through Rejuvenating Massage
BY NICOLE STRACEK Wadena Pioneer Journal
WADENA
From playing volleyball, to coaching, to starting a business — Nikki Dykhoff has a passion for helping people be their best selves.
Little did she know that a class assignment on career exploration in her senior year of high school would lead to enrolling at M-State to obtain her massage therapy degree.
“I looked into it, and I’ve always been a person that didn’t like school, but the medical side helping people feel better was one of my passions. However, I knew nursing and all that stuff was not for me,” said Dykhoff.
After graduating from M-State in Wadena, Dykhoff started building her client base as a massage therapist at Glamour Salon working with owner Brittany Ewert. Honing her skills and still looking to go into
business for herself in 2015, Dykhoff started Rejuvenating Massage with a mission to follow her passion for helping people feel better while also raising a family.
“I knew that owning a
massage therapy business would also allow me to have flexible hours, but it was also a way for me to help people feel better,” Dykhoff said. Dykhoff was also coaching
volleyball, and together with her husband Kyle the couple have four children.
“So just balancing family, coaching and the massage therapy business was challenging right away,” Dykhoff
said. However, her overall vision for Rejuvenating Massage was to continue to expand upon the services and to bring in additional massage therapists.
“So my vision was to add more therapists and just have it be more of a therapeutic place,” said Dykhoff.
“I also knew Courtney Tumberg was looking to go to school for acupuncture and I thought it would be great to combine our businesses and it would correspond very well with the vision I had.”
After stepping back from coaching volleyball in 2021, Dykhoff said it allowed her to expand on the services within Rejuvenating Massage including acupuncture with Tumberg, aestheticism Whitney Zeise and tanning services. Two years ago Dykhoff added Endless Glow, a 24-hour tanning salon located in the basement that provides clients with the flexibility to utilize the tanning beds whenever they want.
Photos by Nicole Stracek / Wadena Pioneer Journal
Nikki Dykhoff, center, started Rejuvenating Massage in 2015, and would eventually add additional massage therapists Missy Ament and Keara Kern.
MASSAGE on H5
Menahga couple opens escape room in downtown Wadena
BY FRANK LEE Wadena Pioneer Journal
WADENA — Brad and Michelle Krotzer’s idea of fun is being “locked” in a room, and they are banking that others in the Wadena area find escape rooms fun, too.
The married couple from Menahga with five children works in the Wadena area and opened in June the first escape room in the region called Escape 2 Fun. Their new business venture is located in the former MAHUBE-OTWA offices on Jefferson Street in downtown Wadena.
“For an escape room, this is a very, very small town. But we’re hoping to draw not only the locals but the people from the surrounding vacationing area,” Brad Krotzer said.
Added Michelle Krotzer, “We’re in a chapter change in our life, meaning our youngest just graduated from high school, so we’re moving into that empty nest stage. And so our goal is to slow down and retire out of our primary current job and find something fun to do in the next chapter in our life.” Brad Krotzer is 63 and owns Custom Septic, which installs, designs and inspects septic systems down in the metro area. Michelle Krotzer is 51 and works as a full-time massage therapist at Comfort Corner Massage, which is adjacent to Escape 2 Fun in Wadena.
“I’m addicted to games, and I just absolutely love all types of games and stuff,” Michelle Krotzer said. “And we came up with the idea of an escape room. … And so we just started dreaming, and we designed the current room basically from scratch.”
An escape room is a
game in which a team of players discover clues, solve puzzles and accomplish tasks in one or more rooms in order to accomplish a specific goal in a limited amount of time, according to Wikipedia, and the goal is often to escape from the room.
“Technically, you’re not locked in the room. You’re welcome to leave at any time. It’s designed for puzzle-solving,” Michelle Krotzer said of Escape 2 Fun, which is available by appointment only.
“We’ve gone to a few escape rooms and enjoyed it and just came up with an idea and a storyline and spent a lot of time designing it and testing it and putting it together. Everyone that has come through is very happy with it.”
Brad Krotzer said their escape room has a median complexity with a 7.5 to 8 out of 10 skill level compared to other escape rooms like the ones in Brainerd, St. Cloud or Alexandria. The room’s
theme is “Banker Bob” and the expressed goal is to locate Banker Bob, who has gone missing.
“Banker Bob is missing, and we are suspicious of a little bit of foul play because he’s had some shady dealings with some people, or he’s had some dealings with some shady people recently and so we want everybody to help us find Bob,” he said of the escape room’s bank setting.
“We don’t allow cellphones out, usually, in the
room because we don’t want people taking pictures, because it would ruin it for somebody else.
… But we make sure you’re supplied in the room with absolutely everything you need if you just look around the room.”
Plans are to add two or more escape rooms in the near future, according to the local chamber of commerce, and the couple will also change up the escape room with a fresh and challenging new mission so as to bring back repeat customers.
“You get to try to put clues together, to try to figure something out, so as soon as you get into the room, you start getting absorbed with the things that you can look at, what you can search for, the things that you can do,” Michelle Krotzer said.
Brad Krotzer said, “We have cameras set up throughout the room to keep an eye on you in case anything were to happen where somebody had a problem where they get frustrated with the puzzle or they can’t figure it out.”
Brad Krotzer said he and his wife do their best “not to make people feel
stupid” by way of how they designed their Escape 2 Fun escape room, so people can enjoy the experience, which generally runs about an hour long depending on skill level.
“What we do is design the room so that it handles many, many different types of thinkers and brains,” he said. “Some of the things in the room take more mental work, some of them take more strategy. … We have something for everybody in there.”
A minimum group of three individuals and a maximum of six is recommended to participate in the Escape 2 Fun escape room; the cost is $27 per person and if there are less than three in a group, the total cost for a single individual or two people still wanting to play is $81. For more information about Escape 2 Fun in downtown Wadena, visit the Facebook page or website. Schedule an appointment to play by calling 218-670-5505.
FRANK LEE is the features writer for the Wadena Pioneer Journal. He may be reached at 218-631-6470 or at flee@wadenapj.com.
Photos by Frank Lee / Wadena Pioneer Journal
Brad and Michelle Krotzer of Menahga opened their Escape 2 Fun escape room in June in downtown Wadena.
Sweet escapes and sandy beaches at Spirit Lake
BY NICOLE STRACEK Wadena Pioneer Journal
MENAHGA — From Airbnbs, to rehabbing rentals, to appraising properties Kyle Davis isn’t one to let any great business ventures fall to the wayside.
By day he works alongside his dad Terry, who established a real estate appraisal business Davis Appraisals in the 1990s in Wadena. Together the father-son duo provide real estate appraisal services throughout the area and have gained valuable industry experience and insight along the way. Working in the industry was something Davis said he knew he wanted to do since graduating college.
“When I was growing up, or especially in college, I knew I wanted to be a real estate investor and flip houses and apartments, which is something I’m doing right now,” Davis said. In January Davis purchased the appraisal business from his dad and said the experience in the real estate business helped him take on more business ventures.
“In general just to learn the value of properties so I know what I’m buying and what it’s going to be worth has been invaluable, and I’ve come to really enjoy it,” said Davis, who owns about 80 different rental units in and around the Wadena and Deer Creek area.
Davis also owns commercial properties including warehouses in Montevideo and Wadena. He also owns an Airbnb rental home and a mid-term rental property. The midterm rental property is similar to the Airbnb home but is meant for guests who need a
short-term stay but longer than a typical Airbnb or hotel. The mid-term rental located near Wadena is a three-bedroom, fully-furnished home with a garage with a minimum 30-day stay.
“I purposely design the mid-term rental for traveling nurses or doctors, people waiting on their homes to be built or people displaced by a fire or flooding,” Davis said.
However, his latest business venture was purchasing Spirit Lake Motel & Resort in Menahga. Purchased in June 2023, Davis said he got to work upgrading the amenities and bringing a few new elements including an ice cream shop called Scoopology. Located on the white sandy beaches of Spirit Lake, the resort and motel features 14 rooms. Eleven of the rooms are typical motel-style rooms, and three have been converted into apartment suites. In addition to another petite-suite, a separate building serves as a 16-person bunkhouse. Each room includes air conditioning, a microwave, refrigerator, flat screen smart televisions, a coffee maker and cable. Outdoor amenities include access to the private beach, fishing poles and tackle, beach toys, a fire pit and kayaks, paddle boat and canoe.
Davis said a simple Facebook post led him to purchasing the resort.
“I just went on the swap n’ shops groups on Facebook and posted that I buy rentals in the area, ugly houses in the area, you know, I’ll take a look at anything, or if you’re looking to sell something reach out to me and I’ll take a peek,” Davis said.
The owner of the resort reached out to Davis and not too long after looking at the property Davis said it was too awesome to pass up.
“The beach is just gorgeous out here. It has a nice level, sandy beach and is just gorgeous. And from a financial standpoint, the numbers look pretty good. And I’ve always really wanted to get into the hospitality industry,” Davis said.
Davis also added an outdoor panoramic sauna looking over the water that guests can use alongside a playground, tennis and basketball court.
Another project on the horizon is rebranding and remodeling another resort in Park Rapids.
Photos by Nicole Stracek / Wadena Pioneer Journal
Kyle Davis recently added Scoopology featuring sixteen flavors of ice cream, soft serve, malts, and shakes to Spirit Lake Hotel & Resort located in Menahga.
SCOOPOLOGY on H6
candy, soda, and more.
Wadena woman signs up for sign rental franchise
BY FRANK LEE Wadena Pioneer Journal
WADENA — Call it a sign of the times.
Monica Merickel of Wadena was looking for something to supplement her family’s income not too long ago when she heard of Sign Gypsies, a yard greeting rental company with more than 800 locations nationwide.
“It originated in Texas, and it kind of took off during COVID when you couldn’t have birthday parties and gatherings,” she said of social distancing during the pandemic.
Merickel is director of marketing for Pemberton Law Firm, which has a branch in Wadena. The 41-year-old is married to Jason, co-owner of Merickel Lumber in Wadena, and together they have two children.
“I saw some of my friends had rented Sign Gypsies for their child’s birthday as a grand way to say happy birthday because nobody was hosting birthday parties and whatnot,” she said of the pandemic. “And when I saw that, I thought that’s great.”
Life is made up of special moments and Sign Gypsies turns those moments into memories by celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, gender reveals, birth announcements, prom-posals, corporate events, holidays, game weekends, thank
yous and any other occasion one would like.
“People honk as they drive by … and it brings joy to people. And I had never seen anything like it before, so I started looking into it for our local area,” Merickel said.
Sign Gypsies will design and install custom yard greetings with “industryleading innovation, creativity and white-glove customer service,” according to the rental company’s website. But she said she could not find a local franchise when she wanted to celebrate her family’s birthdays.
“I just looked in further and realized it was a franchise opportunity, so I figured it would be a great addition to the area,”
Merickel said. “When I started, I was the seventh franchisee in the state. My territory is from Perham over to Staples and then down to the BerthaHewitt area.”
Founded in 2014 and franchising since 2019, Sign Gypsies Yard Greetings continues its rapid growth trajectory across 47 states, 800-plus locations and internationally.
“One of my favorite ones that got a lot of views and shares was one for the last day of school. I put up at the elementary, ‘Parents, tag, you’re it’ … meaning, like, teachers were done for the year — ‘Parents, tag, you’re it’ — the children are yours for the summer,” Merickel said.
but the company’s culture of being customer-centric, innovators and collaborating with franchisees serve it well in expanding the opportunities for customers to celebrate, according to company officials.
signs I get hired to do.”
Sign Gypsies is a yard
greeting rental service that helps to spread “joy, inspire and connect,” according to Merickel’s Facebook page for the Wadena-area franchise.
Merickel generally stakes each individual letter of a sign she is hired to create into the ground. The resulting sign she creates from the combination of letters is on display for 24 hours before she takes down the letters to reuse for other signs she is hired to create for about $100 a sign.
Merickel said she is not involved with her husband’s lumber business but has taken on a lot of leadership-type positions where she felt confident in becoming a Sign Gypsies franchisee.
“I think anything new makes you nervous right away, but I didn’t feel like it was something that was going to deter me from trying it,” she said of becoming a franchisee. “I guess for me it was more of a fun side business.”
The company’s top greetings are birthdays,
“And the company is helping customers welcome home more than babies. Adoption days, those returning home from serving in the military and visiting family can all be greeted with custom yard displays,” according to a news release.
Merickel said, “They make all of their signs at a warehouse in Texas. The way they get paid is, once you are approved (as a franchisee) you have access to the website of the signs — every letter is an individual sign. … But they don’t get a cut of any of the
“If a strong wind comes and knocks over a sign, and I lose like four of the letter A in something like ‘Happy birthday, Anna,’ I could order more (of the letter signs). And then that’s how they make their money because I’ve ordered more signs from them,” she said of the business model.
Merickel said she has been hired to do signs for birthdays, anniversaries, bridal showers, baby showers, graduation, hockey tournaments or advertise an event like lemonade stands and garage sales,
“I think it’s just a big way to make people feel special,” Merickel said.
FRANK LEE is the features writer for the Wadena Pioneer Journal. He may be reached at 218-631-6470 or at flee@wadenapj.com.
Contributed photos / Monica Merickel
A Sign Gypsies Wadena yard sign congratulates a Wadena-Deer Creek senior on graduating from high school.
Monica and Jason Merickel and their children Taylor and Weston
Wadena Acupuncture
“It was another therapeutic aspect that I wanted to incorporate,” Dykhoff said. “Tanning can increase vitamin D levels, and helps with psoriasis and other skin issues.”
Dykhoff also hopes to add a spray tan station as well to accommodate clients who want the summer glow but without the ultraviolet light.
In addition to Dykhoff, massage therapists Missy Ament and Keara Kern work under the Rejuvenating Massage brand as independent massage therapists. For Ament, being her own boss alongside having flexibility to work while raising a family was something she strives for in addition to helping her clients with their overall health and well-being. After graduating from M-State for massage therapy Ament got her start working in Perham at Sorellas. She joined Dykhoff at Rejuvenating Massage eight years ago.
“Nikki is friends with my daughter and because I’ve known her for so long I was really excited to work with her,” said Ament, who also struggles with fibromyalgia.
“I learned through my work that regular massage therapy sessions can help with fibromyalgia, and I knew it was something that others also struggle with,” said Ament. With 17 years of experience Ament said she enjoys helping her clients, and working with everyone under the Rejuvenating Massage umbrella.
Kern is the newest addition to Rejuvenating Massage, graduating with a degree in massage therapy from M-State this past May.
“I love meeting new people and seeing how much I can help them,” said Kern, who also said she loves working with Dykoff and Ament.
“They’re incredible and they’ve really helped me learn so much about working with clients and how to gain new clients as well,” said Kern.”
Rejuvenating Massage provides a wide range of services including Swedish and Deep Tissue, Hot Stone and chair massages. Clients can also enjoy body wraps, body glows, paraffin dips, cupping and taping therapy, and even raindrop therapy.
Wadena Acupuncture joined Rejuvenating Massage four years ago. It is owned by Courtney Tumberg, who is long-time friends with Dykhoff. Tumberg said she attributes her career path to Dyhoff, who encouraged her to attend school for acupuncture. Tumberg attended Northwestern Health Science in Bloomington, Minnesota, to obtain her masters degree in Acupuncture and Chinese medicine.
“I was doing my undergrad and still not sure what I wanted to do, but Nikki was like well, if I could go into anything it would be acupuncture,” Tumberg said.
Acupuncture is an ancient Eastern medicine that involves inserting fine needles at specific points in the body to treat a wide range of health problems. Clients who suffer from health issues such as chronic pain, migraines, headaches, lower back pain, neck pain and even allergies can benefit from acupuncture. Dating back at least 2,500 years, acupuncture is a core component of traditional Chinese medicine.
“I think people in general are getting more and more open to natural medicine and trying different things,” said Tumberg, who said she does still find that some people are skeptical. “But sometimes that’s fun because they get surprised and sometimes it surprises me,” Tumberg said.
Acupuncture involves inserting very fine needles into specific points in the body to assist with the flow of energy by encouraging the body to heal itself and restore balance.
“I tell people, the most basic part of it is I’m not injecting anything, I am not doing anything special with the needles. Basically I am forcing your body to heal itself,” said Tumberg. “And it brings this blood flow to the area, triggers your nervous system, and just plays a huge role in that healing.”
Tumberg also provides cupping, including fire cupping along with massage to help her clients with a wide range of ailments including lower back pain, stress, anxiety, sports injuries and more.
Tumberg said that
acupuncture is very individualized and she does a full health intake with each client.
“But everyone will have different answers even if it’s the same issue they are experiencing. Whether they sleep differently, their digestion is different, whatever it is, and those individual answers lead to a set of point selections. Every treatment plan is different for every person I see,” said Tumberg, who said the most common reason people try acupuncture is to help alleviate pain.
Bare Skin Beauty and Aesthetics
Whitney Zeise started Bare Skin Beauty and Aesthetics, a beauty and aesthetics business in Perham two years ago and recently added a location at Rejuvenating Massage six months ago.
Zeise is also a registered nurse and works in hospice for Knute Nelson.
“I went to nursing school and I noticed there was a niche here because aesthetics is getting to be a big profession and a big thing with women and I was like, there’s not one in Wadena,” said Zeise. Establishing Bare Skin and working full time as a hospice nurse, Zeise said she started out in Perham and six months ago she expanded to Wadena offering aesthetic care in both locations.
Zeise also attended M-State and after graduating in 2020 she said her vision for Bare Skin was to keep it simple with botox and fillers.
“And the more I got into it, the more I enjoyed the facial and aesthetics part,” said Zeise.
With a passion to help clients look and feel their best, Zeise offers a variety of beauty and skin services including neurotoxins and fillers, microneedling and hydrafacials and IV therapy.
“All together, my whole vision is to make clients
appointments.
feel more confident in their own skin,” said Zeise, who also focuses on educating clients.
“I educate a lot on what they’re going to look like after the treatments, and I know with aesthetics, people have certain things that they don’t want to look like, and knowing that our face is our trademark I spend a lot of time educating clients on their options,” Zeise said.
In addition to fillers, Zeise also offers vitamin B-12 injections to help clients with a healthy regulation of the nervous system. Vitamin B-12 helps convert carbohydrates into glucose in the body and assists with energy production and a decrease in fatigue.
Essential for healthy skin, hair and nails, B-12 helps in cell reproduction and constant renewal of the skin.
Zeise said she attributes her dedication to helping people look and feel their best from her background as a nurse and building trust with
patients as well as her clients.
Rejuvenating Massage is located at 221 ½ North Jefferson Street in Wadena with Wadena Acupuncture, and Bare Skin Beauty and Aesthetics is also located within
Rejuvenating Massage. Call 218-632-2700 for more information.
NICOLE STRACEK is a reporter for the Wadena Pioneer Journal. She can be reached at 218-6312561 or at nstracek@ wadenapj.com.
Endless Glow features four lay-down tanning beds and one standing tanning bed. Lotions, stickers, glasses, towels and sanitizer is also provided.
Endless Glow features four lay-down tanning beds and one standing tanning bed. Lotions, stickers, glasses, towels and sanitizer is also provided.
Each room is meant to invoke calm and relaxation for clients.
Photos by Nicole Stracek / Wadena Pioneer Journal
Clients are welcomed to Rejuvenating Massage and can relax in the waiting area before
“I bought it about a year ago, actually almost the same time as Spirit Lake, and that’s our next project,” said Davis, who said the resort will feature a Nordic theme.
The Scoop on Scoopology
Scoopology Ice Cream Lab — or simply Scoopology for short — is the latest addition to Spirit Lake Resort & Motel opening in June.
“The previous owner said he always thought that it would be a nobrainer to open up an ice cream shop here,” said Davis. A little bit of shifting and remodeling and Scoopology was open for business, adding to the resort’s appeal and long list of amenities.
Reminiscent of a vintage ice cream parlor and designed by Coral Cover Interiors, Scoopology features 16 different flavors of ice cream, soft serve, malts and shakes.
The ice cream shop also has candy and sodas with unique flavors. Soda flavors like Toothpaste, Bubble Gum, Waffles & Syrup, Bacon and Kettle Corn, to name a few, add to the resort experience and add an extra layer of fun for resort guests.
However, it was another Facebook post that led Davis to finding Scoopology’s manager Maureen Baylmer — who also happened to be Davis’ former babysitter.
- MAUREEN BAYLMER MANAGER, SCOOPOLOGY
Baylmer said she grew up down the street from the Davis family and often babysat the Davis children.
“I took his mom’s babysitting class while I was still in school and yeah, he was a good kid,” said Baylmer.
Baylmer is a full-time teacher for the Freshwater Education District but said she needed something to do in the summer.
“I’d seen some of the posts on Facebook where he’s like, hey, we’re building this ice cream shop so I knew it was coming,” said Baylmer. “And managing kids is right up my alley, so I shot him a message and he (Davis) called me the next day.”
In addition to the resort and hotel manager Shannon Klein, Baylmer manages Scoopology and said it’s a lot of fun.
“I mean everybody’s enjoying life and then you give them some ice cream and they enjoy it a little bit more. I love my job, and Kyle is a good boss, he’s fun and
easy to work for and what’s more fun in life than giving little kids ice cream and seeing them light up,” said Baylmer.
Scoopology also has a loyalty program where guests can earn free ice cream.
“There’s always room for ice cream,” said Baylmer.
Scoopology and Spirit Lake Resort & Motel is located at 311 Aspen Ave. SW in Menahga. Visit https://spirit-lakeresort.com/, email SpiritLakeResort@gmail. com or call 218-564-4151 to book a reservation.
Scoopology is open through Labor Day and is open to both resort guests and the public.
NICOLE STRACEK is a reporter for the Wadena Pioneer Journal. She can be reached at 218-6312561 or at nstracek@ wadenapj.com.
Contributed photo / Kyle Davis Guests at Spirit Lake Resort & Hotel can enjoy an evening around the fire pit underneath the stars.
Contributed photo / Kyle Davis Guests at Spirit Lake Resort & Hotel can enjoy an evening around the fire pit underneath the stars.
Nicole Stracek /Wadena Pioneer Journal
Spirit Lake Hotel & Resort is located on Spirit Lake in Menahga and features newly renovated rooms. Guests can enjoy using the on site amenities including beach toys, fishing gear, a playground, tennis and basketball court. A kayak, paddle boat and canoe are also available on a first come first serve basis.
