Mantrap Lodge: A favorite Family Destination
By: Mitchell Heilman

Mantrap Lodge in Park Rapids, Minnesota, is one of the best places to be. It is on the shore of Big Mantrap Lake. It has good fishing, food, and people. It is a very fun place to be.

There are many fun things to see there. You see fish, boats and turtles. You can see eagles in their nexts. Log cabins, tall pine trees, and potted flowers, gravel roads and the clear water of the pool. Inside the lodge you see a big screen TV, video games and many books. Those are some of the things you will see at Mantrap Lodge.

Hearing the birds sing, the fish jump and boats driving is something you don't get to hear everyday at home. You can also hear kids playing in the lake, dogs barking and the crackling of the wood in the campfires. The laught of the loon echoes in the quiet of the evening. The call of "Bingo" is shouted when someone wins. That is what you hear at Mantrap Lodge.

The things you touch at Mantrap Lodge include the cold lake water, rough sand and shapr, sticky pine needles. Wood, rocks and fluffy dog fur are other things you can touch. Touching smooth, wet fish, slimpy seaweed and wiggly wormssometimes is not fun. You can feel the fresh, cool breeze on your face, and the bite of the mosquitoes all over your body. These are thing you can feel at Mantrap Lodge.

You can taste grilled cheeseburgers and hot dogs. There are chips, canaloupe and apples waiting for you at the potluck dinner. Sticky, sweet s'mores at the campfire late at night at the end of the day.

Things you can smell include fish, food and boat exhaust. The chlorine from the pool, wet dogs and pine scent float through the air. After being around the campfire your clothes smell like smoke.

These are the things you see, hear, feel, taste and smell at Mantrap Lodge. But if you want to know everything, I suggest you go there yourself.


My Trip to Mantrap Lodge
By: Mitchell Heilman

I was as excited as a little kid on Christmas moring. I was going on a vacation with my mom, dad and brother. We were going to Mantrap Lodge in Park Rapids, MN. When we got there and checked in and went to our cabin, there was a dog there to great us. It belonged to the owners of the lodge. By the lake we found a turtle that had two holes in its shell. When we were there we went swimming a lot. When we were at the dock someone said, "Whoa!" I looked over and my brother had fallen off! When my Dad and I were at the dock, I caught a Muskie! I pulled it out of the water. My Dad told me to get my Mom and brother while he held my pole. I only got a few feet when I looked back. I saw it flop right off my lure and swim away. Normally when a big fish gets away, the person is mad. My Dad and I were laughing for the next ten minutes.

One day when we were eating lunch, my Dad said the garbage can outside was smoking. I went to the lodge to tell the owner and we went back down to ghe garbage can. It turned out to be charcoal in the garbage can.

When we were out fishing one day, we saw an eagle's next with an eagle in it. The same day we saw a loon and my brother tried to talk to it. We had a tractor race and the tractor we were in won! After the tractor race, we has s'mores. One night we played Bingo and I was two squares away from winning $46.00! One morning they had kids minnow races. I got to name my minnow and I named him Speedy. Even though I lost, I had a fun time. After the minnow races they had a men's casting contest. My Dad entered it, but he lost.

When we were out on the lake, whenever we tried to go fast, our motor would conk out. On the last night of our visit we had a potluck dinner. Everyone brought their leftovers to share. Then we had to pack, pay the bill and make reservations for next year.