Bakke Family Farmhouse Vacation Rental: A Hidden Decorah Gem

The Bakke Family Farm, located East of Decorah, is a 5th-generation family-owned operation. The close-knit family ultimately decided to make the home into a vacation rental as a way to share and keep alive countless special memories from when it was once their Grandparents’. The entire clan is eager to share the beauty and serenity of Northeast Iowa with their guests, in a similar spirit to the one they remember from their own childhoods in this special place.

Meet the Bakke Family:

Corinne (Bakke) Snell is a retired R.N. intensive-care nurse from Wausau, Wisconsin, and her husband, Larry, is a retired supervisor from Kraft Foods, also in Wausau. Ever active, their hobbies include downhill and cross-country skiing, water skiing, hiking, biking and walking. They winter in Bozeman, Montana near their daughter and family.

Alan Bakke is a retired R.N. emergency room/flight nurse from Marshfield, Wisconsin. He and his wife, Chris, a nurse practitioner, also own a 20-year-old lawn business called Red Iron Sales and Service. Their interests include walking, biking, motorcycles, hunting, 4-wheeling, camping, and water skiing.

Arleen (Bakke) Krueger is a retired health professional who also manages The Bottle Tree Laundromat in Decorah under the direction of Pete Espinosa, owner of Pulpit Rock Brewing Company. Her husband, Jan Krueger, is a construction coordinator for Black Hills Energy Gas Company. He manages The Bakke Family Farm day-to-day operations. Both Jan and Arleen oversee The Bakke Family Farmhouse Vacation Rental, as they reside in the other family farmhouse, just a short distance away on the same farmstead. They enjoy horses, camping, swimming, walking, yard work, and volunteering.

Sharing Space:

This Farm House was initially rented out by families for years at a time. But when tenants moved on after 14 years, and the family was unable to find suitable renters, they decided to make the space into a vacation rental house. The Bakke’s undertook many updates and repairs to the home, and then filled it with cozy furniture and all the amenities a guest could want.  Always striving to keep the place in tip-top shape, Jan has had as many as 6-10 keys out to various contractors at one time, including electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and painters. That certainly took some patience, but it paid off in the end.

The Bakke family values the peacefulness, tranquility, and simplicity of country living. They honor their Northeast Iowa roots. They also put a premium on welcoming and appreciating the opportunity to meet new people. They intend to preserve the simplicity of the space and invite guests to do the same.

The Bakke family is an integral part of the area. They are incredibly, collectively grateful for the encouragement from other regional members of the hospitality community and those who create “word-of-mouth” advertising– an invaluable resource for any family-run local business. They hope to eventually leave behind a legacy of goodness, stemming from the deep roots their grandparents once planted, outward to all who visit.