Detroit Lakes is an easy-to-get-to destination for a winter getaway

Detroit Lakes, right on Highway 10, is an easy-to-get-to destination for a winter getaway, whether you want to relax in a spa, explore on your snowmobile, or enjoy a weekend pool party with the kids.

Plan a trip around a visit to the Historic Holmes, a renovated 800-seat, 1930s theater that books a variety of concerts and other performances.

Or, come for the Polar Fest, February 6-15, 2010, a long weekend of winter fun including the Ice Tee Golf Tournament, the Freeze Your Buns Run, the Polar Plunge and a vintage snowmobile race.

If the weather cooperates, this is snowmobile country, at the hub of the Winter Wonderland Trails network. Head north on the trail about 30 miles and you reach a cluster of trails winding through the White Earth State Forest; from here you can loop east around Itasca State Park. Or, head south from Detroit Lakes and link into the Lake Runners Trail to Maplewood State Park.

There are several brand-name motels in town. One offers a 133-foot waterslide and kiddie pool; another hotel has an on-site spa (see the spa story on pg. 4), piano bar and wine tastings. There are also a few resorts in the Detroit Lakes area that are open in the winter, with access to snowmobile trails and ice fishing

In the area: