In Minnesota we call them cabins. In Wisconsin they call them lake places. I think that is the influence of all those people from Chicago that have "lake places in Wisconsin." They think it adds class to their cabin. We don't need to add class to our cabins, the price of cabins do that to themselves.
I remember as a kid growing up in Minnesota in the 60's and it seemed like every family but my family had a cabin. How I would complain about it. I was unloved. How would I know how to water ski and just be cool if we did not have a cabin? One summer my dad must have listened to me ,and we moved out to White Bear Lake for the month of August. Listen to me. I make it sound like we traveled a great distance. It was in 1962. It was a long distance phone call to call Minneapolis from the cabin we rented. When Mom invited friends ,they came for the weekend as it was such a long drive. Today I drive there in 45 minutes to show houses. Most of the cabins back then were crude. An out house was not that unusual. Running water was not really necessary. You jumped in the lake and cleaned up real good.
As families passed the cabin down from one generation to another additions were added and modern convinces were installed. The shack that gramps built in the 30's now started looking like something you could really live in. Many became winterized as we started snowmobiling and recreating more outdoors in the winter. Families shared these cabins and in some cases would subdivide the land and build second or third cabins on the land. Family compounds were created.
Many of the old family camp grounds started being sold in the 70's as developers saw the desire to escape to the lake in style and not "campout." Not only did we desire the lake but we added golf courses so we could hit the white ball around in our free time. Six years ago a developer asked me to stay at Gull Lake for a few days and help him decided where to build his townhouses ,on the lake or the new golf course. I studied the situation and in the end told him the golf course. More people were on the greens then in the blue water.
Our cabins in some cases are better than our city houses. My new out -of- towners always ask me where the "lake" is? They hear their co-workers are going to the lake. I laugh and tell them it could be anything and anywhere. We in Minnesota use the "lake" in so many different ways. It could mean a walk around Lake Harriet or a drive up to Ely. It might mean staying in a cabin with bats or it could be a 3,000 sq ft log home with a wine cellar.
It really does not matter what the piece of real estate is like. It is our way to escape the city and drive through crazy traffic on Friday nights to get there in time to mow the lawn by flash light. Then we have a ball, get sun burn, break off one of the blades on the motor being stupid, get eaten alive by bugs, and have the best family time you could ask for. Sunday about two we pack it all up to get back in the traffic to get home in time to tuck the kids in. Who would not want one of these cabins?
So it is with a tear in our eye and a heavy heart we say good-bye to the cabin and enter into our fall schedule of meetings, sports practices, chores,watching too much football, homework, inside projects. . . does someone hear the call of the loon to save me?
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