Family Time — Best Kept Glensheen Secret

Honestly, Glensheen didn’t start the Lake Superior Beach Club with the idea that it would draw young families. But why wouldn’t it? It offers all the things that parents with children crave: no admission, happily engaged kids and an opportunity for an adult beverage by a big lake.

(Entrance to Glensheen grounds from 4pm — 9pm is free with a cash bar available by the lake at the Lake Superior Beach Club)

The looking for and throwing of rocks will go down in history as one of the best kid activities ever. It seems to entertain ages from toddler to teens — and well beyond. Perhaps it’s the competitive striving to skip or just the satisfying sploosh; whatever it is, Lake Superior rocks will likely engage your children.

And that just may give you and your significant other a few minutes to sit on one of our picnic tables, beer or wine in hand, and make brief eye contact as you watch your littles heave stones into big water.

Sometimes people without children will suggest that your family joins them at a restaurant. Of course, we know that being confined to a chair in a public setting can be torture for a kid. Add in strange food, mom and dad talking to other people and suddenly, eating out is not exactly a treat.

But at the Lake Superior Beach Club you can meet up with friends and kids can frolic the estate (with some supervision, of course, but you knew that). There are paths, gardens, a bonfire — even games and hammocks!

If you timed your Beach Club visit over dinner and you’re worried what your kid will eat, you can bring in your own food. Jam your basket with all the chicken nuggets they can possibly consume — no judgement here.

Or order in anywhere that delivers. Glensheen has menus for Northern Waters, Sammy’s, Green Mill and Pizza Luce.

(While there’s no admission to come onto the grounds to enjoy the Beach Club, Glensheen asks that you purchase your beverages onsite.)

There are a bunch of games from Corn Hole to table games to make your time at the Beach Club more enjoyable (just check them out for free at the bar). But summer is short and I don’t mean to scare you, but even the Beach Club’s days are numbered. It closes up on Sunday, August 26th.

One of our staffers was telling how they witnessed a dad and daughter, maybe 10 years old, sitting at one of the picnic tables. They played a game and looked out at the lake and just talked — for over an hour.

In creating the Lake Superior Beach Club, Glensheen wasn’t thinking it was going to be a big money maker. (Good, because it isn’t.) But we had hoped that by sharing this magical location, at the best time of day, would be the backdrop for some great memories.

And by that measure, we’re making bank.