Recreational Springs Resort For Brett and Stephanie Marlette, living in Minneapolis was not their life-long dream. The couple, both graduates of the School of Mines in Rapid City with engineering degrees, had moved to the city for work, but after the birth of their two sons, recognized it was not where they wanted to raise their family. They debated moving to Yankton, where between the two of them they still have several grandparents (Gar and Evelyn Timm, the late Bud and Judy Sagmoe, and the late Neal and Patricia Nielson) and because of that have made the community their second home. Brett and Steph, however, said they found their dream a little further west, in the Black Hills to be exact. Taking a leap of faith, the Marlettes purchased Recreational Springs Resort near Lead in November of 2013. “We have always loved being outdoors, from boating and camping on the lake down at Yankton to snowmobiling in the Hills, we just have always spent time together doing things in nature,” Stephanie said. “When Brett and I, realized we didn’t want to be in Minneapolis with our boys, Roland and Teddy, we started talking about what our dream would be. We realized we wanted to build something that we could do as a family, and eventually, give to our boys, and we wanted to do it closer to our family in South Dakota.” Stephanie said that the pair spent several years researching different opportunities, but when they saw Rec. Springs they knew they had found their new home. “It just was the perfect setting to raise a family and build a successful business,” Stephanie said. “The resort had gone through several owners who had not been all-in in their efforts to make it a success and, honestly, when we bought it, the bones were there but it needed a lot of updating.” The resort is located five miles outside of Lead and is located on the snowmobile trails in the winter and the off-road trails in the summer, providing a strong base to build the business on. “Not going to lie to you, this was a huge investment for us, a longterm investment of time and money that we know will pay off, but these first few years we are going to be working hard to update the Willcockson Eye Associates, P . .C 415 W. 3rd.,Yankton, South Dakota The physicians of Willcockson Eye Associates, P.C. are dedicated to providing the best possible medical and surgical eye care for you and your entire family. In addition to comprehensive eye exams and contact lens fittings, our physicians perform state of the art small-incision cataract and implant surgery. Our physicians are the regional experts in the diagnosis and management of sight threatening conditions such as glaucoma, diabetes, and macular degeneration. Paula Hicks, MD Greg Kouri, OD For all your eyewear needs visit the Spectacle Shop next door. They offer an extensive selection of frames from traditional styles to the latest fashion design with frames to meet every family’s budget. The Spectacle Shop, L.L.C. 20vHERVOICE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 New patients welcome! Call 605-665-9638 Karen Dickes, DO Aarika Menees, MD