Cross-country skis and comfy cabins

WHALAN, Minn. — Hardly frightful, the weather outside was perfect for a post-holidays cross-country ski outing on the snow-covered Root River State Trail in southern Minnesota. The Cedar Valley Resort in tiny Whalan (population 63) provided roomy cabins, great for after-ski happy hours by the fireplace. One weekend in early January, my wife and I shared this year-round resort with, among others, three siblings and their spouses who had been returning for eight years.

By Bob Modersohn, Special to Tribune Newspapers

January 27, 2013