Lost resorts of the Iowa Great Lakes
(Book)

"Since the first rustic vacation retreat for hunters and fishermen was built in 1871, Okoboji and the Great Iowa Lakes have been a drawing card for families, generation after genration. Over the decades, dozens of vacation resorts, from the magnificent Hotel Orleans on Big Spirit Lake to the iconic Inn on West Okoboji, have lured happy summertime visitors. Just mentioning the name of a resort often evokes memories of swimming, boating, fishing, waterskiing, or just good times spent with friends and family. However, most of these vacation resorts are all gone-- The Inn, Manhattan Beach Hotel, Templar Park, and Crandall's Lodge have all been demolished. Vacation Village has become Village West, and the Crescent Beach resort, which at one time boasted over 100 apartments or cottages, now has fewer than 30 motel-style units. Gone too are dozens of friendly mom-and-pop cottage resorts all around the lakes, replaced by condominiums and private residences. Jonathan M. Reed has searched newspaper archives, museums, and countless family photos albums to create Lost Resorts of the Iowa Great Lakes, a visual account of the resorts, the people, and the good times of resort vacationing at Okoboji." -- cover page 4.