By Emma Dylan
Overview
A town in Anoka County, Minnesota, was first named Glen Cary. It was a Scottish name for “beautiful valley”. Early Scandinavian settlers had a hard time pronouncing the name, and so the town’s name was patterned after its unique geography. Since the beautiful valley was also found just southwest of a lake shaped like a ham, the community decided to rename the township as Ham Lake on account of its shape. The lively Minnesota State Highway 65 slices the town as Anoka County’s main arterial route.
Exploring the City
The state’s Minneapolis/ St. Paul airport serves as home base for the Northwest Airlines. With 18 other passenger airlines, the airport easily handles routes to domestic flights as well as to Europe. Trains of Amtrak cross the state east and west at least once a day from Seattle and Chicago, with stops in Staples, Detroit Lakes, St. Cloud, St. Paul, Red Wing, and Winona. Plying the state’s roads are several bus companies, with Greyhound as the largest. The nearby Kansas City, St. Louis, Duluth, and Twin Cities connect Ham Lake through at least seven bus rides. Ham Lake’s downtown is laid out on a simple grid.
Best Hotel Accommodations
The Best Western Plus Minnesota is perfect for business and leisure activities. Newly-renovated rooms feature modern amenities and a comfy ambiance. The meeting facilities, business services and high speed internet make the hotel an ideal place for corporate events. The hot tub and indoor heated pool will have guests rejuvenated after a long day of adventure. The non-smoking hotel of Comfort Suites features amenities such as coffee makers, microwaves, cable television, and refrigerators in every spacious guestroom. Guests start the morning right with a delicious complimentary breakfast buffet. After a satisfying breakfast, guests can head down to the exercise center of swim a few laps in the refreshing outdoor pool. A hot tub and outdoor putting green are made available to guests. Book your Ham Lake Hotels with Reservations.com.
Fast Facts
- Though the community was already in existence in the late 19th century, Ham Lake was incorporated as one of Minnesota’s cities only in January 1974. Records of the earliest settlers were traced back to 1855.
- Back when it was still named as Glen Cary, the lakeside town was pitted as a future city. Two years later, a huge prairie fire destroyed all of the houses. In 1866, the ghost time had renewed settlement when a Norwegian decided to call the place his new home.
- In 1894, a group of farmers built a creamery, which became the town’s main store. Highway 65 was built just near it, and was followed by several businesses.
Things to Do
The Ham Lake Campground provides spaces for accommodation of families. The campground also serves as a hub for several outdoor activities. The grounds feature facilities like the Schwan’s Super Rink and the National Sports Center. Activities like volleyball, ping pong, foose ball, shuffleboard, and golf-fling are available in the campground. Available for rent are banana bikes, canoes, fishing boats, and paddle boats. The campground also features theme weekends, ranging from scavenger hunts and face painting to kids games and pot luck appetizer parties.
