs in the dark). Something to note: The TV did not actually work for anything but DVDs, which would’ve been fine (since this was our “time-to-disconnect” getaway), except the Packer playoff game was on and my husband’s head would’ve exploded if he couldn’t have watch it. We did pack some DVDs as well to help the kids wind down at night after a chill, relaxing day in the cabin. Why they needed to wind down after doing nothing is beyond me, but they always find a way.
A few answers for any lingering questions: Yes, they allow pets. Yes, they have some baby supplies on hand including a crib, pack n play, high chair and Bumbo seat. Yes, they have a coffee pot. Yes, they have internet service and our cell phones worked fine for the limited time we used them. Yes, they supply the wood for the fire and sauna. And yes, they even have a canoe you can use in the summer. No, they don’t have any super close neighbors. No, the casino isn’t far away if you need a night out. No, the water isn’t gross “cabin” water. And no, you will not want to leave.
There was a day when we went into the “city.” Hinckley is very small but we did enjoy a very delicious breakfast at Tobies Family Restaurant (where the caramel rolls are insane-in-the-membrane) and a tasty, homestyle lunch at Cassidy’s Family Restaurant (where the soup and salad bar was a perfect cure for that unspeakably cold weather). There is a Main Street with a couple tiny cafes, a gas station and some thrift shops and, in case you need to pick up some milk and cereal, there is a local grocer as well.
Should you want to get some exercise and the weather is cooperative, the Cabin on the Kettle is located only 20 minutes from two beautiful state parks – Banning State Park, which sits north of the cabin, and St. Croix State Park, which is south.
Think the Cabin on the Kettle might make for a sweet, close, perfect family getaway right about now? You can find full availability on either VRBO.com or HomeAway.com. The owners are incredibly kind and very responsive to emails and inquiries. You can tell they put a lot of care into this property and I was so glad we got to experience it. Thank you for the memories and we will definitely be back!
VRBO link: https://www.vrbo.com/437793
HomeAway link: https://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p437793vb
Need other winter ideas to fill a weekend or two? Our friends at sKIDaddlers compiled a fantastic list of camper cabins and regional parks to visit with the kiddos before the snow is gone. Be sure to check it out here.
Disclaimer: I received one free night to stay at Cabin on the Kettle in exchange for my time sharing this post. All thoughts are my own.
