Traveling Local with Blue Bank Resort

As guests enter the door, they will walk into a family-owned attraction, sitting on a lake formed by an earthquake centuries ago.

“I always say that coming here is like going back in time because just look at the place behind me, formed by an earthquake 1811,1812, and it’s just beautiful,” said Kathy Hayes.

“We’ve been here for five generations; the late 1800’s it is a family business,” said Mike Hayes

In the beginning, hayes says the hotel only housed fishers and hunters, but when other tourist destinations opened, he saw that as an opportunity for growth.

“What happened, I used to be a fishing and hunting outfitter, but now, I knew I had to do more. I knew I had the opportunity to do something different with discovery park here, so I completely reinvented myself and poured a lot of money into it. Now I am a resort that has fishing and hunting,” said Mike Hayes.

With a sunset view, guests enjoy fishing, duck feeding, boat riding, live music, and fine dining.

On the resort is a garden, and the fruits and vegetables are grown, picked, and used in the kitchen.

“You can’t just beat something that’s homegrown,” said Drew Hayes.

Drew Hayes is the son of the family. He says that homegrown ingredients gives food a better flavor.

“And in your area, there’s just a different taste from it not being massed produced.”

Visitors think so as well.

“The food was excellent,” said Davy Milby.

And a fisher says he didn’t have to break to bank to come here.

“The price points great, you know. that really wasn’t bad for the three of us, and that’s three days of fishing, two nights of staying here,” said Eric Hegger visiting from Illinois.