Winter Weekend – January 2018 Camp Info

We like to have a photo of every family to put on the photo board. It would help us if you could email a landscape (horizontal - 6 inches wide by 4 inches tall) photo prior to camp.

Please send to hello@familyfestministries.org with the subject “WWJ18 Family Photo”. Using this subject line will automatically put it into a smart mailbox so we make sure we are able to collect them all.

If you can’t send a photo prior to camp, please bring your family into check-in and we will take one there.

Dinner is not served on Friday night so you will want to stop on the way to Grand View.

There are several restaurants in Baxter just before you arrive at Grand View Lodge. Grand View’s Main Dining Room and The Cru Restaurant are open until 9pm and the Grand View Lodge Pub is all open until 10pm. Zorbaz Pizza, 8105 Lost Lake Rd, Nisswa, MN 56468 is located about 2 miles west of Grand View on Cty. Rd 77.

Grand View Lodge will provide a spectacular dining experience for you and your family. Each meal is served buffet style with many options to choose from.

Please note that Family Fest shares the dining rooms with other Grand View guests. After you have leisurely enjoyed your meal, we would ask that you move out of the dining room so the staff can set it up for other families. If you need anything during your meal, kindly check with the Grand View staff and they will do their best to help you. 

The workcrew will be available at most meals to help families with small children.

Sunday Night Dinner: On Sunday night, we will have a special dinner for adults only. Some people will dress up (business casual) for this dinner, but there are no expectations. There will be a cash bar  Kids will eat in the Gull Lake Center before the adult only dinner. After you have fed your children, please bring them to their program rooms.

Family Fest desires to meet the needs of everyone who comes to Winter Weekend. We understand that some people may have allergies or special dietary needs.

It is important that we know about allergies or other pertinent medical information of children so we can alert the teachers and KC’s. If you have a child with an allergy or medical condition, please go to https://familyfestministries.org//camp-allergy-diet-form/ and fill out the form for each individual.

We will do our best to meet those with special diet needs with substitute/alternate food options. If you have special dietary needs, please download the Family Fest Dietary Needs Form from our website and send it to us one week before camp.

For your kids:
Lots of outdoor clothes (labeled with child’s name on them), night-lights, swimming diapers, baby gates, porta-cribs, sleeping bags (if your kids want to use them), room snacks & beverages, humidifier (rooms can get dry), fan (for blocking noise if you are a light sleeper). Grand View has high chairs and booster seats. Let us know if you would like Grand View to provide a porta-crib for your unit. Please contact Amy DeCrans at amy@familyfestministries.org if you would like this.

Fun Stuff :
Bring ice skates, skating helmets, hockey sticks, sleds, cross country or downhill skis, and other sporting equipment, swim suits, goggles, warm clothes, games, cards, movies, etc. Please, label any items you bring that others may use!!

Treats:
In addition to your own room snacks, it would be great if you would bring a pan of nut-free bars or cookies to share during adult Club time. These will be out during breaks along with coffee, tea and water.

All kids from newborns to 9th grade will have age-appropriate programs in the Gull Lake Center, led by the KC’s. The groups will be divided into four groups consisting of infants; children up through third grade; fourth through sixth grade; and seventh through ninth grade. High school students can apply to be in the KC program or may be part of the adult program.

All kids will experience the love of Jesus Christ with games, activities, crafts, scripture, songs and stories. Get ready for high flying action. Note that all groups except the infants will be doing outdoor activities and should bring outdoor gear to all programs!

The kid’s programs are led by a group of nearly 40 trained high school and college students who are directed by our adult teachers. January KC leaders are Joel McDougall, Becky Fandrich, and Andrew Norton.

These KC’s (Kid Counselors) do a great job leading these programs. Your children will have a great time playing games, singing songs, and hearing about a great God who loves them very much.

To Grand View Lodge from Twin Cities
Address: 23521 Nokomis Avenue, Nisswa, MN 56468
From the Twin Cities, take Interstate 94 west to the Clearwater/Annandale exit (#178). Turn right through Clearwater and Clear Lake. In Clear Lake, take Highway 10 west past St. Cloud and Little Falls to Highway 371. Stay on 371 to Baxter. Proceed 13 miles north on Highway 371 to the second intersection of County Road 77. There will be a Holiday Gas Station on your left. Turn left and follow County Road 77 for one mile to the resort on left.(Travel time 2 hours, 45 minutes from the Twin Cities) Link to Grand View’s website for map: www.grandviewlodge.com.

To Roy Lake Ice Houses
To get to the ice houses, take Nokomis to Cty Rd. 77 and turn left. After about a 1/4 mile, turn right onto Lower Roy Lake Road. Turn left (3rd left) on Lodge Road. There is a small area to park near 3786 Lodge Road. The fish houses are red and green. You may also dial “0” on the house phone and request a shuttle.

To Ski Gull:
Ski Gull is 7.7 miles from Grand View Lodge. Go west on Cty Rd 77 around Gull Lake. Ski Gull will be on your left. To The Preserve Sliding Hill:
From Grand View Lodge – Take Hwy 371 North 5.7 miles; turn right on CR 107; continue approximately. 2.3 miles; turn left at Preserve sign.

To St. Alice Catholic Church
301 South County Road 112, Pequot Lakes, MN 56472. Go east on Cty Rd 77 to 371. Go North on 371 to Pequot Lakes. Go east on Cty 11, then north on Cty 112.

Grand View offers a variety of amenities like the Glacial Waters Spa and coffee shop. To book a spa time call 218-963-8700.

We would ask that you do not charge anything to your room while at Winter Weekend, but rather use your personal credit card or cash.

Family Fest works hard to support and encourage the wonderful staff at Grand View and to be powerful witnesses of our Christian faith during the weekend. Please help us by going out of your way to show kindness and gratitude to everyone you meet this weekend.

If you have any needs, simply dial "0" on your room phone and they will take good care of you.