Our friends arrived before we did, so the beer was cold. They'd brought burgers and brats for dinner and requested from the resort that a bonfire be set up on the fire pit by the beach. With everything taken care of, I could kick back into relaxation mode.

Sometimes vacations are all about quiet time with my family: getting my husband off his laptop and my kids off their screens. This weekend away was all about playing with friends.

Clamshell Beach Resort, near Pequot Lakes, was the perfect spot to do that.

The "cottages" are built for such a gathering: This weekend ours had four bedrooms with two baths. The newer ones on the lake are even nicer, with kitchens of granite and wine chillers and romantic spa baths overlooking the lake. Only the houses are big, though. The resort itself is intimate, with something for everyone, but all in proximity.

After BBQing on our patio, and s'mores and guitar playing by the bonfire, we settled into some serious game playing in the spacious living room.

A rainy Saturday morning didn't dampen our spirits — or the competition. We headed up to the game room, on the second floor of the small lodge, where guests check in, can buy T-shirts or get ice cream cones for $1.

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Well-appointed two-story cottages are gradually replacing traditional 1930s cottages at Clamshell Beach.

The competitions continued with pingpong, shuffleboard and carpet ball — a cross between shuffleboard and pool. There are board games and a library with books to borrow. We lingered until the rain had slowed enough for us to hit the heated outdoor pool, needed in questionable early June.

There were more games there: pool volleyball and a kill-or-be-killed version of dodgeball. Some of us took breaks for badminton in the sand court nearby.

After lunch, with the weather clearing, the adults hit the tennis court, borrowing racquets and balls from the lodge.

The lake was still cool, but the floating dock beckoned.

We talked about taking out the resort's kayaks or canoe, but decided cocktails on the beach was a better option. There was always tomorrow.

More information: Clamshell Beach Resort — on Clamshell Lake, part of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes — is in Pequot Lakes, Minn., and has 17 cottages; most have three or more bedrooms. The resort's only two-bedroom, for purposes of comparison, goes for about $200 a night in mid-August (1-888-252-6743; www.clamshell­beachresort.com).

Karen Lundegaard is an editor on the Star Tribune's metro desk. • 612-673-4151