BRAINERD -

The Brainerd Lakes Area is still open for the family vacations and fun time.

That's the message from Brainerd Lakes Chamber president Matt Kilian. He says storms that tore through the Brainerd area on Sunday night closed some resorts and displaced more than 900 vacationers around Gull Lake. But, his staff has been busy working the phone lines finding them alternative lodging.

We call and ask about availability. That's what we're doing. Just collecting anyone that has available rooms in the greater Brainerd Lakes area. A lot of it was untouched, it's still pristine, it's still beautiful. We're trying to be that one stop shop, kind of a matchmaker between the traveler and the lodging facility.

Kilian says they've been busy helping hundreds of displaced vacationers this week.

We have four different facilities at the Chamber, we've pulled staff from all of those to answer phones and they're working those lines. We're getting some pretty regular calls. As soon as they hang up the phone it rings again. And that's all good, we want people to call.

Kilian says many of the smaller resorts weren't affected by the storm on Sunday. He says they've been busy putting together a list of places that still have openings over the next few weeks.

Kilian says most of the damage was concentrated in a specific area between Baxter and Nisswa, including Gull Lake. Two popular resorts, Madden's and Cragun's, are temporarily shut down. Madden's plans to reopen in two weeks; Cragun's will open next week.

Kilian encourages you to call the Brainerd Lakes Chamber, if you need to find a vacation spot during the next few weeks.

For more information, call:
- Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-450-2838
- Nisswa Chamer of Commerce at (218) 963-2620
- Cuyuna Lakes Chamber of Commerce (218) 546-8131

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