Just a hop, skip and a jump up the highway from Cabella’s and the outlet malls – Camp Faribo has been hosting campers for more than 40 years. Camp Minnesota recently had the opportunity to speak with one of the owners of the campground. She filled us in on their proximity to the Canon River, where to spend just one night – and how she’ll pick you up after a day of kayaking. Listen to our full interview here:

Camp Faribo Minnesota

Camp Minnesota: I’m talking to Esther today, her and her husband own Camp Faribo in Minnesota. How’s it going this morning, Ester?

Esther: I’m doing well. I hope you are as well.

CM: I am. I have no complaints.

Esther: Good.

CM: It’s Thursday; kind of start to feel the weekend, so I’m pretty solid. So, how long has Camp Faribo been there and how did you guys get started?

Esther: Camp Faribo has been in existence over 40 years.

CM: Wow.

Esther: And we purchased it seven years ago, so we’ve just finished our seventh season there.

CM: Okay. And how is it going for you guys?

Esther: It’s going well. You know, we have a variety of people there that are wonderful. And you know, obviously we’re very dependent on the weather.

CM: Sure.

Esther: So we’re always hoping and praying for good weather, for people to go camping.

CM: Sure. Now, what types of camping do you offer there?

Esther: We have full-hookup RV sites and tent camping. So, we have no cabins or anything like that. It’s simply bring your own RV or you’re own tent and we can accomodate you.

CM: Okay. And what are the most popular activities for your guests?

Esther: We have a 55-foot heated swimming pool, and it is loved by our guests.

CM: Cool. And I see, on the site here, a lot of different things going on here. We’ve got people hula-hooping. How about the kayaks? Where do people do that at?

Esther: We have 15 lakes within 15 minutes, and so we’re actually just a mile from the Cannon Lake and Cannon River, and so they tend to kayak in that area.

CM: Okay.

Esther: And we offer to take them down and we drop them off, and then we pick them back up.

CM: All right. Now, if I were staying there for the weekend and wanted to venture out for the afternoon, what are some of your favorite attractions in the area that you’d recommend?

Esther: Well, if you like to do shopping, we are one exit away from the outlet malls, and a lot of people go down there and do their shopping, or two exits from Cabelas. We actually live in a historic town and we have wonderful historic downtown options as well, one of them being the Cheese Cave, where we make award-winning bleu cheese in Faribo. And so, you can do wine tasting, cheese tasting, and all that sort of stuff.

CM: It sounds like a lot of fun.

Esther: And we have wonderful bike trails, and we have a lot of people that come and do biking right off the trail. And then we have wonderful bike trails around town along the river.

CM: Okay, and that sounds fantastic. My wife and I always throw the bikes on if we go anywhere in the summertime.

Esther: Yeah.

CM: Just two more questions for you, Esther. If you were going to spend just one hour in Faribo, how would you spend your time there?

Esther: Make a nice campfire and enjoy getting to know my neighbors.

CM: Awesome.

Esther: There’s a real sense of community there. About one-third of our sites have seasonal. Families and people get together. They eat together and potluck, and do all that type of thing. So, some real community.

CM: Okay. And if you were going to spend just one night in Camp Faribo Campground, which specific site would you choose and why?

Esther: I would choose site number 10. It’s on the corner and it’s at the top of the campground, and it’s just a little bit more secluded than some of the other ones, but we do cater to a lot of groups, and so we’re full with lots of different people. But site 10 is one of my favorites.

CM: Okay, perfect. We’ll pass that tip on to our listeners on the website, and thank you so much for taking some time out of your day, Esther, to talk to us about Camp Faribo in Minnesota.

Esther: Perfect. Thank you so much.

CM: All right, take care.

Visit the Camp Faribo Website

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