By Brenda Erdahl
Staff Writer
There’s a place, not far off the beaten path – just a jog from Interstate 94 in fact – where bald eagles soar and deer can be seen drinking at the water’s edge.
It’s the wild and scenic Mississippi River, and Clear Waters Outfitting Co. holds your ticket to enjoying its serenity.
As one of about 80 exhibitors at the 15th annual Annandale Area Business Expo on Saturday, April 9, Dan and Sandra Meer, Clear Waters owners, will be waiting to tempt passersby with one of their “daycations” down the mighty Mississippi by canoe, kayak or stand up paddle board.
Clear Waters is one of a handful of new faces to grace the Expo this year.
From 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., the Meers could see 3,000 to 4,000 people pass by their booth. Organizers have estimated crowds of that size in years past.
The Meer family says their canoe and kayak retail store and outfitting business in Clearwater is the only one on the banks of the Mississippi in Central Minnesota.
“There’s not anything like this really in Central Minnesota,” Dan Meer said, although “this kind of thing is very common Up North.”
Located in the old Clearwater Creamery, the Meers sell canoes, kayaks and stand up paddle boards, offer boat rentals and provide daily shuttles between St. Cloud and Monticello.
Unique
The Meers chose Clearwater to set up shop because that particular stretch of the Mississippi, between St. Cloud and Anoka, is unique.
The Department of Natural Resources has classified it as “wild and scenic,” a designation given to rivers that flow through areas that are largely undeveloped.
“When you’re on the water it’s hard to believe you’re so close to a metro area,” Dan Meer said. “You feel like you are Up North, but everywhere along the river is within cell phone coverage.”
The river is littered with islands perfect for a picnic or camping. There are also plenty of sandbars and natural beaches for swimming, he said.
The current is gentle, which makes for easy paddling, and because the river is too shallow for motor boats, it offers a very peaceful, quiet ride for paddlers, Meer said. It’s easy to navigate and nearly impossible to get lost.
The serene waters and largely undeveloped shoreline also attract a variety of wildlife including squirrels, deer, turtles and an assortment of birds.
“One group counted 12 bald eagles,” he said.
The Clearwater stretch of the river is also a hot spot for small mouth bass. Local guides employed by Clear Waters will lead you to the best fishing hole and show you how to catch them.
Dan, who is from Albany, and Sandra, who is from Sauk Rapids, are both avid paddlers.
They had been looking for a while for the perfect location to set up an outfitting shop. The old creamery was ready to be condemned when they bought it in the fall of 2009, Meer said.
History preserved
The couple refurbished it and tried to preserve as much of its history as they could.
Some of the original cooler doors hang on the walls along with an assortment of old pictures and memorabilia they unearthed during construction.
They have already renovated the building’s old chimney and plan to restore the cupolas, features that have become like icons to the Clearwater community, Meer said.
But the Meers’ real goal is to get people out on the water, whether it’s for a couple of days or a couple of hours.
“We’re here if you can’t get to the Boundary Waters,” Meer said.
For more information visit www.cwoutfitting.com or call 320-558-8123.
There’s a place, not far off the beaten path – just a jog from Interstate 94 in fact – where bald eagles soar and deer can be seen drinking at the water’s edge.
It’s the wild and scenic Mississippi River, and Clear Waters Outfitting Co. holds your ticket to enjoying its serenity.
As one of about 80 exhibitors at the 15th annual Annandale Area Business Expo on Saturday, April 9, Dan and Sandra Meer, Clear Waters owners, will be waiting to tempt passersby with one of their “daycations” down the mighty Mississippi by canoe, kayak or stand up paddle board.
Clear Waters is one of a handful of new faces to grace the Expo this year.
From 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., the Meers could see 3,000 to 4,000 people pass by their booth. Organizers have estimated crowds of that size in years past.
The Meer family says their canoe and kayak retail store and outfitting business in Clearwater is the only one on the banks of the Mississippi in Central Minnesota.
“There’s not anything like this really in Central Minnesota,” Dan Meer said, although “this kind of thing is very common Up North.”
Located in the old Clearwater Creamery, the Meers sell canoes, kayaks and stand up paddle boards, offer boat rentals and provide daily shuttles between St. Cloud and Monticello.
Unique
The Meers chose Clearwater to set up shop because that particular stretch of the Mississippi, between St. Cloud and Anoka, is unique.
The Department of Natural Resources has classified it as “wild and scenic,” a designation given to rivers that flow through areas that are largely undeveloped.
“When you’re on the water it’s hard to believe you’re so close to a metro area,” Dan Meer said. “You feel like you are Up North, but everywhere along the river is within cell phone coverage.”
The river is littered with islands perfect for a picnic or camping. There are also plenty of sandbars and natural beaches for swimming, he said.
The current is gentle, which makes for easy paddling, and because the river is too shallow for motor boats, it offers a very peaceful, quiet ride for paddlers, Meer said. It’s easy to navigate and nearly impossible to get lost.
The serene waters and largely undeveloped shoreline also attract a variety of wildlife including squirrels, deer, turtles and an assortment of birds.
“One group counted 12 bald eagles,” he said.
The Clearwater stretch of the river is also a hot spot for small mouth bass. Local guides employed by Clear Waters will lead you to the best fishing hole and show you how to catch them.
Dan, who is from Albany, and Sandra, who is from Sauk Rapids, are both avid paddlers.
They had been looking for a while for the perfect location to set up an outfitting shop. The old creamery was ready to be condemned when they bought it in the fall of 2009, Meer said.
History preserved
The couple refurbished it and tried to preserve as much of its history as they could.
Some of the original cooler doors hang on the walls along with an assortment of old pictures and memorabilia they unearthed during construction.
They have already renovated the building’s old chimney and plan to restore the cupolas, features that have become like icons to the Clearwater community, Meer said.
But the Meers’ real goal is to get people out on the water, whether it’s for a couple of days or a couple of hours.
“We’re here if you can’t get to the Boundary Waters,” Meer said.
For more information visit www.cwoutfitting.com or call 320-558-8123.
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