Lett Restoring Ginger Blue Resort
OWNER HOPES TO REVITALIZE THE ONCE-GRAND JEWEL ON ELK RIVER
Roddy Lett, owner of Wayside Campground and Elk River Campground, has purchased and is restoring Ginger Blue Resort.
Lett pursued the property for 12 years before finally making the purchase. He noted, “I’m really persistent.”
On the east side of the road, several log-home-style cabins will sleep four to 20 people. The outside paneling is made of Western red cedar, and the inside paneling is made of white pine. The cabins have native cedar trim. Each
cabin has a deck facing the river.
“This is a great view,” Lett said.
A row of rooms facing the river will also be on the bottom floor of the lodge, a 13,000-square-foot building that will include an event center for weddings, reunions, parties, etc. The resort will also probably have a restaurant, Lett said. On the west side of the road, old cabins are to be either remodeled or torn down. By next spring, 11 rustic log cabins will be ready for guests.
“It used to be the biggest spot on the river. I’m hoping to return it to what it used to be,” Lett said. He said the Kansas City Southern Railroad built Ginger Blue as a resort in 1915. The railroad would pick up people at Lanagan for a week’s stay at the resort. Over time the facility changed hands numerous times and fell into disrepair.
“It was a huge draw for a Sunday buffet,” he added.
Lett said the renovation process has been slow. He spent $24,000 to upgrade the resort’s sewer treatment plant to modern standards. The upgrades were to take 18 months, and it has taken twice that long, he said.
“It’s a slow process,” he said. “I don’t have deep pockets to get everything done overnight.”
Lett has been running Wayside Campground for 19 years, and he worked there for 10 years before that.
“It’s been my childhood dream. This is what I wanted to do. I love it because it’s a seasonal job,” he said. “It’s a unique business. You meet people from all over the world.”