Dockside - Summer 2010

Summer 2010

9 ways to savor summer

Summer lake essentials

Historic Lake, Legendary Homes Paul Douglas:

Re-Invention

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Dockside ◆ Summer 2010

It’s your party!

DOCKSIDE Publisher:

Jennifer Sorenson jsorenson@swpub.com

Editor:

Angelo Gentile agentile@swpub.com

Designer:

2 for 1 ei ng Sightse !

Spec ia l de Us e C o 0.

SW BJ1

Brian Sorenson bsorenson@swpub.com

on Lake Minnetonka Daily Public Tours & Private Charters

Photographer: Loren Jones, Prior Creative Images Contributors this issue: Laura French, Loren Jones, John Mugford, Stuart Sudak Advertising Sales: 952-345-6477 Dockside is published quarterly by Southwest Newspapers. For advertising information, call 952-345-6477. For general comments and questions, send e-mail to agentile@swpub.com or call 952-345-6676.

Enjoy our Monday, Wednesday & Friday Sightseeing Tours, Tuesday Night Happy Hour & Pizza Cruise and Sunday Brunch Cruises! Book online and save!

All contents copyright © 2010, Southwest Newspapers.

– Company Parties, Client Entertaining!

– Rehearsals, Weddings, Receptions!

– Birthdays, Sweet 16s, Anniversaries!

www.docksidemagazine.mn

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features Lake Lifestyles

departments

14 Launch

Paul Douglas: Re-Invention Man The forecast is sunny for Paul and his scenic spot on Tonka Bay.

Season Preview 18 Prime Lake Time Nine ways to savor summer.

6 Farmers’ market season opens, tips for selling your boat, ideas for controlling lake weeds, plus Dockside Dogs, and a list of events.

Lake Fashion

12

Summer Essentials: Look stylish this summer with these lake-friendly finds.

on the cover Home

24

Historic Lake, Legendary Homes Popular book features Lake Minnetonka homes.

Dockside Conversation

30

Wild about Waterskiing Jim Petersen pursues his passion on Prior Lake.

On the Cover: An overhead view of the Pillsbury/Jundt manor house. Copyright Philip Prowse Photography.

Visit us online at www.docksidemagazine.mn

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Editor’s Note Re-Invention

Successful people have been re-inventing themselves ever since those brave pioneers were lighting out for the territories back in the day.

Though he may not look like one of those old grizzled pioneers, Paul Douglas, who we feature in this issue, is a postmodern version of those early “re-inventors.” He has a passion for his work and that passion has been Angelo Gentile a catalyst for Douglas’ Editor career success in its many inventions and re-inventions: television meteorologist, entrepreneur, author, teacher.

He also has a passion for our pristine Minnesota lakes in general, and Lake Minnetonka in particular, where he lives with this family.

Interestingly, when you think about it, the big lake also hosts the mansion of at least one other successful entrepreneurial family, the Pillsburys. Their company, of course, was founded back in those true pioneer days, in 1872. Indeed, that gorgeous estate on our cover is the Pillsbury/Jundt manor house.

This is a long way of saying that we like to think of Dockside—this magazine— as a product of this entrepreneurial spirit.

Dockside is published by Southwest Newspapers, which produces 10 weekly newspapers in the Southwest Metro area of Minneapolis, in communities such as Chanhassen, Eden Prairie, and Prior Lake.

Why a magazine with the tagline “Life on the Lake” in its title? Simple, really. We know how much our area residents love the lakes, no matter what the season. Recreational activities abound: sailing, fishing, waterskiing, pleasure boating. Well, you get the idea. As we reported in the last issue, Minnesota’s lakes and rivers provide more shoreline than California, Florida, and Hawaii combined.

For now, we focus our attention on Lake Minnetonka, Prior Lake, and all of the scenic lakes in our southwest metro region. For the future, who knows where that spirit of entrepreneurship and re-invention will take us.

In the meantime, we welcome your ideas and thoughts about this magazine. Contact me at: agentile@swpub.com or 952-345-6676.

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Dockside ◆ Summer 2010

5

Launch

News • Ideas • Tips ’Tis the season…for farmers’ markets

Opportunities abound this summer for buying fresh, locally produced vegetables at community farmers’ markets throughout the Twin Cities. The big ones, of course, occur near downtown Minneapolis and in Lowertown in St. Paul. However, keep in mind there are at least two excellent farmers’ markets in our Southwest Metro lakes area, too: Excelsior: This market is open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays, through October, in

Selling your boat?

6

Dockside ◆ Summer 2010

downtown Excelsior. Call (763) 972-6842 for more information.

Prior Lake: This market is open from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, also through October, in downtown Prior Lake. Call (952) 447-0263 for more information.

For a complete, statewide list of farmers’ markets, visit the Minnesota Department of Agriculture website at mda.state.mn.us.

Need some useful advice for selling your boat?

Boating Magazine recently offered several tips.

Make it shine. “The degree of cleanliness shows how much care the current owner has given the boat over time,” the magazine observed. So, a wash and wax are obvious, but don’t overlook cabins, lockers, stowage areas, and those little nooks and crannies where stuff seems to accumulate. Clean and deodorize with bleach to eliminate musty smells.

Remove all gear. Cabins and stowage areas will look twice as roomy. Likewise, remove anything — chart plotter, life raft, etc. — not being sold with the boat.

Think exposure. Pictures in ads work best.

The magazine suggests that, if the boat can be trailered, consider finding an available lot on a busy corner and trailer it there, and add a prominent for-sale sign.

Offer protection. If it’s still available, price out a transferable extended warranty, and, if the buyer wants it, buy and transfer.

Lake weeds Yes, aquatic weed control is another one of those “joys” of owning lakeshore. And controlling this growth and vegetation seems to be an ongoing battle against a never-ending variety of invasive lake and shoreline weeds such as Eurasian milfoil, hydrilla, purple loosestrife, and more.

When scoping out a plan for removal of these weeds, though, keep in mind a few important items.

Permits usually required: Under Minnesota law, all aquatic plants growing in public waters are owned by the state, according to Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The DNR’s Aquatic Plant Management (APM) program is designed to “protect the beneficial functions of aquatic vegetation” while allowing property owners to obtain “reasonable access to public waters.”

Lakeshore owners need an APM permit to harvest and remove submerged vegetation from areas generally larger than 2,500 square feet. The DNR reports that about 4,500 of these permits are issued each year. Check with the DNR for your specific requirements at www.dnr.state.mn.us.

Identification is tricky: Beyond permit requirements, sometimes identifying weed types can be tricky, too, says Jamie Markoe of White Bear Lake-based Aquacide Company, which sells its products for weed, algae, and pest control nationwide.

A number of companies, including Aquacide, provide websites where lake dwellers can go to identify various weeds and vegetation.

Aquacide’s website is Killlakeweeds.com. As Markoe explains, identification is important because, when using chemical controls, the best results are garnered by first identifying the weeds and then selecting the right products to use.

Methods vary: Finally, methods of aquatic weed control vary. Two of the more popular methods are mechanical cutting, with equipment such as water weed cutters and lake rakes; and chemical controls, with aquatic herbicides, using chemical options of course that are not harmful to fish and human swimmers.

Big river memoir A new book, Mighty Miss, is a memoir of adventures in a canoe along the Mississippi River, written by local veteran canoe instructor and guide Gary Hoffman. The book details his 45-day, 2,328-mile Mississippi River journey from northern Minnesota to New Orleans with his Army Ranger-trained son Darrin.

MIGHTY The book chronicles several near-death GARY HOFFMAN experiences that occurred on the trip, and, according to a news release, “moves smoothly between the excitement of survival, moments of tranquil beauty, and father/son tensions.”

Minnesota adventurer and educator Will Steger says that the book is “more than just another canoe expedition…it is a must read for anyone preparing a Mississippi expedition.” Hoffman and Steger guided together in the 1970s.

The book is available at Amazon.com, in bookstores, at the website Mightymiss.com, and by calling 952-470-8440.

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1.

Dockside Dogs: Readers send photos!

3.

We extend a big shout out to everyone who submitted lake-related photos to Dockside. As you can see, a definite companion-animal theme emerged.

Send your photos to agentile@swpub.com. In the subject line, include the title “Dockside Pictures.”

2.

1. Todd Moning, with his dog Osa, are both sporting their favorite personal flotation devices. Todd’s wife, Ren Rutkus, who submitted the photo, reports that Osa, who just turned 15, is a rescue dog who she and Todd adopted when Osa was just 1. “She tolerates her life jacket (because) it means she can go on the boat…They are pretty good pals.” Ren, Todd, and Osa live on Lake Minnewashta.

2. Reader Jane Norling, who lives on Lake Minnetonka in Mound, says she and her family have had many dogs over the years, who have all been “avid boaters,” and have all been “rehabbed” from the humane society, including these three friends.

3. Sophie went from the humane society kennel to Lake Minnetonka, says her owner, Jane Norling, adding “she loves ‘her’ 1986 Skiff Craft.”

Chicken on the grill:Yum You can always use another recipe for outdoor grilling this summer, right?

Lakewinds, the natural foods store with locations in Chanhassen and Minnetonka, has a stunning array of great recipes at its website, Lakewinds.com.

Here’s one for barbecue chicken:

By Rhonda Cattell Serves six Ingredients 2 whole fryer chickens, cut into pieces 3/4 cup vegetable oil 1/3 cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1 lemon, juiced 1 tablespoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons minced parsley 1 clove garlic, minced Instructions: In a large bowl, combine oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt, parsley, and garlic. Pull out half cup marinade and reserve in a cup; refrigerate. Add chicken to bowl and mix until each piece is well coated with marinade. Put bowl of chicken in refrigerator for six to 24 hours.

Remove chicken and grill over medium-hot coals 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked, basting frequently with reserved marinade (using the 1/2 cup reserve, NOT the juices left from raw chicken).

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Dockside ◆ Summer 2010

“REEL ’EM IN” FISH PHOTO CONTEST: JULY 8-23. ✴ Show off your fishing skills with Southwest Newspapers’ REEL ’EM IN fish photo contest. ✴ All angler pictures are welcome: that trophy lunker you caught last year, your child’s first sunfish, etc. ✴ Enter the contest starting Thursday, July 8.

Entries accepted July 8 through 23.

WIN: Check our website after July 8 for prize information. www.docksidemagazine.mn.

MORE INFORMATION: Go to any of Southwest Newspapers’ websites to enter, starting July 8. There, you’ll find all of the information you need to submit your photo and enter the contest.

Visit any one of these websites: Chaskaherald.com Chanvillager.com EdenPrairieNews.com JordanNews.com PLAmerican.com Savagepacer.com Shakopeenews.com

Eco-friendly boating Discoverboating.com recently offered tips and ideas on eco-friendly boating. Here are a few: Prevent oily discharges from the bilge. Keep your engine well-tuned to prevent fuel and oil leaks. Secure an oil-absorbent pad or pillow in your bilge and under your engine where drips may occur.

Spill-proof your oil changes. Use an oilchange pump to transfer oil to a spill-proof container.

Stop the drops when fueling. Prevent fuel spills by filling fuel tanks slowly and using absorbent pads or rags to catch drips and spills.

Do not add soap. Never use soap to disperse fuel and oil spills. It increases harm to the environment, and it is illegal.

Stow it, don’t throw it. Keep your trash on board. Never throw fishing line or other garbage into the lake. Take advantage of shore-side facilities to recycle plastic, glass, metal, and paper.

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Correction In the Spring 2010 issue, we incorrectly reported the details of the military service of Ray Garin, the owner of the 1963 Owens Flagship “Luv Is.” We should have reported that Mr. Garin served for 24 years in the U.S. Army, including serving time in Vietnam.

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Mark Your Calendar

Clockwise, from left: Barbary Coast Dixieland Band, Cyril Paul & The Calypso Monarchs, Plymouth Concert Band

JULY and AUGUST

JULY Lake Minnetonka 4th of July Celebration July 4 - all day Chanhassen 4th of July Celebration July 3 and 4 City officials call it “the premier community event of the year” and it includes a stunning variety of events, culminating with fireworks at 10 p.m. on July 4 at Lake Ann Park. www.ci.chanhassen.mn.us Prior Lake Lakefront Jazz & Blues Festival July 10, 1 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Features Jonny Lang www.lakefrontjazz.com Toast & Toast in the Gardens Minnesota Landscape Arboretum July 29, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. www.arboretum.umn.edu/toastandtoast.aspx

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Dockside ◆ Summer 2010

CONCERTS on the COMMONS City of Excelsior July 1 Retro Groove; ’60s and ’70s classic rock, R & B, pop July 4, 8:30 p.m. Minnesota Orchestra; Fireworks after concert July 8 Plymouth Concert Band; various music, marches July 15 Cyril Paul & The Calypso Monarchs; Calypso music July 22 The Splatter Sisters; children and family music July 24 451st Army Reserve Band; military, various music July 29 Bend in the River; big band Aug. 5 Barbary Coast Dixieland Band; Dixieland Aug. 12 Chmielewski Fun Time Variety Band; polka music Aug. 19 Big Walter Smith & the Groove Merchants; Blues Aug. 27 TBA/Rain Date FREE outdoor concerts at 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted, in the bandshell at The Commons Park in Excelsior.

CONCERTS IN THE PARK-CITY OF VICTORIA 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Wednesdays, July and August Lions Community Park, Victoria Free outdoor concerts on six Wednesday nights in July and August: Great music and family fun.

Bring your family, lawn chairs, blankets, and a picnic. In case of inclement weather, concerts will be rescheduled. Call (952) 443-4255.

July 14 Minnesota Valley Community Band Variety July 21 Minneapolis Commodores Men’s a capella Choir FREE Party Pizza (locally made) available starting at 6:30 p.m. until it’s gone July 28 Alison Scott Band Rock/Pop/Soul August 4 Teddy Bear Band-Kids Day Children’s Music FREE hot dogs for the first 100 kids, FREE balloons by ABC Chiropractic and Face Painting by Sneaky the Clown August 11 Galactic Cowboy Orchestra Blue grass w/ Jazz August 18 Brady’s Big Band Musical mosaics from the ’30s to ’80s FREE popsicles for the first 100 concert-goers

A Great Day on the Lake starts with…

AUGUST Prior Lake Lakefront Days August 5, 6, and 7 www.cityofpriorlake.com, www.priorlakechamber.com

SEPTEMBER Ongoing Theater “All Shook Up” (through Jan. 29, 2011) and “Stevie Ray’s Comedy Cabaret” (ongoing) at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres (www.chanhassenDT.com). “The Dixie Swim Club (through Sept. 11) at the Old Log Theater (www.oldlog.com).

A new deck, boat or jet ski! th

35 annual Antique and Classic Boat Rendezvous Maynard’s Restaurant, Excelsior Bay, Lake Minnetonka Saturday, September 11 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. www.acbs-bslol.com Want to include your event in our listings? Send an e-mail to: agentile@ swpub.com.

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Dockside ◆ Summer 2010

Summer specs Show your love for New York with these funky Ray-Ban subwayprint Wayfarer sunglasses for women. $159. Macys.com.

Essentials summer with these lake-friendly finds.

Layering at the lake Stay warm at the helm on those windy days on the water with this North Face Volt Zip Shirt for men.

Perfect for layering or moderately inclement conditions. $50 to $60 at Altrec.com.

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13

Lake Lifestyles

“Water is a magnet. We wanted to find a place where our children, and perhaps someday their families, will love to come back to.”

14

Dockside ◆ Summer 2010

Paul Douglas: Re-Invention Man The forecast is sunny for Paul Douglas and his wife, Laurie, and their scenic spot on Tonka Bay.

By John Mugford On a recent spring evening, the sun was peeking out from the clouds as it descended over Lake Minnetonka. It was a beautiful, peaceful scene framed by a large picture window, and probably visible most evenings, at the Tonka Bay home of Paul Douglas and his wife, Laurie Kruhoeffer.

As the sun continued setting that night, Douglas – whose real name is Doug Kruhoeffer – was doing what he often does at home: working on his laptop while sitting on the couch, aka his “home office.”

“I get a lot done right here, and can do a lot of thinking,” he says.

He needs to, as Douglas, as always, has a lot on his plate. Since being laid off

by WCCO-TV for budgetary reasons in early 2008, he continues writing a daily weather column in the Star Tribune, speaking at numerous engagements, and running three companies. Additionally,

Photography by Loren Jones

Douglas has taught college courses on broadcast meteorology, lectured extensively on climate change, and wrote the 2004 book, Restless Skies, the Ultimate Weather Book.

On this spring night, with one of his businesses preparing to launch a new service for a cable television station in Kentucky, Douglas watches live footage on his laptop of a storm brewing outside of Lexington.

And even though he’s focused on his laptop, neither the beautiful scenery nor the lake itself is lost on Douglas or Laurie, an architect with her own firm, Traditional Concepts.

Indeed, it is exactly for scenes like this—and for having dinner many summer nights on their deck, for riding in their 33-foot Regal Sport, for scooting around on wave runners with their sons, and for watching Fourth of July fireworks—that Douglas and his family

decided three years ago to return to Lake Minnetonka.

They’d lived on the lake 15 years earlier, in Orono, before moving to Chicago, where Douglas worked at a television station for three years, before eventually returning to the Twin Cities to live in Eden Prairie. There, they spent a decade in the Bearpath community with their sons: Brett, who graduated this spring from Penn State University; and Walter, who recently finished his second year at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. “We loved Bearpath and considered it a great place to raise our children,” Douglas said.

But while preparing for an empty nest, Paul and Laurie decided to return to Lake Minnetonka. “Water is a magnet.

We wanted to find a place where our children, and perhaps someday their families, will love to come back to.”

Their 1930s Cape Cod-style house and

Dockside ◆ Summer 2010

15

property, which they bought in 2007, has many charms, including an old-fashioned boathouse, an elevated yard 20 feet above the lake, a fire pit guarded by a row of privacy hedges, and the picture window in the living room. Laurie has incorporated plenty of large windows into the design of a future home the couple has planned for the site.

A weathercasting legend Paul Douglas – the name, not the man – was born back in south central Pennsylvania in the 1970s. As an aspiring high school meteorologist, he convinced a local radio station to hire him for a part-time gig.

The station manager, however, told him to come up with a new, easierto-pronounce name. So, Douglas Paul Kruhoeffer became Paul Douglas.

“I changed my name for a job that paid $25 a weekend,” he said with a laugh.

The man and the stage name certainly became popular here in Minnesota, where Douglas created a splash with his conversational broadcasting style at KARE-TV from the mid-1980s through the mid-’90s. He brought with him the idea for the “backyard” weather set, which he’d pioneered in the early 1980s for WNEP-TV in WilkesBarre, Penn.

After 11 years at KARE-TV, Douglas did a three-year stint at WBBM-TV in Chicago, before returning to the Twin Cities and another 11 years on the air at WCCO-TV. Being laid off from WCCO-TV was upsetting, Douglas acknowledges, but, happily, he had plenty to fall back on. Since the 1990s, the self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur has been busy embarking on new ventures. So far, he’s sold two businesses for hefty sums.

One was EarthWatch, which provided three-dimensional weather graphics for television and the movies Jurassic Park and Twister. The

185074

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Dockside ◆ Summer 2010

other, Digital Cyclone, which creates weather applications for wireless devices, was acquired

by Garmin, the GPS mapping system, for a reported $45 million in 2007.

While all of this was going on, Douglas found the time to write the aforementioned book about weather, state-of-the-art tracking systems, and being safe when storms hit: Restless Skies, the Ultimate Weather Book.

And where do all of his ideas come from?

“I really think I have some sort of attention problem, as my mind is always bouncing around and thinking of something new,” he says.

Kristin Clark, one of about 10 meteorologists at WeatherNation, said she would never refer to his creative mind as a “problem.” Clark calls Douglas a “mentor” and has known him since she was young, because her parents worked with him in television years earlier.

“Paul is a thinker and a doer, an innovator who always wants to stay ahead of the curve,” she says. “He is a true pioneer in the world of weather.”

In addition to WeatherNation, Douglas’ other companies are Singular Logic, which provides consumers with their own preferred entertainment and advertising options on mobile devices, and Smart Energy, which provides

weather reports to wind farms.

During a recent interview at the WeatherNation office, just a few minutes from his home, Douglas stepped into the broadcast booth for a five-minute update for StarTribune.com.

As he’s done for decades, he seamlessly and effortlessly eased his way through the segment, talking to the viewers as if they were longtime friends. No teleprompter was needed. “As I call things up on the video screen, it triggers my mind about what I should say,” he says. On most days, he’ll do 20 or so similar broadcasts for a variety of clients.

It is indeed a hectic, busy life that Douglas leads, with businesses to run and new ideas always brimming.

And all the while, Lake Minnetonka provides him and Laurie with the perspective and relaxation they say they need. “I work seven days a week and to tell you the truth just being near the lake and seeing the lake, and then when we get the time, being able to get out on the lake, is just a wonderful thing.”

John Mugford is a Shorewood-based freelance writer.

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17

Season Preview

Prime Lake Time Nine ways to savor summer

By Stuart Sudak So much fun, so little time.

That sums up summer in Minnesota. After months of snow, the season of sun and surf seems to race along at a track star’s pace. Like a cold glass of lemonade on a hot day, you need to enjoy every drop.

Grab the sunglasses, some sunscreen, and slip on your flip-flops. Fun is just a lake away, and Minnesota has 10,000 or so of them. Conveniently, some of the best are right outside your door.

Here are suggestions for summer fun (in no particular order).

Learn how to sail Set sail on a new passion that will test your wits.

If you want to learn the ways of a sailor, Joan Gilmore of Sail Away Sailing School can help.

The school offers sailing classes for novices on Lake Minnetonka (as well as White Bear Lake).

“It’s more of a thinking man’s sport,” Gilmore says of sailing. “It’s not a turnkey kind of sport like power boating.”

Most of her first-time students – usually empty nesters eyeing sailing as a hobby for their retirement years – have never sailed. After 12 hours of basic keelboat classes, they can handle a boat themselves. Many then hone their skills by taking more advanced classes on bigger boats.

Some even buy their own boats.

“It’s a sport where you keep learning,” she says. “I’ve been teaching sailing for more than 20 years, and I’m always picking up new things.”

For more information, call Gilmore at (612) 871-8101 or visit sailawaysailingschool.com.

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Fish with a guide

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Dockside ◆ Summer 2010

Are you an angler in need of a little coaching? A fishing guide could help you lure bigger (and more) catches to your line.

What’s their secret? Years of experience on the lakes.

“We know the seasonal movements of the fish,” says Troy Smutka of the Great Day on the Water Guide Service. “You don’t have to spend your time looking for fish, you can spend your whole time catching them.”

Guides also teach people how to catch fish on their own.

“Most of the time we’re doing things to catch fish that my customers and clients have typically not done in the past, or we do it a bit differently,” said Doug Warren, head guide with Lake Minnetonka Fishing Guides.

Smutka spends most of his time guiding on Lake Waconia, Prior Lake and Lake Minnetonka. Warren and his team of guides stay mostly on Lake Minnetonka “It is just jam-packed with fish,” Warren says of his lake of choice. “It’s looked upon as a pleasure boating lake, but it also has good fishing. It wouldn’t surprise me if a state record muskie would come out of it.”

For more information on Smutka, call (952) 368-9718 or visit greatdayonthewater.com. For more on Warren, call (612) 860-3052 or visit lakeminnetonkaguides.com.

Dinner: With a view Soak up the lake front atmosphere at these restaurants Looking for a fun place to chill with food and drinks on a summer day? These local eateries offer stunning lake vistas inside or out.

Al & Alma’s Supper Club: Besides cruising Lake Minnetonka aboard its fleet of luxury yachts, Al & Alma’s offers food (classic American and seafood dishes) ashore at its supper club. Though the supper club does not have outdoor seating, boat slips are available on its dock. 5201 Piper Road, Mound. (952) 472-3098; al-almas.com.

Bayside Grille: A hotspot for waterfront deck dining, unwinding, and “sunsets you won’t soon forget.” Private pier/boat slips are available for patrons. Live music.

Serves American food, notably its signature flatbread pizzas. 687 Excelsior Blvd., Excelsior. (952) 474-1113; bayviewevent.com.

Captain Jack’s: This popular Prior Lake restaurant/pub has two waterfront patios, including an outdoor bar with swings for barstools. July 4 fireworks from three different venues—Prior Lake, Valleyfair, and Mystic Lake—can be seen there. For those cruising by boat, slips are available on its dock. Known for its chicken wings and jalapeno cheese rolls, Captain Jack’s also serves such fare as pizzas, salads, and coconut crusted walleye. Live music. 3950 Green Heights Trail, Prior Lake. (952) 4402582; captainjacksonpl.com.

Haskell’s Port of Excelsior: Lake Minnetonka is just a stone’s throw away from this restaurant’s deck, where it always seems like happy hour (3-6 p.m. MondayFriday, 9 p.m.-midnight Sunday-Wednesday, and 10 p.m.-midnight Thursday-Saturday) while you dine on burgers, salads, or sandwiches. Boaters, use public dock. 1 Water St., Excelsior. (952) 474-0937; haskells.com.

Lola’s Lakehouse: Enjoy surroundings reminiscent of Cape Cod inside or on the waterfront deck overlooking Lake Waconia.

Menu features American fare with a New England influence. The signature seafood stew pot and the maple walnut pie are just a sample of the house specialties.

Boat slips available; live entertainment.

318 E. Lake St., Waconia. (952) 442-4954; lolaslakehouse.com.

Lord Fletcher’s: Its lakeside deck, The Wharf, is described as the size of a football field. Open late spring to early fall, The Wharf offers an extensive casual menu and three full-service bars. Live music is

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continued on page 21 Dockside ◆ Summer 2010

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3

Hang out on Lake Minnetonka

Phil Davis has spent much time on Lake Minnetonka. The general manager of Wake Tonka School of Wakeboarding and Water Skiing in Minnetonka offers his favorite gathering spots on the lake.

St. Alban’s Bay. Known as Sayer Bay to locals, it has great lines for wakeboard or water ski runs. Drive in a loop around the sandbar in case there are multiple boats, so everyone gets their calm water. The sandbar is also a great spot to drop anchor and gather with friends for some shallow water fun.

Boy Scout Island. Owned by Three Rivers Park District, the Upper Lake Minnetonka island is a fun place to beach your boat (or anchor it), then swim, or hike. Locals construct a rope swing to launch themselves into the water. Lake officials usually cut it down, but another one always seems to go up.

Big Island. The weekends are a big party, everyone tying boats together and having a good time. It’s a great place to meet people, converse, boat, people watch, and enjoy the sun.

Noerenberg Memorial County Park (on Maxwell Bay). Shallow sandbar is a great alternative to Big Island. It’s not as large as Big Island but still a good location to kick back and enjoy a less crazy scene while anchored on a sandbar.

Robinson Bay. No sandbars here, just deep, calm water. Sometimes you don’t want or need a sandbar. All you want to do is hang out on the boat, soak up some rays and cool off with a refreshing dip in water that isn’t crowded.

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Move to the music

They’ll be singing the blues on the banks of Prior Lake this summer, but it’s sure to bring plenty of smiles.

The family-friendly Lakefront Jazz & Blues Festival will entertain from 1 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, July 10, in Lakefront Park, 5000 Kop Parkway.

Headlining the show is Grammy award-winning blues singer-guitarist and local golden boy Jonny Lang. Also performing: guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Joyce Cooling; urban jazz guitarist Nick Colionne (his colorful outfits have earned him raves as the “best dressed man in jazz”); and Lil’ Ed Williams, among the last authentic West Side Chicago bluesmen.

The free festival raises money to support the philanthropic missions of the Prior Lake Rotary Club. It’s made possible by sponsors, volunteers and the sale of food and beverages.

For more information, visit lakefrontjazz.com.

‘Ooh and ahh’ at the fireworks Excelsior. Thousands watch the fireworks from their boats anchored on Lake Minnetonka, said Linda Murrell, executive director of the South Lake-Excelsior Chamber of Commerce. The 10 p.m. display is the cherry atop the all-day Lake Minnetonka 4th of July Celebration in the Excelsior Commons park. More fun: The annual performance of the Minnesota Orchestra (at 8:30 p.m.) has also become a patriotic tradition for about 9,000 people on land. Murrell said boaters won’t hear the orchestra unless the wind is blowing off the Commons onto the lake, which is rare.

Prior Lake. Fireworks will light up the skies over the lake about 10 p.m. (the end of evening twilight). It will launch from Watzel’s Beach in Lakefront Park, 5000 Kop Parkway, providing what the show’s organizers, the Prior Lake Association, says offers an excellent view from almost anywhere north or west of the park. More fun: Dress up your boats for the annual Independence Day Boat Parade. For more information, visit priorlakeassociation.org.

Waconia. Annual fireworks show over Lake Waconia will begin about 10 p.m. Sponsored by the Waconia Chamber of Commerce, people can watch from their boat or ashore at places such as Lola’s Lakehouse or Lake Waconia Regional Park.

Chanhassen. This city goes out all out for its annual Independence Day festivities, sponsoring two days of fun, culminating with fireworks on the night of July 4. Fireworks are launched from the east shore of Lake Ann.

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Cruise into the past Stepping aboard the 1906 Steamboat Minnehaha is like traveling back to the days of Shoeless Joe Jackson and the Model T Ford.

This impeccably renovated wooden boat, complete with steam whistle and streetcar-yellow façade, is a floating museum of a bygone era raised from the depths of Lake Minnetonka.

The Minnehaha was one of seven “streetcar boats” that served Lake Minnetonka in the early 20th century. Intentionally scuttled north of Big Island in 1926, the Minnehaha was raised in 1980 and her restoration began in 1990.

It was re-launched in 1996, and has been ferrying people around the lake ever since. Based in Excelsior, public cruises are available weekends and holidays.

For more information, visit steamboatminnehaha.org.

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Dockside ◆ Summer 2010

Dinner continued from page 19 offered every weekend, weather permitting. More than 100 boat slips available on a first-come, first-served basis. 3746 Sunset Drive, Spring Park. (952) 471-8513; lordfletchers.com.

Maynard’s: On the southeast corner of Lake Minnetonka’s Excelsior Bay, the restaurant has a huge outdoor patio and wharf area that’s an experience in itself.

The deck at Maynard’s (Photo by Leah Shaffer)

Boat slips available for patrons. Serves “tasty American food with a fine dining twist.” 685 Excelsior Blvd., Excelsior. (952) 470-1800; maynardsonline.com.

NorthCoast: By day this restaurant’s outdoor patio overlooking Lake Minnetonka’s Wayzata Bay is filled with business people.

By night it is transformed into a romantic hideaway. The menu offers contemporary American cuisine. Boat slips available at public dock. 294 E. Grove Lane, Wayzata.

(952) 475-4960; northcoastwayzata.com.

Perron’s Sul Lago: The food is the star here. Open evenings, the menu at this relaxed bistro offers continental cuisine with a strong Italian accent complemented by a wine list. Check out the calamari appetizer, one of their specialties. 16154 Main Ave. S.E., Prior Lake.

(952) 440-1411; perronssullago.com.

Sunsets Wayzata: Outdoor patio tables just steps

from Lake Minnetonka. You can’t get a view like this at your kitchen table, states its website. “Or maybe you can,” it adds. “But unless you have a gourmet chef staying in the guest room, you definitely can’t get food like this with your view.” Specials run weekly and provide options ranging from seafood and steak to pastas and salads.

Public dock with boat slips nearby. 700 E. Lake, Wayzata. (952) 473-5253; sunsetsrestaurant.com.

Victoria House: Across the road from Steiger Lake, this family friendly restaurant has a small deck with great views of the lake. Dine on steak, seafood, and pastas in a casual setting. One specialty is its Minnesota mushrooms, an appetizer consisting of fresh portabella mushrooms with Minnesota wild rice, Swiss and Parmesan cheese and topped with melted mozzarella. 1715 Steiger Lake Lane, Victoria. (952) 443-2858; cuzzys.com

Nightspots In the mood for some live music after cruising the lake? Here are some possibili-

continued on page 23

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Throw an outdoor soirée

7 Dig your toes into sand You don’t need to venture far from home to build a sand castle.

These five local beaches are some of the best around. (All provide lifeguards during certain times, except otherwise noted.)

Excelsior Commons Beach, end of First Street. Spread out your towel and take in the spectacular views of Lake Minnetonka. Notable amenities: Playground near the sand, short walk to downtown Excelsior.

Lake Ann Beach (pictured above), 1456 W. 78th St., Chanhassen (off Highway 5). Located in a 102-acre community park, this quiet (non-motorized) lake offers plenty of solitude.

Notable amenities: Sand volleyball, boat rentals.

Lake Minnetonka Regional Park, north of Highway 7, off County Road 44, Minnetrista. Though the park is nestled on the shores of Lake Minnetonka, the beach actually surrounds a chlorinated, sandy-bottom swimming pond.

Notable amenities: Large beach umbrellas, close to sprawling playground.

Lake Minnewashta Regional Park, Highway 41 between Hwys. 5 and 7, Chanhassen. Offers a shallow entrance to the lake, perfect for small children. Amenities: Nearby boat access, trails.

Sand Point Beach, 14349 Crest Ave., Prior Lake. One of the most popular city parks in the summer, it is located next to the most used DNR boat access to Prior Lake. No lifeguards. Amenities: Boat slips, sand volleyball, horseshoe pits.

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Browse an art gallery Many galleries filled with eclectic collections of art call the communities surrounding Lake Minnetonka home. Here are a few: Artworks Art and Frame: Showcases local artists’ work. 345 Water St., Excelsior. (952) 474-5000; artworksexcelsior.com.

Gallery Navarre: Lake Minnetonka original art, maps, pottery, books, woodcarvings, sculpture, note cards, historic postcards.

3420 Shoreline Dr., Navarre. (952) 471-8745.

Spirit One Arts Center & Gallery: Specialize in faith-based, healing and religious art. 240 Minnetonka Ave. S., Wayzata. (952) 473-1445; spiritonearts.com.

Water Street Gallery: Original works from mostly national and international artists. 211 Water St., Excelsior. (952) 474-3040.

Wilcock Gallery: Original oil, watercolor and pastel paintings by regional and national artists. 218 Water St., Excelsior. (952) 470-8118; wilcockgallery.com.

Your Art’s Desire: Diverse mix of work by local artists. 12928 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka. (952) 988-9772; yourartsdesiremtka.com.

Here are two of note elsewhere: Millhouse Gallery and Gifts: Original art by Minnesota artists. 516 N. Pine St., Chaska. (952) 556-8726; millhousegallery.com.

Savage Art Studios & Gallery: Original works from local artists, plus frequently changing gallery shows. 4735 W. 123rd St., Suite 200, Savage. (952) 895-0375; savageartstudios.com.

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Dockside ◆ Summer 2010

Planning an outdoor party? It takes more than just throwing some meat on a grill to make it a success.

Consider these suggestions gleaned from celebrations. com, a party planning website, to transform your backyard into a posh barbecue destination.

Set the mood. Consider lining your home’s entrance with a path of tiki torches. Light up your backyard with citronella bucket candles to ward off those nasty, partycrashing mosquitoes.

Add color. Choose summertime brights like fuchsia and orange for your table linens. Top it off with monochromatic flowers placed in tight bunches (for fancier parties) or a large hurricane vase with a candle on each table or a lantern (for simpler décor).

Create a music playlist. The easiest way to do this is to visit iTunes, where you can download music and customize your own playlist for the party’s theme or age of the guests.

Go a little crazy on the grill.

Serve burgers, hot dogs, and chicken but with a twist. For example, spice up burger patties with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, caramelized onions along with cheddar and mozzarella. Marinade chicken in a concoction of bourbon, brown sugar, garlic, and scallion marinade. Make new hot dogs with Kobe beef and serve in mini-bite format on skewers.

Visit celebrations.com and allrecipes.com for more recipes.

Here’s a recipe. Jahn Brink of Coastal Seafoods, located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, will demonstrate fish grilling recipes June 24 as part of the Dinner with the Chef cooking series at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

Here is a recipe listed at coastalseafoods.com: Grilled Sockeye Salmon with a Lime Marinade Serves four 2 pounds sockeye salmon fillets 4 ounces lime juice 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 tablespoons olive oil Fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped Salt and pepper Lime wedges Combine lime juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Marinate the salmon for 20-30 minutes. Pre-heat the grill, then brush with oil. Place the salmon flesh side down directly on the grill, cover, and sear for 2 minutes. Turn fillets over, brush with marinade, and finish cooking with the skin side down. Cook until the salmon has turned opaque at the thickest part of the fish. Garnish with cilantro and fresh lime wedges.

More on the Arboretum’s Dinner with the Chef cooking series can be found at www.arboretum.umn.edu/learn. aspx.

Stuart Sudak is a Chaska-based freelance writer.

Dinner continued from page 21 ties besides the ones listed above.

318: This café and coffeehouse by day (complete with outdoor seating) transforms into a hip music hotspot at night.

The intimate venue hosts some of the Twin Cities’ hottest musicians (think Tim Mahoney and Mary Jane Alm), and opens the stage to the occasional national act (the Jayhawks). Reservations for shows are highly recommended. 318 Water St., Excelsior. 401-7902, three-eighteen.com School of the Wise: This bistro has many eclectic personalities, depending on the time of day or night. It’s a coffeehouse.

It’s a wine bar. It’s a restaurant. And it’s an intimate setting for some great live music (never cover bands). 1750 Tower Blvd., Victoria. (952) 361-9463; schoolofthewise. net/school-wise.

The School II: The second School of the Wise location offers much of the same features as the first, except in a slightly larger space (allowing for a broader dinner menu). 600 Market St., Suite 170, Chanhassen. (952) 949-0000.

Dine alfresco Looking for more outdoor dining? The options are plentiful as you venture into downtown Excelsior. All listed have some outdoor seating. People arriving on boats can use public docks.

Antiquity Rose: Classic dining room/antique shop. Enjoy carrot chowder, salmon loaf, chocomint medley and other homemade specialties. Lunch only. 429 2nd St. (952) 474-2661; antiquityrose.com.

Biella: Evening dining on an array of Italian inspired dishes, featuring fresh fish daily, homemade pastas, soups, and desserts. 227 Water St. (952) 474-8881; biella-restaurant.com.

Jake O’Connor’s Public House: Tip a pint or two while you enjoy your corned beef and cabbage, fish ‘n’ chips and plenty of other hearty dishes in this Irish pubthemed restaurant. 200 Water St. (952) 908-9650; jakeoconnors.com.

Licks Unlimited: What’s a trip to Excelsior without stopping here for a scoop of your favorite ice cream? 31 Water St. (952) 474-4791.

Patisserie Margo: Bakery offers more than just its “sinful deserts,” such as muffins, scones, bread, quiche, and sandwiches. 284 Water St. (952) 746-2232; patisseriemargo. com.

– Stuart Sudak

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Home

Historic lake, legendary homes Popular book profiling Lake Minnetonka homes now in second printing.

By Laura French 24

Dockside â—† Summer 2010

The view from this end of this home would include these spectacular landscaped gardens seen here and Lake Minnetonka beyond. These are the gardens of the Northrup/ Jorgenson house.

“We wanted to show the broad range of living on the lake from cottage to grand estates.”

This inviting space is the seating area in the great room of the Davis/Winton/Nelson house.

“You know, boys, this discovery is a perfect inland sea.” So proclaimed Alexander Ramsey, first governor of Minnesota, when friends took him fishing on what was then called “Big Lake” in 1852, now known as Lake Minnetonka.

Ramsey so appreciated his own remark that he recorded it in his diary. The comment is also a favorite of Bette Jones Hammel, author of Legendary Homes of Lake Minnetonka, published in the fall of 2009 by the Minnesota Historical Society Press. Hammel has lived on the lake for more than 25 years and loves both its architecture and its history.

Although the book includes profiles of 30 homes on the lake, beautifully photographed by Karen Melvin, Hammel says she most enjoyed writing the introduction, a history of the lake. She begins with the people who hunted and fished on the lake as early as 500 B.C., leaving burial mounds that still stand. After them came the Dakota, for whom the lake was such a rich resource that they did their best to keep it a secret.

In 1822, two young soldiers set out from the newly founded Fort Snelling in pursuit of adventure. Joseph Snelling, son of the post commander, and Joseph R. Brown followed the Mississippi to Minnehaha Falls, then either canoed or walked along the banks of Minnehaha Creek. They were the first white men to see “an unbelievable expanse: a magnificent huge lake—or, perhaps, several lakes strung together—glittering in the spring sunshine.”

“Big Lake” remained largely unexplored until a treaty with the Dakota in 1851. Early settlers picked up the name given the lake by the Dakota wife of a local fur trader: mi-ni-tan-ka, which coincidentally, meant “Big Lake.”

In 1867, James J. Hill’s St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway reached the main street of Wayzata. “After that, one train a day brought Twin Citians and other travelers to the dock where Lady of the Lake, a fiftyfoot side-wheeler, awaited them,” Hammel writes.

The automobile made the lake even more popular. The lake became home to “the state’s most prominent families--the Bells, Washburns, Crosbys, Heffelfingers, Pillsburys, Boveys, Phelpses, Wellses, McKnights, Brackets, and Daytons,” Hammel writes. But thousands of Minnesotans came to fish, boat and, at one time, enjoy the amusement parks on the lake.

Dockside ◆ Summer 2010

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This photo shows the interior of one of six bedrooms in the Thompson/Williamson summer cottage.

An exterior view shows the charm of the Thompson/Williamson summer cottage, which has been in the same family for six generations.

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“We wanted to show the broad range of living on the lake from cottage to grand estates,” says photographer Karen Melvin. “There are a lot of different styles— French-inspired, English-inspired, Spanish-style red tile roofs. Always, Bette wanted to showcase our great Minnesota architects from the 1950s on.

“We struggled with whether the book should be organized as a geographical tour or in chronological order,” Melvin notes. “In the end, the editors decided it should be chronological. Over time, you can see the change in architecture.”

“One reason we did this book is for posterity,” Hammel says, “to see houses that have been restored and saved.” She cites the Northrup Jorgenson house as a prime example. “It’s a big, glamorous mansion. Someone could easily have torn it down and built a McMansion,” Hammel says. “But Clyde Jorgenson fell in love with it and renovated the interior.”

The four-level Greek revival home features Doric columns on the lakeside and a “commanding view of a sweeping lawn” and “glorious flower gardens, planted in formal European style.” The original owner, William G. Northrup, named the house BonSyde, Scottish for “fair winds.” Generations of Wayzatans called it “the White House of Minnesota,” for its color and big pillars. Jorgenson spent four years on a restoration that “’took everything down to the studs,’” he told Hammel.

At the other end of the spectrum is the Thompson/Williamson summer cottage.

The two-story clapboard cottage is a style that “everyone in Minnesota can relate to,” Hammel says. In the book, she notes its “airy wraparound porch, comfy wicker chairs, glasses of lemonade on the tables, and grand dining room,” which “make you long for the good old days.”

A stark contrast in design with the Northrup Jorgenson house, the Thompson cottage is also distinct for having been in one family for more than 100 years. The home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in early 1998, but required an extensive renovation in 2000.

More than 30 new footers were dug and filled with concrete to support steel Ibeams to hold up the front porch. Hammel applauds current owner Wendy William-

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son for the effort and for her attitude, captured in a quote in the book: “’There’s a lot of love and spirit in this house that wouldn’t go away….If you have a place, like this one, that means a lot to your family…it’s worth putting the money into it to keep it going.’”

Hammel laments the fact that “Some of the beautiful homes are now gone. Sometimes

it’s cheaper to tear down a house and build a new one.” For anyone wondering whether they can or should undertake a renovation of a classic lakeside home, she advises, “Call the American Institute of Architects-Minnesota.

Find a residential architect who’s had experience in remodeling old houses and buy an hour of advice. That’s the best way to do it.”

Detail of the exterior window of the prowshaped Great Room of The Goodale House.

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Bette Jones Hammel, right, the author, and Karen Melvin, left, the photographer, teamed up for the book The Legendary Homes of Lake Minnetonka. Photos included in this article are from their book.

Both Hammel and Melvin lament the rise of lakeside “McMansions,” which Melvin defines as “a house that’s overwrought with size, with disproportion to human scale and too large for the needs of the homeowner who lives there.”

Melvin says that to achieve a legendary home rather than a McMansion, homeowners should remember the words of Dolly Parton:

captivated several thousand readers in the short time since its publication. The first printing sold out during the Christmas season. A reprint is now available in bookstores.

“We’d like to do more books like this,” Melvin says. “Since this has come out we’ve had a lot of people come up and say ‘Did you ever think of this house?’ There are certainly more than 30 legendary homes in Minnesota.”

“I know I don’t have good taste. But I have the good sense to hire the people with the good taste.”

Melvin also notes that lakeshore homes need both curb appeal and shore appeal. “A lot of these houses we were first captivated by from the water, from the dock side.”

Legendary Homes of Lake Minnetonka has

Laura French is a Roseville-based freelance writer.

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Dockside Conversation

Wild about waterskiing At 78, Jim Petersen still pursues his passion on the water on Prior Lake Story & Photography

By Loren Jones What do you do when you spot the first ice-free water in the spring?

Well, if you’re Jim Petersen, and you live on Prior Lake, you go out waterskiing!

Petersen, who is 78, has been the first skier on Prior Lake after iceout almost every spring since the late 1950s.

Back in 1950, Petersen married his sweetheart, Nancy. He was farming and driving a school bus for a living when they purchased a cabin on Prior Lake and moved there in 1954 (they later bought their current home on Upper Prior Lake).

The following year, while on vacation in Bar Harbor, Minn., Petersen watched his first waterskiing show—put on by Frank Bedor—while having dinner at a supper club there. He was captivated, especially by the ski jumping.

He went home and paid a visit to Inland Marine, which was owned by the father of one of his school bus riders. He purchased a ski boat with a 25-horsepower Johnson motor, and proceeded to teach himself how to ski.

That was 1955. The next year Petersen and his wife built a ski jump.

To their dismay, the specifications they followed for some reason didn’t account for the lumber swelling when wet. Petersen had to pull it out a few days later, dismantle the ramp, trim all the boards then reassemble it.

He remembers his first attempt at jumping. He went over it repeatedly in his mind, imagining every phase of the jump. He says he fell on that first jump, just like everyone else.

“The jump is really slick,” he says. “If you stay leaning back like you do when on the water, your skis will shoot out from under you. You have to transition your weight to the balls of your feet.”

Once he figured that out, Petersen got the hang of it and he has been jumping ever since.

He’s never been hurt jumping, he says. “But I’ve definitely been hurt on trick skis, even though you are going slower!”

In between his waterskiing adventures, Petersen eventually became an electronics technician. He started his own business, Mastercraft Electronics, which installed and serviced hospital nurse-call paging systems.

He ran this business for 20 years, again, in between his skiing exploits.

As he pursued his waterskiing passion, Petersen quickly learned that owning and maintaining his ski jump was more than a one-man job. So, together with some skiing buddies, he founded the Prior Lake Water Ski Association, and began putting on ski shows to help support the maintenance of the jump.

Petersen remains active in the water ski club, now known as the Shakopee-Prior Lake Water Ski Association “Shockwaves.” With almost 200 members, the club now has its own private lake in an old rock

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Dockside ◆ Summer 2010

quarry in Shakopee.

Petersen also continues his 40-plus years of ski competition, competing both regionally and nationally. Last year, he placed second in jumping and fourth in slalom in the Over-75 division.

In addition, on just about any nice summer morning, you will find Petersen either on skis, or teaching a group of kids how to ski.

By mid-July, he has just about warmed up from taking that first run of the season weeks or months before, which he did while dodging the last remnants of winter’s ice.

Loren Jones is a Prior-Lake based photographer and owner of Prior Creative Images. He also serves as this magazine’s chief photographer.

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