Sweetbriar Ridge​ offers couples unique glamping getaway in Minnesota's forests

CBS News

13-02-2025

PINE CITY, Minn. — How about spending Valentine's Day, in a dome? You can do it in Pine City.
The Sweetbriar Ridge offers couples a unique glamping getaway.
"We had looked for land for about two or three years, shopping around, and we finally landed on this one," Bri Rodgers said.
Bri and Dave Rodgers settled on a 56-acre secluded site near Pine City. They didn't just fall in love with the land, they had a vision for it.
"I knew I had to do something that would invite nature in," Bri Rodgers said.
Last winter the couple began building geodesic domes that people can stay in. Two are already built and the third, which will be ADA-compliant, will be done by spring.
The feel they're going for is boutique hotel meets Mother Nature. The greenhouse effect keeps the domes warm in the winter, and each has its own spectacular view.
"We have the king bed down here which faces out over the 20-foot bay window through our prairie," Bri Rodgers said while standing in the Solidago dome.
Guests can look out and they can look up. Star-gazing windows allow them to search the sky during their stay. But putting all this together was even harder than it looks.
"We had to learn how to frame, how to drywall and tile and everything in between," Bri Rodgers said. "None of it went according to plan."
Galvanized steel holds the buildings together and they've already passed the strength test. The domes can withstand windspeeds of up to 115 miles an hour.
"These have withstood hurricanes in different parts of the U.S," Bri Rodgers said.
The couples' attention to detail has drawn guests from across the country, and even a family from South Africa.
"We've had a few proposals out here, honeymoons and lots of anniversaries. So, it's actually been a place to celebrate milestones which is pretty exciting," Bri Rodgers said.
The peace and serenity are why Bri and Dave Rodgers built what they built. As a naturalist, Bri Rodgers brings the outdoors, indoors. As a paramedic, Dave Rodgers understands the need to get away from your day job.
"They say 72 hours of nature resets your brain chemistry, your stress decreases, they've done a lot of studies on that. Let's see if we can tap into that and get people out here for 72 hours," Dave Rodgers said.
While here, wildlife and native plants are never far away. They are things you can experience while never leaving the living room.
"How can we really get people immersed in nature and Sweetbriar was created to create a beautiful place in nature luxury so people can come out and begin that healing process," Bri Rodgers said. "It's very simple but soul-healing."
The couple said Sweetbriar Ridge is named after their daughter's middle name, which is Briar. They are also practicing prairie restoration on site and have snow-shoeing available in the winter and paddleboarding in the summer. They've been booked about 90% of the time since they opened.