Lake Country in Minnesota {USA}

My mom’s family is from Minnesota, so, several times during my life, we’ve all gathered in the northern part of the state to enjoy Minnesota Lake Country. My favorite trip was a reunion near Roy/Gull Lakes, near Brainerd, for my grandparents’ 60th wedding anniversary (I know!).

While I have always, always wanted to live on the ocean, I was unexpectedly charmed by this area of the United States. My mother lived up there for a brief period after college, before she married my father, and I loved seeing her house. There was something about the many lakes, the giant trees filling the forests and lining the water, the easy, lakeside vibe of the communities.

There’s still a part of me that wants to live in this hidden area of America, where I could have a boat and a quiet slice of forest and water, and watch the sun rise over the lake, and hole up in the trees.

(There was a lot of Imagine If I Lived Here going on during this vacation!).

We stayed at this amazing resort (the Grand View Lodge, a place I will likely never be able to stay at again thanks to moola), with kayaks, canoes, boats to rent, this horrible banana boat (I went about three times and pretty much hated it…but those who could actually hold on seemed to have a good time 😉 ) paddle boards, a gym, a water slide, a bar…it was great! We even played bingo one night. How quaint!

We also did yoga one morning, outside by the water, and it remains my favorite yoga class ever.

It was a wonderful piece of vacation heaven.

And yes, even with my family kind of driving me crazy (I have a lot of teenage cousins…boy do I not miss those years!), it was still heaven, which tells you how nice this area is.

^^Full Throttle, vacation ahead!

^^My vacation pedicure, hanging off a paddle boat.

^^Obviously, this is what I drink on the lakeside beach.

^^The view from my loft room.

^^The point of view from my kayak.

^^Bingo! I did not win.

^^Yes, that is my 82-year-old grandmother rocking yoga. Can I please have her genes and still be able to handle yoga when I’m in my 80s? And, while I’m asking for things, can I please inherit her skin, too?

^^A sunset ski (of the water variety).

^^a blurry sister photo.

^^the sunset from our dock.

^^family time.

^^cousins in a canoe. 

^^my dad is a really, really good water-skier. I did NOT inherit that talent.

^^my bro on the boat. 

^^my annoyingly attractive siblings.

^^my adorable grandparents. 

This is letter L for the A to Z Challenge!