Beaver Lake

The Pioneer Theatre is one of the area's best-kept secrets. As the owners point out on their website, The Pioneer Theatre is an "historic downtown movie theater with modern recliner seating and family-friendly prices." Checkout the website at milfordpoineertheatre.com for movies and showtimes. You may also buy your tickets and reserve your seats online! Located in Downtown Milford, Iowa--just another great reason to come to Milford!

Florence Park, Milford
Located Directly across the street from the Okoboji High School to the East, Florence Park is a wonderful getaway for the kids. There is a lot of play ground equipment, as well as a indoor/outdoor shelter area. This is also the home of many activities during the weekend of Pioneer Days and is the common meeting ground after the parade.

Brooks North is a newer housing development located on a cul-de-sac offering beautiful views of Brooks Golf Club, ponds, nature areas, the bike trail system and the Nature Center. There are many beautiful homes and only a few vacant lots remain. Brooks North is located on the North end of Brooks Golf Club in Okoboji, IA.

For most leisure boaters in the Iowa Great Lakes, there are 2 main hot spots to go throw an anchor, sit back, and just relax. Sometimes this will result in numerous boats tying up to one another (you may not even know your neighbor), and sometimes it results in a little more privacy where you can chill just by yourself. Every weekend, boaters make the trek across the deepest parts of West Lake to either Gull Point (North AND South side) and Miller's Bay. Thought there are many other great areas to throw an anchor, relax, and swim, these are the two hot spots. If you aren't sure where to go on a Saturday afternoon or wonder where your friends might be, these two spots would be a good start.

As your local Ace Hardware, we are one of 5,000+ Ace stores locally owned and operated across the globe. But we are not just about numbers. We are about helping neighbors, because each one of our stores is a part of your community. We are all committed to being "the Helpful Place" by offering our customers personal service, quality products and a convenient shopping experience from the local experts who know you best. As the helpful hardware folks in your neighborhood, we promise that helping you is the most important thing we have to do today.

Allure & Co. is a great one stop shop with many businesses all in one building! Home decor, rugs, furniture, lighting, a yoga studio, photographer, hair salon, massage and a coffee shop all under one roof! They offer so many great brands to provide some great shopping in the lakes area. The staff is very friendly which makes it a fun place to shop.

New to Okoboji is The Market Scratch Kitchen. They proudly offer salads, sandwiches and grab 'n go options made with fresh ingredients and prepared daily. Ask about the 'Vacation Mom' meals featuring nutritious and nourishing take-and-bake dishes ready to serve you and your Okoboji vacation family. The community is excited for a healthy food option choice in our area!

Okoboji Middle School is a place where we are Pioneering Pathways for Every Student. We focus on giving EVERY student access to a world-class education in small-town Iowa. We do this in three primary ways:

We employ staff who care deeply about the lives and learning of each student. From the classroom to the kitchen, we believe positive relationships between our staff and students form the foundation for all student learning.
We focus on preparing students with the competencies and skills needed to thrive in the world beyond our school. All teachers use a common language focused on developing the following five competencies in all our students:
Critical Thinking: The ability to incorporate key information to develop solutions to complex problems
Productivity & Accountability: Demonstrate initiative, self-direction, and personal responsibility to create quality results.
Complex Communication: Successful sharing of information with a clear message.
Collaboration: Respectfully working within a group to achieve a common goal.
Growth Mindset: The incorporation of creativity, unique thoughts, curiosity, and innovation in learning.
We focus on creating learning experiences to prepare our students to solve the problems of tomorrow. Nowhere is this more exemplified than in our Midmester Academy. Through our Midmester Academy, students spend over 120 days throughout their middle school career engaging in 24 real-world, interdisciplinary, problem-based courses. Their experiences culminate in an 8th Grade Capstone Project, where students showcase their middle school learning to a panel of peers, family, and faculty.

Please click HERE to access our Midmester Academy Handbook and Course Booklet.

We hope you will take to time to peruse the Midmester Academy Handbook Course Booklet and navigate our website to learn more about our school. Most importantly, we want you to know that if you are considering Okoboji Schools for your family, we would welcome the opportunity to give you a guided tour of our facilities, which will include a detailed exploration into the programming we offer our students. Please contact any of our school offices to set up a tour.

Yours in Education,

Ryan Cunningham
Okoboji Middle School Principal

Comfortec has trained and licensed technicians who can handle the job whether you have no heat or a loud noise coming from your equipment. We are a Carrier, Ruud and Lennox dealer giving us an advantage when it comes to working with different types of furnaces. We carry a wide variety of parts and can service any brand of furnace or AC. When it comes to needing someone to come handle your heating or cooling issue, we get there fast and get the job done right anywhere in our service region. Additionally, we provide emergency service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week because problems with your heating and cooling systems or plumbing rarely only occur during a normal workday.

Omaha Beach is on the north end of Echo Bay, extending out into Omaha Point. Known for its secluded private access from Lakeshore Drive, Omaha Beach properties are some of the most sought after on West Lake, easily fetching over $15000 per linear foot of lakeshore.

Remington's in Okoboji has great appetizers, salads, sandwiches, steak and much more. Remington's also has daily lunch and dinner specials. Happy Hour Mon - Fri 4pm - 6pm with free popcorn. Saturday is "Game Day" 11am - 4pm with drink and appetizer specials. Lunch and dinner reservations are taken, along with large group reservations with seating up to 150 people. Remington's offers a semi-private dining room that seats 50 people.

Serving fresh deli sandwiches, grilled paninis, salads, sweet treats, specialty coffee and much more! Feel free to dine in and enjoy the atmosphere this unique deli provides, or order and take out. Ordering online is also an option for take-out and they also do corporate box lunches. Serving gluten free as well! You will definitely want to check out Deli on the Ave!

AmericInn Lodge & Suites is centrally located in Okoboji on beautiful Brooks National Golf Course. This hotel offers 61 guest rooms all with 32' flat screen televisions and plush top beds. There are a variety of different room types are available.....fireplace, whirlpool tub, patio or balcony. They offer a free hot home-style breakfast such as waffles, sausage, eggs or biscuits and gravy, fresh fruit, yogurt and more! Enjoy the heated swimming pool, whirlpool, sauna or soak up the sun on one of the three patios. AmericInn offers an affordable option to tourists, especially in the summer. It is also conveniently located just off the trail system in Okoboji.

The Central Emporium is the best variety of shops and attractions, all under one roof! This location features shops for swimsuits, sweatshirts, jewelry, decorations for your home and some things that are just for fun. Find sweet treats at the candy store, enjoy a lakeside lunch or cocktail at the lower level patio bar, or have dinner with an amazing view of West Lake. Make sure to stop at the Central Emporium on your next Okoboji summer vacation.

Miracle Truss Buildings may be new to area but the company name has been around for decades. This company provides do-it-yourself building kits with clear-span web steel trusses that are made right here in the USA. It is also veteran owned. You can customize kits for garages, homes, shops, RV and marine, commercial, agricultural, cabins, hangars--anything you can imagine! Call 800-208-1969 for an appointment at their design center located at 1703 Hill Ave in Spirit Lake, or visit their website at miracletruss.com to read all about them. The knowledgeable staff is ready to help you with your next project. Free quotes, too!

2327 170th St
Okoboji, IA 51355
Prairie Chick is a great place to go for your morning coffee, for breakfast, lunch or just a spot to get away and read a newspaper. The atmosphere is great, There are numerous rooms and seating areas, including a fireplace where you are most likely going to find a local or two reading a newspaper waiting for someone to start up a good conversation with.

Very family friendly as well. In door and out door seating and a garden in the back where they grow alot of the ingredients used in their food.

They offer great coffee, scones, quiches, oatmeal, as well as other pastries. For lunch they also offer sandwiches/soup.

Their menu often changes from day to day, so stop in often and taste a little of everything.

Welcome to Okoboji High School. At OHS we are Pioneering Pathways for Every Student by building on the outstanding foundation and diverse learning opportunities available to students at Okoboji Elementary and Middle Schools through high expectations, caring and supportive teachers, world class learning opportunities, and a wide variety of extracurricular opportunities.
High Expectations - We speak of, model, and expect Pioneer Pride from every member of our learning community. Pioneers hold themselves to high standards in all aspects of life. Whether it is in academics, extracurriculars, or just in the way we treat one another, Pioneers lead the way.
Caring and Supportive Staff - Our staff believes that every member of this learning community is important and deserving of respect and care. Our staff comes to school each day looking for ways to positively impact the lives of our students and families and truly care about our students both inside and outside the building and beyond. Students who have graduated often come back to thank teachers and staff members who made a positive difference in their lives.
World Class Learning Opportunities - OHS is committed to preparing students for a productive life in a changing world. This means a focus on constant improvement, integration of technology to support learning, and ever changing opportunities. Some of these include new courses in computer coding, engineering, and more. In order to be successful, students need knowledge and the skills to apply it. OHS is focused on Universal Constructs such as creativity, complex communication, adaptability, productivity, collaboration, and other skills that will enable students to apply their knowledge to new and changing situations throughout their adult lives.
Wide Variety of Extracurricular Opportunities - Our students are encouraged to get involved in a wide variety of sports, fine arts such as speech, debate, and music, and school clubs and organizations. More than 85% of our students are involved in our extracurricular programs. Whatever a student’s passion, they can plug into a team or organization here at OHS. Our size also allows students to explore multiple passions in many different areas with
We are very proud of the past, present, and future of Okoboji High School, and even more proud of the students, families, and community we serve. We would love to help you arrange a visit to learn more. We believe you too will see why we are proud to be Pioneers!

Yours in Education,

Brian Downing
Okoboji High School Principal

The Okoboji Tile Shop

Ben Zenor, a local tile installer established The Okoboji Tile Store in 2012. Ben has been doing tile work for years. He is experienced with new construction, remodel and has done work on custom showers, backsplashes and floors.

The Okoboji Tile Shop also sells tiles, as well as cabinets, countertops and bamboo wood flooring.

Having lived in Okoboji all my life, there are a wealth of memories of Arnolds Park. I, like many of the locals, miss the nostalgia of the old Roof Garden, the fun house, the water slide and much, much more. With time comes change, and the amusement park continues to reinvent itself. Currently with over 20 rides to choose from, the family is sure to have a good time. The main attraction, The Legend Roller Coaster, is the 7th oldest coaster in the United States and apparently the 13th oldest in the world. Reaching speeds of up to 50 mph, the roller coaster has undergone substantial renovations in the last year. In front of the amusement park on West Lake is the Queen II excursion boat, and Pirate Jacks Bar. The sunsets here are unparalleled. If you have a chance to visit, make sure to check out the tipsy house, the three sons, and all of the shops. Just to the east is the green space, which provides great entertainment and in 2013 OAR came to play, which is a pretty big name for Okoboji.

Buchanan Park
Located a block East from Hwy 71 on 13th Street in Milford and a half block South on P Ave, this is a surprisingly nice and quiet little park that my kids enjoy frequenting. We like to take the dog and throw frisbees. In addition, the park offers a basketball court, swingset and other playground equipment, and some picnic tables.

Yesterdays Restaurant has been an Okoboji favorite and is only opened seasonally. Yesterdays has a complete dinner menu that features nightly specials. They have a wonderful martini menu that will not disappoint. Make sure to also make reservations in the Japanese Teppanyaki Room. Watch as asian inspired meals are prepared and served by your personal chef.

Immanuel Lutheran Church
2300 27th St
Spirit Lake, IA 51360

Services
Saturday at 6 p.m.
Sunday at 9 a.m.

Ruthven Meat Locker is a local family owned business. Ruthven Locker at the Lakes is their 2nd retail store (with the original Meat Processing plant being a staple in the small town of Ruthven, Iowa). They are a full service meat shop providing their customers with excellent high quality cuts of beef & pork. Also provided are smoked meat snacks which they make right on site in Ruthven. Sure to please even the pickiest of palates! Ruthven Meat Locker prides themselves on promoting other local small businesses by selling them in our Spirit Lake store. You find everything from fine wood pieces to local honey, microgreens, baked goods, and delicious cheesecake. The Butcher’s Wife is always available to answer your questions and take special orders. Come on in and you’ll soon see that the rumors are true!

Heritage Landing
1305 Jeppeson Rd
West Okoboji, IA 51351

Senior Living community providing convenient and comfortable maintenance free living.

Furniture Mart
2502 17th St
Spirit Lake, IA 51360

Located just west of Walmart and next door to the Ramada Inn, The Furniture Mart offers a HUGE floor space filled with a great selection of furniture. Selections include Living Room, Dining, Bedroom and Office furniture. They also offer Mattresses, TV Stands and different Decor and Accent pieces. In home delivery available as well.

Mother Nature's is an American Restaurant Style bar/restaurant/lounge. Mother Nature's has been a local Estherville bar and grill since 1978. Stop in for the best burgers and steaks in town!

As the only frozen yogurt place in the Lakes Area, BonBon has made quite the name for itself! We wait for the day it opens, and try to go weekly throughout the summer. This self serve froyo shop is sure to put a smile on anyone's face, with the array of toppings, and flavors, that are changing from week to week! It satisfies your sweet tooth, while still being healthy, which is a major win win for me.

For the outdoorsmen who like to hunt ducks and geese, you have come to the right place. NW Iowa has a wide array of wetlands and great habitat and conditions to attract a large number of migratory birds. You can find a wide array of duck species in this area as well as a big population of Canadian geese. Duck hunting seasons start in September and ends in early December; Goose season starts in September and runs til the first week of January. See Iowa DNR for exact season dates and limits.

A home town favorite! The Taco House is a hidden gem in the Great Lakes area. If your looking for delicious Mexican food give this a try. Taco House is not open during the winter months but you are able to put in a freezer order before they close to satisfy your craving on those cold days. Whatever you decide to order don't forget the Taco House hot sauce, you won't be disappointed.

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Bella Via Salon is made up of individual stylists, that are always learning more to make their clients look, and feel their best. This full service salon offers all hair needs, including hair cuts, coloring, highlights, blow outs, updo's and more. They also offer manicures, pedicures, massages, and make up applications. They also sell professional hair care, and body care products. We have never left Bella Via disappointed, and are always impressed with the skill of their staff!

Consumers Lumber Company is the only locally owned and operated building center in the area. They have been proudly serving the best builders and homeowners with the best materials and services since 1906.
They have locations in Spirit Lake and Spencer Iowa with a complete line of building materials and builder’s hardware. They also have full showrooms of millwork, stone, decking and cabinetry.
Dollars spent with Consumers Lumber stay in Dickinson and Clay counties. They support all the area schools and youth organizations along with several other community charities. Consumers Lumber Company is also very proud of the fact that their 15 employees have over 200 years of combined service to our company and that they all live, shop and play here.
They offer timely and accurate project bids and drawings to better serve the areas builders and homeowners. They also provide free and fast delivery to the four county area.

Ferguson's is arguable the most popular place to buy flowers, trees and more in the lakes area. They're a family owned business, providing flowers, trees, plants, supplies, and furniture. They also have a small gift shop inside, as well as a floral shop, with freshly cut flowers. They have amazing customer service, and are there to help with all questions regarding planting and gardening. Ferguson's seems to go above and beyond, offering to bring anything you buy from them to your front door!

This new coffee shop is located in the Allure & Co. downtown Spirit Lake. They offer amazing coffee, smoothies and homemade baked goods. This is a great addition to the community!

Jimmy John's slices our all-natural meats and fresh veggies in-house every day. Our fresh-baked bread is made right here where you can see it, and our house-made tuna salad is fresh every day. The flavor of a ripe tomato, crisp shredded lettuce, combined with fresh-baked bread, fresh-sliced meat and real Hellmann's mayo - that's when the magic happens. Made with love every single day since 1983. That's Jimmy Fresh!

Bombazi, by definition, means of the highest quality. Bombazi Salon is located in Arnolds Park, IA along the broadway strip. They offer hair care, pedicures, manicures, and waxing. All of our services are available for weddings and other parties. Tammy and her staff will take great care of you! Click below to view their webpage.

Creative Spirits is the only one of its kind in the Okoboji area, and a blast at that! You bring your own beer or wine, and paint a beautiful masterpiece with step by step instructions from one of the great instructors! They offer public classes, and private classes. Which means its the perfect night out with girlfriends, for a birthday party, or a fun family event. They have an extensive list of various paintings to choose from, so your masterpiece will look great with any home decor! Definitely something to check out!

Since 1973 Treasure Village has provided great family friendly entertainment, including a mini golf course, live children's theatre and gospel concerts for all ages to enjoy. They also offer Flea Markets throughout the year and already have 3 of them scheduled for 2017, make sure to check them out memorial weekend, 4th of July, and Labor Day weekend. If you would like to check it, follow the link to their website for coupons.

The harbor is a man made inlet located on the north end of West Lake. A board walk surrounds the harbor and this is one of the most tranquil parts of the lake. Homeowners in the harbor have a more affordable way to have access to West Lake, and still get to enjoy the clean waters West Lake has to offer. Homes in the Harbor typically range from about $350k to as much as $700k.

The Style Loft Boutique, located downtown Estherville, has all the latest trends in apparel. They offer a wide variety of clothing brands and also have the seasons must-haves in shoes and jewelry as well. Check out The Style Loft, you won't be disappointed!

The O'Farrell Sister is a historic Okoboji Tradition that one must check out for breakfast and lunch!

'Farrell Sisters History
The O'Farrell Sisters restaurant was born in 1949 at the bridge on Hwy 71, between East and West Lake Okoboji. Edna Mae and Arlene O'Farrell bought the business from Ike Kissinger who was running for Sheriff of Dickinson County.

In the early years the girls were open seven days a week and had a booming business in no time. The fried chicken dinners on Sunday evenings were especially popular. There were times when the line waiting to get in was so long they'd have to lock the door and would often run out of chicken!

In 1959 Arlene married and moved to Tallahassee, Florida with her husband Furman Henderson. Edna Mae and Ferne continued in the restaurant, moving to its present location that same year. This spot had a garden and chicken coup, which was moved to the house across the street.

Ferne died in 1974 and Edna Mae in 1978. Arlene sold the business to nieces Joyce Gapinski, Jo Ann Anderson, Charlotte Sarvie and Cheri Petersen (these are married names). The nieces successfully ran the restaurant from 1979 through 2003. After losing Jo Ann in 1997 and Cheri in 2002, Joyce and Charlotte decided to sell after the 2003 season.

The rest is to be continued...

Jimmy John's slices our all-natural meats and fresh veggies in-house every day. Our fresh-baked bread is made right here where you can see it, and our house-made tuna salad is fresh every day. The flavor of a ripe tomato, crisp shredded lettuce, combined with fresh-baked bread, fresh-sliced meat and real Hellmann's mayo - that's when the magic happens. Made with love every single day since 1983. That's Jimmy Fresh!

Looking for a photographer for your wedding or event in Okoboji? Need to update your family photos? What about branding or marketing assistance with your business? Studio 1328 offers it all! They are a mulit-faceted creative studio focused on the needs of their customers and the demands of today's market. Jen does everything from your newborn's photos to your new webpage for your business. Check out not only her studio webpage, but also her Okoboji magazine, Lake Life! http://www.lakelifeokoboji.com

Light of the Lakes Friends Church
10 Hwy 71 N
Arnolds Park, IA 51331

Services
Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

Check out Emmetsburg for your St. Patrick's Day celebration! You may just be surprised what a great location this is for some fun. It was even featured among the 10 most surprising places to celebrate St. Patty's!. See for yourself below!

Emerald Hills Golf Course is one of the premier golf courses in the Iowa Great Lakes. Golfers throughout Okoboji will tell you that compared to the rest of the golf courses around, Emerald Hills is probably the most challenging. When I grew up as a kid, we lived just a half block from the back side of the course. We would sneak on with a couple short little clubs and balls we found walking the course and sometimes spent more time being chased by the sprinklers than trying to hit golf balls. Emerald Hills was owned by Gordy and Bette Benit many years ago and they can be credited with growing this course into the masterpiece it has become. Later purchased by Randy Rohlfsen and a few others, Emerald has flourished as one of the best courses around. If memory serves me right, Randy has been there since the early 1990's and has always had a strong conviction to help young golfers. He has taught and coached numerous high school teams, and they also put on a 5 day junior camp every year which has been a tremendous hit. I grew up on this course and can honestly say, you better be hitting the ball straight!

Separated from the rest of the Iowa Great Lakes, Big Spirit has a lot to offer. Big Spirit is actually located in Iowa and in Minnesota. This quiet setting offers a number of different lake views as well as access to fantastic fishing. While your are there, stop at the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery. Every year they use gillnetting to catch and release walleye, muskie and pike using each fish to help breed a new batch of fish for the year. Often times the DNR catches very large fish and put them on display in one of their many fish tanks. The DNR professionals harvest fish eggs and release them after they hatch. Stop by and see the in the Spring, you will not be disappointed.

Okoboji Expedition Co is a bicycle and outdoor sports store in Okoboji, Iowa. We are located on the eastern shore of West Okoboji Lake in the Iowa Great Lakes region. The Okoboji Expedition Company carries bicycles, kayaks, cycling apparel, cross country skis, and snowshoes along with all the needed accessories for all of the above. We also specialize in custom bike fittings and offer winter spinning classes.
We offer bicycle products from Specialized, Cervelo, Co-motion and Alchemy. We also stock Oru kayaks and paddle boards from SOL, Tubbs snowshoes, Atomic cross country skis and outdoor clothing from Mavic, Pearl Izumi and Louis Garneau. Stop in and see us… you’ll be glad you did.

Ries Eyecare
2213 Okoboji Ave
Milford, IA 51351
Another eyecare option in the Iowa Great Lakes area is conveniently located in Milford on Hwy 71 next door to Ingwersen Chiropractic and Healthy Living Program Center.

Services provided:
Exams- Comprehensive, Contact Lens, Medical for Glaucoma, etc, Foreign Body Removal, Red Eye and Emergencies and Post- operative Care

Horseshoe Bend Recreational Area
1924 240th St
Milford, IA 51351

Do you like to sled? Don’t miss out on this one if you do. Just southwest of Milford, Horseshoe Bend has some great hills for sledding and tubing, including a lift for the tube hill. Also, cross country skiing and snowmobile trails.

During summer months, there are picnic areas, hiking and horseback trails, as well as camping sites and canoe launch for the Little Sioux River.