Have you ever been to a place that was just perfect? A place where you could breathe incredibly fresh air, interact with nature and feel refreshed from the moment you arrive? This book will take you to Lake Vermilion in northern Minnesota with over one hundred beautiful photographs and stories of the people whose passion for the region is bound to touch your life. You’ll get to know the secrets of the lake and learn about its abundant wildlife. Vermilion is big…40 miles long with 365 islands and over 1200 miles of forested shoreline. We’ll help you find nests of bald eagles and osprey and share a few hints about the best places to catch walleye. You’ll meet a man who invented a unique boating dock and has been building them by himself on the lake for 40 years. Or if you get hungry, there’s a friendly place in town where they serve the best pancakes and politics in the state every morning. And I have a few family stories about the funny moments that always seem to get better as the years pass by. You’ll learn about Brutus the Bass, go skiing, tubing and find ways to stay warm in water that was covered in ice less than two months earlier. If you’re planning a family reunion, you’ll get some helpful ideas to make it even more memorable, including a great walleye recipe! And there are poignant moments, too. We remember the people in our lives who never had the chance to visit the lake but whose memory stays with us amidst the crystal clear water and the forest and the blessings that God provides this remarkable region. It would be difficult to capture Lake Vermilion in its entirety. We’re not sure if we have all of it, but we hope you’ll find that the pictures and the words help rekindle some of your own experiences on the lake or give you some ideas about ways to make new ones with your family and friends.

About the Author and Photographer

John Abel is a native of Anderson, Indiana. He is a graduate of Purdue University with a degree in Business. He works as a Marketing Director in the Twin Cities but hopes one day to become a dock boy at a resort on beautiful Lake Vermilion. He has lived in Eden Prairie, Minnesota with his wife Lauren and their three children since 1987. John is the founder of Sports Quiz....arguably the world leader in family-based sports contests with an ever growing membership of 38 loyal subscribers. This is his first book.

Tom Hill is a native of Middletown, PA. He is a graduate of Penn State University with a degree in Accounting. He is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Shooters Post & Transfer in Philadelphia. He resides in Downingtown with his wife Debbie. They have two grown daughters and two grandchildren. Tom has been an amateur photographer since 1975 and has created several photo collections, including India, Alaska and the Caribbean. He has visited Lake Vermilion on three occasions and plans to come back many more times.


John and Tom met in 1984 while both worked in the Advertising Department of Armstrong World Industries in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.