So all the cottages are brand new? "The cabins have had only one season of use so far," Lord said. "They're two-bedroom cabins with full-sized beds, and we provide sheets and towels. They all have a fireplace and in-floor heat, and come fully equipped with kitchen utensils. Upstairs, there are two leather pullout couches. And they all come with a charcoal grill, picnic table and lawn chairs. We have a fish-cleaning station, and the dock is right out in front of your cabin."

Brophy Lake is less than 300 acres, but the water quality is outstanding and the fishing has great potential. The kids, of course, will be pleased by the abundance of bluegills, while the adults will get their fair share of rod bending from the prolific pike and largemouth bass. There are walleyes in the lake from DNR stocking, but count on them as a bonus fish that occasionally hits a crankbait that's been sent out to find a bass or pike.

For more information, contact Floding Resort at (320) 763-7787. Their Web site is www.flodingresort.com.

VOYAGAIRE LODGE & HOUSEBOATS
You can have your own private swimming area, no one around you for miles and live lobster delivered to your door. How can that be? Rent a houseboat from Voyagaire on Crane Lake in the Voyageurs National Park.

From Voyagaire Lodge you have access to miles and miles of wilderness resources if you choose to use your houseboat to explore Sand Point, Namakan and Kabetogama lakes. According to Jim Janssen, owner of Voyagaire, even someone with no experience with a big boat on these lakes has no reason to be intimidated.

"It's all about support," he said. "We have three radio bases on the water, where you can be 70 miles away from us and still reach somebody live on the radio to deal with your concern or question. Some people are navigationally challenged or need to discuss how something works on the boat. No problem -- just call. We also employ a couple that actually lives on the water and their job is to be sure that you are OK."

Asked to describe the lure of a houseboat, Janssen said, "It's the best of both worlds. It's the remoteness of the Boundary Waters with all the luxuries of a houseboat with all the amenities. Some of these boats are equipped with central air-conditioning and hot tubs."

And what about this live lobster?

"We have a hospitality service," Janssen said, "where the guests can call every day if they like, by 10 in the morning, and no matter where they're at on the entire chain -- which is 70 miles long. They'll call and tell us what they need and we'll bring it out. It could be beer, bait, juice, ice, gas, milk, whatever they need. We'll deliver it that afternoon, including live lobster. We fly live lobsters in from Maine once a week and we deliver it right to the boat."