Cabela CEO’s summer getaway, on the market for $3.5M, has ‘the best of everything’

Dennis Highby, the longtime CEO of Cabela’s outdoor sporting goods stores, had the good fortune to hunt and fish around the world. But his most cherished place to drop anchor, cast a line and watch the sunset was in northern Minnesota on Lake Vermilion, according to his wife, Linda. They spent their summers there with as many family members as they could gather. Dennis Highby died in early 2026. His wife said the family’s retreat, which is nearly 1,000 miles from their home in Sidney, Neb., is just too far away. She listed the nine-acre property for $3.5 million. Advertisement “If it were 500 miles closer, I wouldn’t sell. But it’s just too far,” she said. “And the kids are getting older.” Expanded image view The lakeside sunporch was a favorite gathering spot for multiple generations of the Highby family. ( Janisch Realty ) Listing details “Blue Eagle,” as the Highby family calls the property, includes a lodge-like main house, two guest cabins and a lakeside sauna that couldn’t be replicated today. It’s on a coveted bay with clear water along the shores of the 37-mile-long lake — one of the biggest in the state. The 4,600-square-foot main house was built in 2001 and has five bedrooms, five bathrooms and upper and lower custom kitchens. All the main living spaces, including the primary suite and great room, face the lake. The great room has timber-framed trusses and a massive stone fireplace.