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PEQUOT LAKES – Those looking for fun and frights this Halloween weekend have the chance to check the haunted trail at Bobbertown Bungalows in Pequot Lakes.
In its second year in operation – it was previously Wildflower Cottages before being purchased by James and Shannon Watkins – Bobbertown Bungalows is once again rolling out a deluge of Halloween spirit to allow attendees to walk the haunted trail as many times as they would like, and also enjoy snacks by the bonfire.
“Everything is a free-will donation to support community action and to fund growing each year,” Shannon Watkins said. “If you have ever met my husband James … He is the mastermind. He is a man of many ideas and he has always loved Halloween. I just let him do his thing with this.”
The trail goes through the property of Bobbertown Bungalows, and is different from what it was last year. Watkins expects it to change a bit every year.
“I would say it takes about five minutes (to walk through),” Watkins said. “It is not huge by any means, but we are growing it each year. People can go through as many times as they would like. There are no restrictions on that.”
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A major change this year is that trick-or-treating will not take place on site, as Bobbertown Bungalows is booked full of tenants.
The trail is open to all ages, but the Watkins’ encourage parents to know what their children can handle before starting.
“It’s on the scarier side,” Watkins said. “I would say, as a parent, use your best judgment. You know your kids better than I do. There is the common ground where, if kids do not feel like they want to go through but have older siblings or parents who do, they can hang out there. They can also hang out at the front entry with me, and then get picked up. We let the kids and parents make that judgment call, because everybody has their own comfort level.
That said, Watkins said they make a point to make things spooky in a fun, inoffensive way, and actively avoid any grotesque acts or decorations that one may find in less kid-safe Halloween destinations.
“We had more than 450 people come through last year. Everybody that came through was just so grateful that there was something up here that was reasonably priced and family friendly. IT was all very positive feedback.”
“Being that we are a very Christian family, we keep things as clean as possible – there is no rude and crude stuff. Everything is ‘no-touch’ with the scarers. It is a safe environment.”
Dan Determan, sports writer/staff writer, may be reached at 218-855-5879 or dan.determan@pineandlakes.com . Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@PEJ_Dan .
