LANESBORO, Minn. (KTTC) — Fillmore County has seen 155 COVID-19 cases during the pandemic. For one tourist town, the effect of the virus goes further.
However, seasonal businesses in the Bed and Breakfast Capital of Minnesota have hung on this summer thanks to social distanced outdoor activities.
“It’s our first time in Lanesboro. One of the things I’ve found is unique was how it feels like it’s a step back in time,” said Chip Pearson, a visitor from the Twin Cities with a Boy Scout group.
Lanesboro has long been a popular place for outdoor activities. One Boy Scout group from the Twin Cities decided to take to the Root River Trail as a safe way of having fun.
“This is an example of that,” Pearson said. “We are able to come out and do some things despite the pandemic and warnings that we have.”
For kids that have been inside more than usual, earning a cycling merit badge was a good escape.
“There’s some very eager young men,” said Pearson. “Not a lot of 11-year-olds would go out and ride 50 miles but we got a group of hard chargers.”
While there are visitors now, it looked bleak for local Lanesboro businesses this spring when they had to shut down, just when the town’s tourism season was beginning.
“We closed. We were appointment only. We had a slow start to the year,” said Steve Sobieniak, owner of Root River Rod Company. “Then we found a lot of people getting out and going fishing.”
The increase in people fly fishing or wanting to go on drift boats helped business go up as well.
“It’s been pretty good. We’re probably even for the year,” Sobieniak said. “The gains this summer made up for the months we were closed.”
The owner says neighbor stores have not been as lucky, especially restaurants.
“They have because limited seating,” the store owner said. “With the seating requirements, it’s made it very difficult for them.”
While the bed and breakfasts still rented out in limited capacity, visitors this summer found a few things missing, like in-person plays at the downtown theater.
“That draws a lot of people to town and that’s not been able to open,” said Sobieniak.
With fall colors still in bloom, the seasonal businesses are enjoying one last surge of visitors.
“And right now in the fall, fishing has been excellent,” the fly fishing shop owner added.
The Boy Scout troop agrees.
“Really have found it to be charming. Very friendly. We’d love to come back,” Pearson said.
All of the stores in Lanesboro that are open submitted safe reopening plans.
Root River Rod Company still has openings for drift boat rentals and guided tours for anyone trying to fly fish before the end of the season. The store will only be open for three days a week once the weather gets colder before opening back up full-time again in March.
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