Balsam Ridge Retreat, Minnesota

Many folks that have visited our place refer to it as 'country living in the city'.  We are so blessed to live in this little piece of serenity just inside the city limits of Duluth.  It was once an abandoned house that sat for years, until a friend mentioned to us that it might be going up for sale.  We loved the location and rolled up our sleeves. Twenty years later we still marvel at the beauty around us and can hardly believe that we LIVE here! 

Just down the road is a trout stream and just beyond that was a popular farm that attracted many folks to this neighborhood for hay rides and sleigh rides. The farm has since retired it's horses and closed it's doors to make room for new homes,  but memories live on in the beauty of the open fields. I often imagine the sound of horses and sleigh bells and people singing carols and then warming up around a toasty fire sipping hot cocoa. Some of those memories live on right here at Balsam Ridge (minus the horses). Over the years many groups of folks have enjoyed a sense of community in these back woods no matter the season. Campfires, kids catching frogs, neighborhood campouts, snow picnics, hair-raising toboggan runs, family campouts, spiritual silent retreats, a take-your-breath-away giant swing, and some tales too daring to mention are all part of the fun.  This is why we do what we do. We've been given much, and love to give back. It just wouldn't seem right to keep all this good to ourselves.