Consider escaping to mountains, lakeside for next corporate retreat.

• Author: Louiseize, Kelly
• Position: Lake Superior

Nestled along the northern Ontario shoreline of Lake Superior, one of the largest, deepest and coldest fresh water lakes in the world, are hideaway resorts, legendary scenic sights and historical Canadian parks.

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Between the Nor'Wester Mountains and Lake Superior lies a scenic pastoral landscape like no other. It is home to the Mink Mountain Resort, a getaway haven for business conventions, weddings, families or couples who want to disappear from life for a while. Located on the side of Mink Mountain the resort is a 30-minute drive south from Thunder Bay.

Three rental rooms in the main lodge provide a 20-kilometre commanding view of Lake Superior.

Breathtaking doesn't even describe the atmosphere at the lodge, says resort manager Cathy Frederickson, who has been in the position for six years.

Seven of the 10 fully serviced rental cottages located on the shores are equipped with outdoor hot tubs.

"That is the main draw here--the cottages, the hot tubs and the lake," she says.

Equipped with satellite television, gas fireplaces and outdoor barbecues, some cottages are hidden from neighbors, while others are a stone's throw away.

Hiking trails are plentiful around the resort's 1,500 acres. Perched high at the top of the mountain are four lookout spots where one could see Isle Royale, Mink Island and Spar Island.

"We are the only spot on the North Shore that you look out and see something other than water," she says.

An estimated 50 per cent of the guests are local, with the remaining visitors come from the United States. The water is cold, but the brave do venture out for a swim and live to write about it in the guest book, Frederickson says.

The resort can accommodate a maximum of 50 people, with the main lodge doubling as a conference centre for corporate retreats. On site is the Eagle's Nest Bar and Grill Meeting Room, which seats approximately 50 people and can be reserved for special occasions.

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Between May 19 and Oct. 9 the lodge rooms are $120 per night and $150 on weekends. A standard two-bedroom cottage is $192 and $222 on weekends. The conference room is negotiable, depending on whether the group will have caterers.

For anyone who has visited Thunder Bay the legendary Sleeping Giant is impossible to miss. It is a peninsula jetting out of the Sibley Basin and contains over 80 kilometres of hiking trails managed by the provincial parks superintendent Al Comeau.

Within the park an old kitchen...