A Perfect Weekend in Nevis, MN at the Belle Taine Bungalows

If you’re lucky enough to have a cabin in northern Minnesota, you’re lucky enough. It is my dream to have my own someday but in the meantime, I can’t seem to stay away from up north. Partial to the Brainerd Lakes Area or the north shore, I don’t really make my way to the Park Rapids area often. Until now!

Lately,  I’ve been on a kick of finding unique places to stay whenever I head north. Think glamping, tiny houses, yurts, and even bungalows. So with the beauty of social media these days, it’s easier than ever to find unique places.

I found the Belle Taine Bungalows on Instagram a few months ago and I was immediately hooked. A cozy yet modern cabin, I knew I needed to stay there. I chatted with Janae the owner and we set up a weekend stay there in early June. My plan was to explore the Park Rapids area but I ended up loving the Nevis area so much, I stayed put most of the weekend!

Friday

Grab a snack and something to sip on then head on up for an easy, three-hour drive to Nevis. Once you get into Nevis, don’t blink or you’ll miss it! We arrived in this quaint town right before sunset and checked in to Bungalow 1. Janae came and met us and gave us a little run down of the property. Located right off the road between town and the country, you have the peace and quiet of the country but you’ll still find some street lamps glowing come nightfall.

By this time we were starving so we headed into town (a mere 3 min drive or a 10 min walk) for a late dinner at The Iron Horse Bar & Grill. The place to be on the weekend, we arrived when the party was in full swing. Live music on the front patio and NBA playoffs on the big screen inside we settled into a table by the bar. The restaurant is decked out in Nevis sports memorabilia, so you know you’d you’re in a small town.  The wait staff was super friendly and the owner came and chatted and checked on us all night. Their menu was extensive but honestly, go there for the Deep Fried Pickle Wontons. I am not a fan of wontons and was skeptical ordering them at a small bar up north, but leave your doubts aside because these are AMAZING. They were creamy, not too sour from the pickles and came with a sweet yet spicy Siracha honey dipping sauce. I was hooked.

After dinner, we decided to head back to the bungalows for a bonfire, smores, and some cocktails. Keep in mind this was at 10:30pm and all places are closed by this time in Nevis (besides the bar) so our idea to grab some ice and s’more stuff was put to a halt until we found a gas station 15 mins away that was still open in Park Rapids.

The bungalows have a nice bonfire set up, complete with benches, chairs, and everything you need to start the fire! It was the most beautiful night out complete with a sky full of stars and no bugs!

Saturday

Saturday we slept in with no tentative plans since it was supposed to rain that day. However, one we woke we realized the rain was not coming later that night so we decided to adventure into Walker, MN. More to come on that later! Walker is about a 25-minute drive from Nevis and on the way there you’ll pass countless bodies of water. If you own a boat or any water toy, this area up north is the place to be!

After spending the afternoon in Walker, we decided to head back and enjoy a relaxing night at the Belle Taine Bungalows. The great thing about this location is they are located just minutes from Lake Belle Taine and the public access point if you care to take a dip on a hot day. They are also just steps away from the Heartland Trail too! It connects you to town or if you own a bike, bring it up and ride up and down the 49 miles of the trail. Once you’re done swimming, biking, hiking or whatever, take a load off by the firepit in one of their easy to assemble hammocks!

We decided to do takeout that night and grab pizzas from Cindy Lou’s in town. It was a perfect choice! We ordered a small taco pizza and a Cindy Lou’s Special. They both were so delicious but the guys were surprised at how amazing the taco pizza was. We picked it up just in time before the thunderstorms rolled in. At that point, we settled in for a night of games, pizza, and cocktails. The storm really made the temperature cool off so we opened the windows and fell asleep to the cool breezes and soft rain outside.

Sunday

I was thrilled that we had time to explore on Saturday because the rain kept coming on Sunday. We had a slow morning, sleeping in and listening to the birds chirping outside the window. We enjoyed the delicious flavors of coffee the Bungalows had, all while sadly packing up our things to leave.

We ventured into town to grab coffee at Muskie Waters Co. I wish I would have visited sooner because it was the cutest little shop! They have coffee, chocolate, old time candy, and ice cream. Basically, everything I could ever want. Oh, and also they have adorable merchandise for purchase too. I ordered my signature iced latte and browsed the freshly made chocolate goodies in the case. I picked up some truffles and homemade peanut butter cups. It was so worth it – the peanut butter cups were out of this world! Before we left town we had to stop and take a picture by the worlds largest tiger muskie of course.

We decided to brunch at FireFly Event Barn which is right outside of town. Check their calendar before you pop in since it is typically closed every Saturday for weddings! I checked beforehand and saw they were open 10am-3pm on Sunday, serving brunch from 10-1pm. The space is huge but come around to the front entrance to find a quaint space with some booths + tables to sit down and eat. Order up front and then the staff will serve you. Don’t be fooled by their limited menu, their food packs a delicious punch. We started with their brunch flight which includes a mimosa, bloody mary, screwdriver, and then your choice of beer on tap. It was a no brainer.  Also, why hasn’t this idea come to the Twin Cities yet?! I ordered the breakfast pizza, and the guys ordered the breakfast bagel sandwich and the turkey and bacon bagel sandwich. All of the food was absolutely amazing. I was seriously in awe at the beautifully cooked eggs and still dreaming about that breakfast pizza!

We left with our bellies full, ready to head back to the metro. We gave our compliments to the staff at FireFly and then waved goodbye to the little town of Nevis and the Belle Taine Bungalows.

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Have you ever been to Nevis, MN? I can’t wait to go back and explore neighboring towns as well that I know I already missed. 🙂 Also, a special thank you to Janae and Angela for making the stay at Belle Taine Bungalow a special one! Check out their Instagram here for some additional beautiful photos of the bungalows and check out my story highlights here for more too!