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 notwearing 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!
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