Around Town

Little Sand Bay Villas sits right between Dorset and Park Rapids, so everything from a lakeside dinner to a full grocery run is a short drive away. Here’s a starting list of local favorites.

Restaurants

• Bullwinkles on 34 - 201 State Hwy 34, Nevis - great burgers, soup, and ribs
• Iron Horse Bar & Grill - 120 Bunyan Trails Rd, Nevis - very good
• Zorbaz - 22036 County Rd 7, Park Rapids - right next door, down the hill - lakeside pizza and Mexican
• The Clubhouse - 18081 169th Ave, Park Rapids - breakfast through supper
• The Good Life Café - 220 Main Ave S, downtown Park Rapids
• Revel Brewing - 201 Main Ave S, downtown Park Rapids - the local brewery and taproom
• Royal Bar - 120 Main Ave S, downtown Park Rapids - known for their burgers
• West Forty Restaurant - 906 1st St W, on the west edge of Park Rapids - homestyle cooking
• Vallartas Mexican Grill - 100 2nd St E, Park Rapids - really good Mexican
• Necce’s Ristorante - 311 Main Ave S, Park Rapids - a nicer night out, exceptional Italian
• Compañeros - 20427 MN-226, Dorset - a Dorset classic
• La Pasta Italian Eatery - 20470 State 226, Dorset (inside the Dorset General Store)
• Y Steakhouse - Park Rapids - steaks
• Fozzie’s BBQ - Bemidji, about an hour north - barbecue
• The Piggy Legendary BBQ - Walker, about 30 minutes east - barbecue

Treats and Bakeries

• Dorset House - on the main street in Dorset - a huge ice cream selection with an old-fashioned soda fountain, plus very good pizza
• Flour Chicks Bakery - 206 Bunyan Trails Rd, Nevis - really good from-scratch donuts. Closed Sunday and Monday
• Molly Poppin’s Gourmet Snacks - 220 Main Ave S, Park Rapids - really good popcorn
• Muskie Waters Co. - 118 Bunyan Trails Rd, Nevis - good coffee and hand-dipped ice cream, and their scones are really good. There’s a gift shop in back too - candy, souvenirs, and shirts

Groceries and Shopping

• Hugo’s Family Marketplace - 101 E 4th St, Park Rapids - full-service grocery
• ALDI - 1310 1st St E, Park Rapids
• Walmart Supercenter - 1303 Charles St, Park Rapids - groceries and everything else
• Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery - 112 3rd St W, Park Rapids - the local bookstore, great for rainy-day browsing

Big Box Shopping

For anything Park Rapids doesn’t carry, Bemidji (about an hour north) and Baxter (about an hour and fifteen minutes east, next to Brainerd) are the nearest bigger shopping trips.

• Walmart Supercenter - Bemidji
• Home Depot - Bemidji
• Target - Bemidji
• Best Buy - Baxter - plus a cluster of other big-box stores nearby

Services

• KUB Custom PC - 266 Henrietta Ave N (south entrance), Park Rapids - (218) 252-3981 - custom-built and refurbished computers, plus repairs, upgrades, and diagnostics

Outdoors and Gear

• Northern Cycle - 100 Mill Rd, Park Rapids - the local bike shop (sales, rentals, and repairs) - handy for the Heartland Trail
• Reeds Family Outdoor Outfitters - 522 Minnesota Ave W, Walker - fishing, and lake gear
• Sierra - Bemidji - budget outdoor gear and clothing

Day Trips

• Itasca State Park - 36750 Main Park Dr, about 21 miles north of Park Rapids - walk across the headwaters of the Mississippi
• Birdie’s Mini Golf - 16670 MN-34, on the way into Park Rapids
• Jasper’s Jubilee Theater - 17339 MN-34, a few minutes east on Highway 34 - (218) 255-1333 - a family-run live variety show (music, comedy, and magic) running June through September, 2:00 p.m. matinees. Tickets at jasperstheater.com; popular shows sell out
• Park Theater - 107 Main Ave S, Park Rapids - the local movie theater downtown
• Thomas Dambo Trolls - Detroit Lakes, about an hour southwest - giant sculptures built from reclaimed wood, hidden around town and out in the woods - Project 412’s site has the trail map
• Bemidji Sculpture Walk - downtown Bemidji, about an hour north - a self-guided walking tour of outdoor sculptures

Know a great local spot we’re missing? Let us know and we’ll add it to the list.