Like most Minnesotans, a highlight of our summers is heading
“up north” to the cabin. My husband’s family has a place on a lake in northern Wisconsin, and I look forward to weekends up there in the summer. On the coasts, they have their beach homes, but in the Midwest, we relish the cabin life!
There are so
many reasons that I love weekends at the cabin, but I thought I’d share my top 12 reasons WHY I LOVE THE CABIN!
1. It is so relaxing at the cabin. Seriously. The
lake doesn’t have any public access, so its never busy or loud, just peaceful and quiet. The minute you arrive at the cabin you can just feel the
stress melt away. Vacation time…
2. No makeup! I can definitely be
a ‘girlie-girl’ and I love getting all dolled up. I love getting blow-outs and
I love makeup. But, I also love not doing those things. I love not
wearing any makeup all weekend. I love putting my wet hair in a ponytail every
day and never once touching a blow-dryer or a flat iron. My skin feels so fresh
and clean with no makeup.
3. “Bathing” in the lake. Again, I am usually a bit "shower obsessed " I take a lot of showers, and love that shower-fresh feeling
probably more than a normal person. But there’s something to be said for going for a sweaty country run,
and then just changing into your swimsuit and jumping into the lake to cool
down. (Don’t worry, I do eventually shower at some point at the end of the day,
its just not a priority.)
4. Hill running. On these aforementioned cabin runs,
hill training is unavoidable. Even
though its challenging, I enjoy running up at the cabin. There’s no
pressure to run fast, because you know those hills are killer. (Be sure to use bug spray!)
5. Wildlife. I always see deer. I haven’t yet encountered a bear (though it is on my summer bucket list). I often see bald eagles, which are still a treat. There’s plenty of wild turkeys too, as well as the occasional porcupine. Of course, there’s the bass on the end of Dustin’s fishing pole!
6. Stand Up Paddleboarding. Sure, we can paddleboard in
Minneapolis too, but we do a lot more of it at the cabin. The lake here is so peaceful, and we end up spending a lot of time out on the boards.
7. It's 5 o'clock somewhere! Drinking a beer at noon is completely acceptable behavior at the cabin. I’m not much of a day drinker, but at the cabin, having a cold beer at lunch is totally normal...and totally awesome.
8. Random TV- At home, we really only watch shows that we
recorded on our TiVo or shows we select on Netflix. At the cabin, when we
settle in for the night (and can’t go outside because of the mosquitoes), its
fun to watch random shows that we never watch at home…like “Little Women of
L.A.” or “Honey Boo Boo Child.” Real quality television...
9. Small town charm. The small town where the cabin
is located is definitely quirky, but everyone is so
friendly. There’s just a different way of life here compared to
Minneapolis. Sure it’s a little grungier, a little more Carhartt than Kate
Spade, but it’s a welcome change from the stress of work and the “real world”
in Minneapolis.
10. The
boathouse. The boathouse at the cabin is stuffed full of memorabilia and
souvenirs from the life of my father-in-law. I only knew Dustin’s dad briefly
before he passed away, so I always love spending some time reading old poems
and reflecting on old stories in the boat house. There is so much history and love captured in
that boathouse.
11. Seeing
the joy that the cabin brings to Matilda. Our dog Matilda loves, loves, loves the cabin. Therefore, I
love the cabin because of how much Matilda loves the cabin! She spends HOURS
outside chasing dragonflies and shadows, and it is really entertaining. She is
always utterly exhausted by the end of each day, but her joy and love for cabin
life is contagious. She especially loves riding in the boat!
12. Sharing
the joy of the cabin with friends or family. Over the years, we have had a few
of my sisters (and my nieces) up to visit the cabin and a few friends as well. Its really fun to share the cabin and all those reasons I love the cabin with those people that I love the most!
Now, there are definitely some things that I don’t
like- the drive (I wish it were just
two hours instead of three) the bugs (OMG the mosquitoes
this year!) the lack of a decent grocery store nearby (the produce is
questionable at best), the lack of wifi…but those are all such minor things compared to the joy of the cabin!
So tell me- do you have a favorite vacation spot that you
love, and why? Please share!
