GREENWOOD TWP—Bayview is back in operation, with two new businesses now in place at the longtime Lake Vermilion establishment. The new Bayview Bar and Grill, which is expected to be operating by the end of June, will be open daily in the summer for lunch and dinner, offering a selection of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and burgers.

The bar and restaurant will be owned and operated by Vermilion Club owner Greg Archibald, and Vermilion Club staff Talia Miko and Autumn Jacobson.

Meanwhile, a new RV park, known as Bayview RV Resort, opened at the location on June 14 and the creation of the RV sites, by new owners Dean and Becky Ribich, has transformed the former resort.

The old cabins adjacent to the lodge are now gone. The site has been leveled with 14 parallel RV sites, with crushed rock surfaces, and green spaces surrounding. The area closest to the lake and the brand-new docks provide common space for the RV park residents, and will have a fire pit, picnic tables, and room for yard games. A golf cart trail connects the RV sites to the dock area. New sand has been added to the beach area. The dock, with one slip for each of the RV spots, also has power, so boaters can be sure to keep their boat batteries charged up.

“Everything is brand new,” said Dean Ribich. “Our goal is for all the sites to be rented out seasonally. We want to build a community, an extended family.”

Dean’s family had a cabin on Birch Point when he was growing up, and the family often celebrated special occasions at the restaurant in Bayview’s main lodge. They hope to create a similar family atmosphere in this new community.

While the couple worked on plans for the site for over a year, the project kicked into high gear in January when they completed the purchase of necessary property, including two adjacent parcels that allowed them room to build a new access road from County Rd. 77 and a second tier of 30 more RV sites in the future.

“This doesn’t happen without a great team,” Dean said. The contractors they have been working with have been exceptional, he said, especially Dincau Construction and Holmes Excavating.

The sites all have 30/50 amp power and are all metered; each site pays their own electric bill at the end of the season. The park put in holding tanks, which will be regularly pumped, said Dean.

The coordination with the opening of the bar and restaurant inside the old lodge is the final piece that will make the RV park a standout, said Ribich, and the steady stream of customers from the RV park will also benefit the bar and grill.

“The east end of the lake needed this,” he said.

The Ribiches say they’re committed to insuring that their RV park residents make good neighbors. They require a background check before signing any agreement, and RV park rules are in place with required quiet times and curfews for children.

Dean grew up in Biwabik, and Dean and Becky were frequent RV campers when their children were younger. The couple has two grown children, one grandchild and another on the way any day. They purchased the old Wayside Café property a few years ago and had always planned to retire on Vermilion. Right now they’re both still working, Dean at his accounting firm and Becky at her law firm. They plan to be up Thursdays through Mondays and said the RV park will be overseen by an on-call maintenance team.

Ross and Roxy Morelock, from Osceola, Wis., were the first to get a spot at the park. They chose site one, closest to the lake, and couldn’t be happier.

“This is going to be the only place to be,” they said, “How could it be any better?”

This is the Morelocks’ first year RV’ing. Roxy is retired and Ross drives semi-truck three days a week, so they will be going back and forth to Osceola this summer.

The couple, who have been married for 47 years, arrived on June 14. They said they had visualized how it would look but were surprised at how great it was.

“This is a new adventure,” they said. The couple has friends in the area but are excited to meet the other RV’ers who will be moving in soon.

They already have plenty of family, including grandchildren, scheduled for visits this summer, and they said they can’t wait for the restaurant and bar to open.

As of last week, there were five sites still available for the 2019 season. You can learn more about the business at www.bayviewrvresort.com.