Hygge in the Valley – Mpls.St.Paul Magazine

More time at home the past two years has convinced Craig Ringsven to finally make sure of his bucket list item and buy a sauna in his Golden Valley backyard. But he didn’t stop there. With the help of a landscaping friend, he added a plunge pool to cool off after heating. He built a fire pit. He rotated lights around the perimeter and added a grill and toys. Then complete his backyard oasis by setting up the family tent – so why wait for an excursion to Boundary Waters while you can enjoy the cozy comfort of your own driveway?

Friends marvel at the charming little setup and tell Ringvin he should rent it out. So he did. Called Nordic Nook, he created a website and created an Instagram account @the.nordic.nook which was posted on November 1. Experience with followers. “It’s been crazy ever since,” he says.

Located less than a mile from Theodore Wirth Trailhead, Ringsven says the Nordic Nook attracts plenty of cross-country skiers and fat tire drivers. “I want this to be a place where people can come and just be happy.”

Sauna culture is hotter than ever. Look no further than the North Loop, where Freehouse has teamed up with Cedar + Stone in Duluth to create a pop-up sauna experience that is open until February 20. $149 per person.

But home sauna sales are really on fire, reaching $3.7 billion in 2021, and projected to reach $4.6 billion by 2025, according to an industry report. Prices start at about $5,000 for a simple outdoor sauna. Cedar + Stone’s custom residential saunas start at $35,000 and can easily cost more than twice that depending on size and design.

For those not ready to invest, a growing number of mobile sauna rental companies will deliver you a unit for a week or even a day. The 612 Sauna Association—now the granddaughter of Local Experiences—is offering single tickets and season tickets to the mobile sauna unit, and they are currently open at the Trailhead in Theodore Wirth Park. At the Grand Marais, the new Sisu + Loyly offers an hourly sauna experience overlooking Lake Superior.

Nordic Nook seems to have found a great place in offering a turnkey experience that feels right at home – without the need for woodcutting or cleaning. Ringsven keeps the fire burning and provides towels. There’s even the most beloved compost dump—really— down a wooden driveway around the back of the family garage.

Nordic Nook reservations are $125 per hour for groups of 5 and $150 for 6-10 (you’ll have to take turns in the sauna, which seats 4-6).

The request is that Ringvin’s wife, Amy, keeps reminding him to cut out at least a few hours a week to enjoy the family. But the couple are thrilled to host and embrace their new, unexpected side hustle. “It’s very satisfying,” says Ringsven, a day physical therapist. “In my usual work, people come in pain and anxiety. Here, people come in happy and excited.”