Who’s Comin’ With Me?

Summer weekend? There are options. If you prefer a quiet, relaxing time, then definitely stay close to the FM area. And don’t forget at least several six packs of your favorite brew, then call it a Sunday night...but if you want to get out and move, do this instead:

For me, a weekend away is never complete without a large body of water to be at all day. Unfortunately this means a bit of driving for those of us in the FM area, which also means purchasing gas, which obviously is going to suck. But if you don’t go far, load a few friends in the car to split gas, a fun time can most definitely be had. The best place to go this year for the least cost would have to be the hour-and-a-half trip east to the Otter Tail River and Detroit Lakes.

First things first though, if you’re going to be drinking, designate a sober driver before you leave, ‘cause the cops are everywhere. A suggested NHL 94’, one round elimination tournament on SNES is recommended for the proper way to determine a sober driver. After the tournament is finished, pack some snacks, fill the coolers and head east on 94 towards the Ottertail River.

If you’ve never been to the Ottertail, be prepared for the unexpected. It usually takes about two hours (depending on how many stops you make) to make it down the river normally but on a summer weekend, tack at least another hour or two onto your schedule.

You really should arrive at the river somewhere between eleven thirty and twelve in the afternoon if you plan on doing anything after you finish your trip down. If you’re drinking, do not do any pre-gaming before the trip. The sun will dehydrate your body more than you think, and no one wants to take care of you the rest of the day when you’re passed out half way down the river on your inner tube.

Neither is there a need to drink your heart out on the river. Don’t be “that guy,” let others be that guy and take pictures of them using your waterproof disposable camera. Not only will this make for a more enjoyable trip down the Ottertail, but also for a more enjoyable night life.

The best part about finishing up the river is that you’re close to Detroit Lakes, so get back on 94 and head east. Once in DL, head for the main strip, which is on Washington Avenue and West Lake Drive. Upon arriving what you do next is really up to whatever the group decides.

Most of the night life won’t start until dark so you’ll have some time to goof off. One suggestion is to bring a volleyball, Frisbee, or football and get some people together for a game on the sand. If you’re walking on West Lake Drive you’ll see some sand volleyball courts where it’s very easy to get a game going and it is also a very unthreatening way to meet new people.

After the game or whatever is decided on, a shower probably wouldn’t hurt before the night starts. If you don’t have a friend close to town or didn’t get a hotel reservation this can make showering tricky. One suggestion is to visit one of the camp grounds in the area and take a quick shower, or at least rinse off. This will make the rest of the night more comfortable and odds are you’ll smell far better than a lot of others.

After cleaning up, a good place to look for a bite to eat is Zorbaz, with a high-energy atmosphere and some good food to go along with it. The nachos are a must for an appetizer--load the works on and tell the picky one in your group to suck it up. After the nachos are finished order a specialty pizza to finished the meal off right.

Decision time again: you can go to a bar, drink a bit, I’d say stop at the Lakeside Tavern, or you can go to a Detroit Lakes Angels baseball game at 7 p.m. in Washington Park.

Either way, no matter if it’s to top off the day before you head home, or if it’s the start to your night of partying, when the sun sets in Detroit Lakes, get your ass to the beach. It won’t be as crowded as it is on the 4th of July, and if the weather is iffy, you might even have it to yourself.