LTHOUGH THIS since 1895, when it was known as Camp Monroe, Vikings didn’t land here until 1945. That’s when Al Byrnilsen, who’d been hired to broker its sale, took one look around and fell in love. Byrnilsen’s father, Olaf—a transplant from Norway—didn’t share that rose-colored view, worrying that it was foolish to take on a property that had seen better days and had no running water or electricity. But Al’s heart was hooked, and so he updated the old hotel, surrounded it with cabins and welcomed summerloads of guests.
