HGTV is featuring a St. Paul family’s search for a place “Up North” in an upcoming episode of “House Hunters.”

This very Minnesotan episode featuring Anne and James Dougherty and their kids is scheduled to premiere at 9 p.m. Central Time on Monday, Feb. 5.

If the family’s property search sounds familiar, it might be because the Pioneer Press published an article about their hunt last year.

The Dougherty family of St. Paul is filmed canoeing around a lake in northern Minnesota in June 2023 by a crew for HGTV. (Courtesy of Wambolts Cabins)

However, no worries if you want to tune in to find out which of the three options the Dougherty family chose — we won’t reveal spoilers in this update.

Here’s what we can tell you:

The episode features two properties in the area of Park Rapids, Minn., a popular place for second homes that is located about 200 miles northwest of St. Paul in Hubbard County. A third property was in Longville, Minn., another popular recreational area about an hour from Park Rapids.

James and Anne Dougherty of St. Paul outside the second lake place they toured in northern Minnesota for “House Hunters.” (Courtesy of Wambolts Cabins)

Titled “Counting Cabins in Park Rapids,” the episode’s description on HGTV.com sets the scene for viewers:

“A couple and their five kids are on the hunt for a cabin in Park Rapids, Minnesota. They’re looking for room to accommodate the entire family plus any future grandchildren, and he’s adamant on a classic log cabin, but she prefers a more modern aesthetic.”

The program also features their real-life Realtor, Cal Dockter of Real Estate Results in Perham, Minn.

If the Doughertys look tired or frazzled in the episode that was filmed over a few days in early June, they had reason.

“It had to be one of the craziest weeks of our life,” Anne Dougherty says with a laugh.

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That’s because they had already purchased the property — now called Wambolts Cabins — and were gearing up to open it to guests for the season.

“After filming, we’d work until dark,” Anne says.

The five Dougherty kids weren’t so sure about reliving their property search for television at first, since it involved the little kids having to get dressed up while at the lake and the older kids having to take time away from the family’s urgent to-do list.

“My teens, they struggled with, ‘How can we be doing this while we’re knee deep in construction?’” Anne recalls.

Now that it’s a wrap, though, the family is excited for the publicity for what is now a family business that illustrates to America the charm of life at the lake in Minnesota.

The Dougherty family of St. Paul is filmed canoeing around a lake in northern Minnesota in June 2023 by a crew for HGTV. (Courtesy of Wambolts Cabins)

Plus, filming ended up being a reprieve of sorts. The crew was fun and so were some of the scenes that showcased summer in Minnesota.

“We did a canoe ride on the lake, that got a little competitive, and it was the first leisure activity we had done in weeks,” Anne says.

House Hunters: “Counting Cabins in Park Rapids”

Details: On an upcoming episode of HGTV’s “House Hunters,” Anne and James Dougherty of St. Paul are shown searching for a lake place “Up North” in the area of Park Rapids, Minn.
How to watch: The episode will air on HGTV at 9 p.m. Central Time on Monday, Feb. 5. For more times, visit hgtv.com/shows/house-hunters/episodes/counting-cabins-in-park-rapids
More: While we won’t reveal which of the three options the Doughertys chose, if you want to learn more about their family-run property, check it out at Wamboltscabins.com.
House hunters: Want to be on “House Hunters”? Apply at pietown.tv/shows/house-hunters.

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