Haven on Ida - a Bright, Modern, Lakeside Cabin in Alexandria, Minnesota
Haven on Ida is a lovely single-level home, built a few years ago in 2017, right on Lake Ida in Alexandria, Minnesota. This two-bedroom spot is the perfect getaway any time of year for a romantic getaway with your significant other, a small family, or a girl's weekend. The weather during our spring stay was quite rainy and windy for most of our trip, but the bright interior was so cozy with the white shiplap, natural light, and oak floors that we didn’t feel stir-crazy spending the majority of our time indoors.
The Living Room
The kitchen and living room are connected in an open space with floor-to-ceiling windows that let in lots of natural light and incredible views of the lake. If you want to soften the light, there are blinds you can lower. The comfortable couch also serves as a sleeper sofa, but my favorite furniture in the living room is the West Elm swivel chairs. On the last morning of our stay, the clouds cleared, and beautiful sunlight poured in. The chairs were the perfect spot to start the morning with coffee and bakery items we had picked up from Roers Family Bakery in town. You will also find magazines, reading materials, puzzles, and a 48” HDTV with Chromecast in the living room.
The Kitchen & Dining Room
The table and chairs were handcrafted by a local family-run company, Bord, and the furniture set is beautiful! It was fun making meals together around the table while drinking a delicious red blend from the local Carlos Creek Winery and playing music. The kitchen has everything you need:
Refrigerator and freezer, microwave, stainless steel electric stove and oven, dishwasher
Pots, pans, bowls, plates, silverware, cups, wine glasses, baking sheets, etc
Coffee maker, french press, hot water kettle, toaster, blender
Cooking basics like oil, salt, and pepper, but I love that they’ve gone above the basics and have a drawer full of seasonings and spices, Ziploc bags, foil, and parchment paper.
Another way they’ve gone above the basics of a typical Airbnb is that there are a plethora of glass pyrex containers to put leftovers into. Plenty of rentals I’ve been to don’t have any containers to put leftover food you’ve made into, so we appreciated this!
The Bedrooms
There are two cozy bedrooms, and while they are on the smaller side, the tall ceilings, bright and airy design, and well-thought-out storage spaces make them feel much larger. The first bedroom has a queen bed, and the second has a triple bunk bed with a queen, and then two twins. There’s even a twin trundle bed that can be pulled out for a 4th mattress in this room. I can imagine how much fun kids would have in this room, it is the ultimate slumber party spot! There is also a queen sleeper sofa in the living room. The cotton linens and bedding were quite comfortable, and there are room-darkening shades should you want them.
The Bathroom
In between the two bedrooms, you will find a bathroom. The space has a bright, clean feel to it with the natural window light and the white tile and shiplap walls. The water pressure is great, and shampoo, conditioner, and body shop are provided. Towels are soft and fluffy, and there is a hair dryer should you leave yours at home. There are cute shelves on the wall to set your things and plenty of counter space at the sink.
Screened-in Porch, Grill, and FIrepit
Haven on Ida has a lovely screened-in porch with patio furniture and a dining table to enjoy the outdoors and the lake view without the bugs. A gas grill is right outside the porch on the back patio, with a bar table and stools. The unique firepit has four Adirondack chairs sitting on top of a well-designed area of square pavers with grass peeking through.
I love staying at a place that is easy to cook at, especially when I’m craving one of my favorite summer desserts - jello poke cake! I love having a cold cake with whip cream frosting on a hot day! If you’ve never made it before, here is the recipe:
1 package of white cake mix (and whatever ingredients the mix asks for)
1 package strawberry or raspberry flavored gelatin
1 cup boiling water, 1/2 cup cold water
1 8oz container of whipped cream, thawed
berries of your choice
Heat your oven to 350 degrees, and make the cake as the mix directs in a 9x13 pan. After it’s cooled completely, take a fork and poke the cake all over, and run a knife along the sides of the pan to loosen the cake. Mix gelatin and boiling water in a bowl and once it is smooth stir in the cold water. Pour gelatin mixture over the entire cake and refrigerate for two hours. Then frost the cake with the thawed whipped cream, and add berries!
The Private Beach, Lakefront, and Dock
Walk across the backyard to the stairs that lead down to the water. There is a lovely sitting area and beautifully landscaped sand area. You can sit on the small beach, jump off the dock into the crystal clear water, swim, fish, relax, and enjoy the lake activities.
Things to Note
Check-in is a breeze with the door code
There are security cameras on the front and back of the property
There is not a washer / dryer on the property
Cabin is extremely family-friendly - they have baby toys and books, a pack and play travel crib, high chair, and children’s dinnerware. Outlet covers are also throughout the house.
There are no steps within the house, only two steps out the main door.
The house has air conditioning, heating, and portable fans
Check-out is at 10 am, and check-in is at 4 pm. If you arrive in Alexandria early to explore, and need to drop off your luggage, you can contact them to see about dropping it off early before housekeeping has finished.
What to do in Alexandria, Minnesota
Minnesota is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”, and over 350 of them are in Douglas County where Alexandria is. With the many lakes and resorts, this area is popular for tourism, especially during major events like Art in the Park in July, the County Fair in August, Grape Stomp in September, and Oktoberfest in October. Alexandria has a picturesque, vibrant downtown, with wonderful shops, restaurants, and more. The region also boasts over 2,300 acres of state, county and city parks, too. Here are a few of my favorite spots!
Bold North Cellars - which includes Carlos Creek Winery, 22 Northmen Brewing Co, and Stoke Artisan Wood-Fired Pizzas.
Just a short drive away is the beautiful Carlos Creek Winery, where we are huge fans of their Red Blend!! I could easily spend an entire day here, roaming the beautiful grounds, enjoying wine tastings, wood-fired pizzas and pretzels from Stoke, and beer from the 22 Northmen Brewing Co building. They often have events, live music, or additional vendors on the grounds. When we were there one Sunday afternoon, Succ It Up Buttercup traveling plant bar was set up where you could make your own potted succulent or cactus arrangement.
Events at Bold North Cellars
You can find everything from yoga, to live music, markets, and more on their events calendar here. One of their major events is the annual Grape Stomp Festival held this year on September 16-18, 2022. I want to go!
Garden Bar on 6th
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Alexandria! The staff is wonderful, and everything we’ve ever had on the menu is quite delicious! On our most recent visit, the lobster bisque was SO good. The beef and mushroom cavatappi noodles - YUM. They have large gyros that you can order with lamb, beef, chicken, or falafel.
Nice Juicery
Such a fun atmosphere for cold-pressed juices, smoothies, smoothie bowls, and toasts. The juices are my favorite and easy for grabbing a few to enjoy during your stay in the Alexandria area. Favorite flavors are:
Pink Lady - apple, strawberry, pineapple, filtered H2O, and lemon
Blackberry Beret - red and green apples, lemons, limes, blackberries, and basil.
Green Victoria - pear, spinach, lemon, and celery
Roers Family Bakery
Grab baked goods, delicious breads, donuts, cookies, brownies, cakes, bars, and more at one of the oldest family run bakeries in Minnesota. They pride themselves on making everything from scratch, and I’m always blown away by how low the prices are. On our most recent trip, we got sourdough bread bowls for soup, cinnamon bread, donuts, and a caramel roll to take back to the cabin.
Copper Trail Brewing Company
This brewery has such a warm, relaxing feel with the tall exposed ceilings, wooden beams, tables, and chairs. There are plenty of games to play, including several shelves of board games, and the ever-so-addicting pull tabs! If you aren’t a beer fan but love going to breweries for the laid-back vibes with friends, you’re in luck because Copper Trail has seltzer on tap! They have rotating food trucks, live music, trivia nights, and more on their calendar here.
Lure Lakebar
When you head north out of town, you’ll find Lure on the left-hand side of the road looking out over the lake on your right. Sit on the patio, and order the fish tacos! This is a great spot, but some of the items on the menu can be a bit overpriced for what they are. Nice views of the lake.
Zorbaz
Right across the parking lot from Lure is Zorbaz - which is a Minnesota chain whose eleven locations all sit near or on lakes. The menu at Zorbaz is a mixture of Mexican food and pizza, which I think we can all agree are two of mankind’s favorite types of food! You can build your own pizzas, but I recommend ordering one of the excellent specialty pizzas that they are known for. There’s a casual outdoor patio bar that is fun to sit outside. You can check out what events and specials they’ll have going on during your visit here.
The Edge Co.
This place has it all! A coffee shop, home accessories section, gifts, and a fab clothing boutique. The staff is wonderful, friendly, and helpful. Stopped in a few times, and it’s clear that locals and visitors both love to gather and connect here. On my recent visit, they had a great selection of gift items for brides and bach parties.
Kindred People
This boutique just makes me happy with it’s bright and airy bohemian atmosphere. They’ve got it all here! Women’s clothing, cute hats, jewelry, bags, accessories, home goods, baby items, and cute gifts. Local artists have items in the shop, and you know the gift items are extra fab when you want to bring them all home for yourself.
Alexandria, Minnesota is the perfect town to get away for a couple’s trip, family vacay, or a weekend with your girlfriends. I can’t wait to head back again in the Fall and explore even more of the outdoor activities the area has to offer! You can access my custom google map of fav Alexandria spots below:
If you loved Haven on Ida, you might also love this vintage A-frame in St. Paul Park. Check out our stay at Grey Cloud House below, where my siblings and I enjoyed a fun weekend together!
