Dec. 15, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by The Ramkota Companies Inc.

It says something about a resort that as guests are checking out, they’re also making reservations for the following year.

“Our guests have all become friends,” said Shari Prause, general manager of Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center in Alexandria, Minnesota.

“It’s like a family here. We’re welcoming you to our house.”

And whenever you visit this resort less than four hours from Sioux Falls, you’ll become immersed in nature where an abundance of outdoor activities abound and find lots to do indoors too.

“We’re nestled on the shores of Lake Darling, which is part of the chain in the Alexandria lakes area and a very calm, serene surrounding,” Prause said.

The 50-year-old resort that’s owned in partnership with Sioux Falls-based Ramkota Companies has been continually expanded and upgraded.

In addition to its 200-room main lodge, there are 16 town homes offering three or four bedrooms and 12 cottages ranging from one to six bedrooms.

“We’re family reunion central,” Prause said. “Usually those book a year out. Depending on the size of your group, we have some availability during the week this coming year, though weekends sell out fast.”

Inside the resort, the Big Splash Water Park is a huge draw for families.

Offering 38,000 square feet, it features three four-story-tall waterslides, a lazy river, basketball shootout and lily pad walk. A separate tropical hot tub offers a calmer retreat.

“The water park keeps us busy year-round,” Prause said. “And we always stay busy with group business. It’s a great place for retreats and meetings and events.”

A spa offers manicures, pedicures, massages and facials.

On-site dining includes the family-friendly lakeside Lake Cafe, the relaxing Rafter’s Lounge, a snack bar in the water park and an outdoor deck bar and grill when it’s in season.

This time of year, venture outdoors, and you’ll find guests can sled on the property, ice skate on an on-site pond or the lake with skates available for all ages, or bring cross-country ski gear from the resort to a park a couple of miles away.

“And within a half-hour drive, there’s downhill skiing, snowboarding and tubing,” Prause said.

“For holiday break, we have availability the week of Christmas up until New Year’s Eve. We’re sold out New Year’s Eve right now, but the week kids are off school, we have availability, and the water park is open the entire week.”

During the summer, there’s just as much activity. The resort redid its Atikwa Championship Golf Course, making it a destination unto itself.

And you’re welcome to bring your boat to the on-site marina, where fishing, kayaking, canoeing and paddle boating await too.

“We truly have something to do for everyone and then some,” Prause said. “And then there is so much to do in Alexandria.”

The central Minnesota community is surrounded by lakes and accessible off Interstate 94.

For winter, families will find multiple indoor playgrounds, one of the region’s premier bowling centers, indoor ice skating and nearby Andes Tower Hills, a ski resort featuring 16 downhill runs and lifts ranging from beginner to expert, with snowboarding, cross-country skiing, tubing and snowshoeing.

The downtown is filled with local shops and restaurants, and there are wineries, breweries and distilleries throughout the area.

“It’s an old-fashioned downtown with the historic feel of a small town and with a big-town feel in terms of how much there is to do,” Prause said. “The old saying used to be it’s easy to get to and hard to leave.”

For Prause, it has been the place to stay too. She has grown her career with the resort for 23 years, leading it since 2020 after previously serving as director of sales.

“Shari has done an outstanding job making Arrowwood the kind of place that families and businesses want to gather year after year,” said Josh Schmaltz,  president of The Ramkota Companies.

“If you’re in the Sioux Falls area looking for a getaway that truly delivers something for everyone, this is the place you want to be.”

To learn more and make your reservation at Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center in Alexandria, click here.