How did you “land” in Cook County? 

I landed in Cook County in 1992 when I bought the property on the Croftville Road that had been known as Curley”s Resort. 

As owner/operator of Anderson’s Resort you put in many long days. What is one of your favorite parts about running the resort? 

Well, first of all, I am the owner of the resort, but my daughter, Chelsea, is now the operator.  One of my favorite parts of running the resort was seeing people come back year after year to  “their” cabin and watching their children grow into adults with their own families. I’ve seen three generations of families come and stay at the resort. 

Being able to walk the Croftville Road daily and live right on the shore of Lake Superior has been a gift. 

What inspired you to buy the resort in 1992? 

I had been a commercial fisherman in Alaska for 13 years before coming to Cook County. Once my daughters were born in Alaska, I felt it was too dangerous to continue fishing. My husband, at the time, and I had been coming to Cook County in the winters and staying at his cabin up the Gunflint Trail. I got to know the community a bit and liked what I saw. When I contacted a realtor looking for a house and/or business to buy, I was shown several properties in the area.  Nothing drew me until I was shown the property on the Croftville Road where the resort is now.  It was run down and overgrown but I loved what I saw. What a location! I sold my fishing business in Alaska and bought the defunct Curley’s Resort. 

What was the best life advice you were ever given?

One of the best bits of advice I was ever given was something my daughter said to me when she was 8 years old. She took me by the hand and led me to the beach by the boat house at the resort She told me to sit down and look out at the lake. She persuaded me to take a moment and relax, basically telling me to stop and smell the roses! Great advice I’ll never forget. 

Favorite family holiday tradition? 

My favorite holiday is definitely Christmas. It’s not one thing we do, but the gathering of family,  sharing of gifts, cookie baking and enjoying the tree full of ornaments collected over a lifetime.  Now that I winter in Mexico I come back for a week for a north country Christmas with my family and enjoy the traditions carried on by my daughters Chelsea and Carmen. 

How do you unwind and relax after a busy season? 

When I was actively running the resort I would always take one night away by myself in the fall to a different destination. We are open all year, so one night was what I could get. Fifteen years ago I bought a small home in Mexico where I spend half the year. That’s where I unwind. My daughters took turns holding down the resort in the winters. Six years ago, Chelsea took over the running of the resort and I am basically retired. I do small projects around the resort and advise, and babysit the resort when Chelsea goes on little trips. Really, I try to do nothing related to work and it mostly works.  

I also love to spend hours in my kayak paddling and floating around with a fishing pole,  exploring different lakes in the county. That is the most relaxing thing in the world to me.