Minnesota Prairie Roots

A view of Horseshoe Lake on a weather-perfect July day in Minnesota.

FOR MANY MINNESOTANS, summers at an Up North family lake cabin span generations. Not so for me.

The guest cabin sits just around the corner from this, the main year-round house. Both are northwoods Minnesota style.

But now, into my sixties, I am finally enjoying that quintessential summer experience thanks to the generosity of extended family who recently purchased lake property with a roomy guest cabin. They intentionally chose a place they could share with family. And I am grateful.

Isaac loved splashing in the lake. The water was clear, vastly different from the murky lakes of southern Minnesota.

For five days last week into this, Randy and I were joined by our eldest daughter and her family and our son at the cabin near Cross Lake in central Minnesota. To have that family time together in such an incredibly beautiful natural setting was a gift. A joy. A much-needed respite from reality.

The neighbors’ dock, a visual of relaxation.

Randy and I never left the lake place together until we left. No trips into town, mostly because of COVID-19 concerns. But Randy did surprise us with an unexpected Monday morning run to Valeri Ann’s Family Foods in Ossipee for her heavenly homemade caramel rolls. He got the last two.

We saw loons every single day of our stay.

Relaxing in the hammock strung lakeside in the pine trees.

Randy and Isabelle watch as the sun set reflects on the treeline across the lake.

We found plenty to do at the lake cabin. Time in and on the water. Time watching eagles and loons. Time fishing. Time dining lakeside. Time in the hammock. Time around the campfire. Time with the grandkids, ages four and 18 months.

A beached kayak awaits its passenger.

Our son, back in Minnesota for our family vacation, paddles into the lake.

The grandkids (and adults) loved the inflatable floaties.

There is nothing quite like immersing one’s self in the northwoods lake experience.

Grandpa and grandson lakeside.

I will always treasure hearing Isaac giggle at the fish wiggling on the end of Grandpa’s fishing line. I will always delight in watching Isabelle wiggle to her made-up “I Got the Wiggles” song on the lakeside deck. I will always cherish memories of walking outside at night with Randy and Izzy to show our granddaughter the stars. I will always remember seeing my eldest glide across the water on a paddleboard, her daughter sitting on the front.

One of the adult resident eagles in a lakeside treetop.

I will remember, too, walks down the long evergreen-lined driveway, the many minutes standing at the fork in the drive, neck craned to watch the resident eagles.

Grandpa and grandchildren follow the pine-edged driveway.

So many memories. So much happiness. So much peace.

Kid-sized chairs used by the grandkids.

And, for my grandchildren, the beginning of summers Up North at the lake cabin.

Please check back for more posts in this “Up North at the Cabin” series.

© Copyright 2020 Audrey Kletscher Helbling