About The Owner

Hello! My name is Rick Storlie. I have six kids- daughters Breanna, Ali, Lauren, Gracelyn, Everlee and son Mason. I live in Prior Lake, MN with my wife Rachel. I’m originally from Northfield and alumni of St. Cloud State University.

Why I Chose Walker and Lutsen, MN, USA

Loon Lodge on Lake Superior: My family has been vacationing on the north shore since 1975. My father owned a Lutsen Sea Villa (which is coincidentally less than a mile from our cabin now) until 1995. I learned to ski, deer/grouse hunt and skip rocks on the north shore. We’ve swam in the lake (be careful it’s cold), water skied (on a dare), fished and enjoyed bathtub like water (once) along with 20+ foot waves. One of the neatest things to do is sleep with the windows open and hear the waves crashing on the rocks below. The combination of Lake Superior and the Superior National forest has an indescribable calming effect on your soul. All I can say is- a trip to the north shore is guaranteed to recharge your batteries!

Leech Lake: I looked all over northern MN and western Wisconsin before deciding on Walker MN and Leech Lake. Hayward WI and Brainerd, MN were just too commercial for me. I love the small town charm of Walker and the boating/fishing opportunities on Leech Lake. The area has tons of attractions with golf, great restaurants, shopping, hunting, biking and hiking to name just a few. I love to hunt and the Chippewa National Forest has some great grouse and deer hunting. In the summer running/biking is awesome and I’ll spend a lot of time on the Paul Bunyon bike trails. The best part is you feel like your up north but the drive is manageable from the twin cities.

No matter what the season there are things to do on the North Shore.

SUMMER Try the Alpine slide located at Lutsen Mountains. The Gitchi Gami bike trail now has been extended so you can access it in front of our home. You can hop on and bike the north shore for miles.Find Lake Superior fishing charters in Tofte and Grand Marais along with inland fishing lakes too. The Superior Hiking Trail is only a couple of miles from our home. I recommend the Oberg and LeVeaux loop- fantastic overlooks! Golfers will love Superior National and its 27 holes. Yes it’s challenging but the views of Lake Superior and Moose Mountain will help you forget how many balls you’ve lost! Like to shop? Quaint shops are located right on the harbor in Grand Marais. Only 20 minutes away.

WINTER Lutsen Mountains has the best downhill skiing in the Midwest. There are hundreds of miles of cross country, snow shoe and snowmobile trails accessible within 5 minutes. The clubhouse at Superior National turns into a winter recreation activity center. You can go on horse drawn sleigh rides and take dog mushing tours- just stop by.

SPRING Spring time hikes along raging streams in the spring will give you countless photo opportunities. Perhaps the best spring activity is hanging our at our home with a good book. Cook some great food and take advantage of quiet time on the North Shore. Rates are lower too!

FALL The fall colors in the Maple forests are second to none. Fall is still my favorite time to visit the north shore. I think the two things we may love the most are fires on the lake shore and coffee on the deck overlooking the lake. If you’re an early riser you can see the sun come right out of the water!

Probably the best part about my home is the beach. The kids will play out there all day swimming, fishing and making sand castles. It’s one of the best swimming beaches for kids we’ve ever seen with a pure sand bottom, gradual slope to the lake and shallow depths.

I love to eat out on the deck and watch the kids play. The deck faces east so you don’t get cooked by the sun in the afternoon. The walk to the beach is nearly flat and there’s a great spot for campfires (I supply the wood). You can find chairs for sitting next to the fire under the deck.

One of the overlooked aspects of my home is the privacy. The road is private and a dead end with about 12 cabins. There is an environmental lake across the street so no homes are built there. I only have a neighbor to the north and south.

I’ve pretty much remodeled the entire home since 2008. There isn’t much that wasn’t replaced. I’d describe the home as a ‘raised ranch.’ The basement has about 6′ of headroom with a 3/4 bath, scrapbooking/crafting room and laundry facilities. There’s plenty of room to store your gear too.

Upstairs you have a split bedroom configuration. One side of the home has 2 bedrooms separated by a full bath. The other side is the owner’s suite. Living areas are in the middle. Make sure you check out our video tours in the Gallery tab on the Locations section.