My friend and I spent a couple of days up at her place on Daggett Lake on the Whitefish chain of lakes in northern Minnesota. The weather was hot and humid, so being by a lake was a good place to be. Her husband liked to call their place “the porch with a cabin attached”.
There is a screened-in porch, with a dining table and two double beds in it…so it is large, almost as big as the cabin. We spent a lot of time on the porch, on the dock when the shade covered the dock bench, and under the shade trees.
My friend told me of a new “cabin” being built one lake over. She said it’s worth seeing, but only from the lake…so we decided to go take a look. We had two choices…an old-fashioned paddle boat or the jet skis.
I have been on her jet skis before… I kind of have a history of mishaps with them so I was a little nervous. Also, because of Covid I was not up at her cabin last summer so it had been a while since I had been on a jet ski. However, that seemed the most reasonable way to see the new cabin from a lake view…it was way too hot to paddle across the lake, through the channel and into another lake. So we decided to take the jet skis.
As I got on a jet ski, and got a refresher course, I asked my friend, “At what age are we too old to be doing this?” And we laughed.
But, we did it! And without a mishap too.
We backed out of the lift, accelerated fast, creating a refreshing breeze as we skimmed across Daggett Lake to the “no wake zone” to get through the channel and to the next lake. Once there, the new house stood out from the shoreline, big and beautiful. It was stunning…not a cabin at all, but a rambling, lovely lake home with amazing features, that you can only see from the lake (unless of course you are invited into this estate.)
We made our way back to my friend’s cute little cabin and I said, “So, really, what do those folks in the new mansion have that you don’t have in your cabin?!”
It was fun to be on the jet skis again. And it was fun to see the new “cabin” from the lake.
I don’t have any pictures documenting our jet ski ride, or the castle cabin. At one point I mentioned I should get my iPhone so I could take a picture, but my friend politely reminded me I should not bring any electronics near water. O yes, I remember…A few years ago I capsized in a kayak and ruined my camera, and then a few years after that, up at this same cabin, I was on the dock, pulled my iPad out of the cloth bag and it slipped right out of my hands into the water.
Wow, what a wonderful time you had with your friend. Looks like you made the most of your time together! Nothing like Northern Minnesota!
The lakes in northern Minnesota are a great place to be!
Sounds like you enjoyed your cabin time, despite the heat. And a porch, oh, how I love porches. But you wouldn’t find me on a jet ski.
I like porches too! There is a charm to them…screened in or not.
I’m so glad you were able to spend such a great time with your friend up north. I agree that porches are the best… especially when the include beds!!
I have many wonderful family memories of Gull Lake in Nisswa where my parents lived. I miss those carefree days swimming, water skiing and just being together.
I plan to go to my daughter’s home this summer. She lives in Brained just 3 blocks from where I grew up. It’s always nostalgic for me to be there.
It’s wonderful to know you have a trip planned up to Brainerd this summer,
not only to enjoy “going back home” but also staying with your daughter!
We just made reservations for our September 26 Wedding Anniversary
# 6 ! on Mackinac Island. We also love
being near “ The Water” wherever that may be : Lake Superior, Grand Marais, Sanibel, Mission Bay / San Diego, CA.,
to name a few. I was hoping we could see this cabin also ! That’s OK! Camera “Stuff” certainly precedence…. Kay
#6 already?!? Yay.
I believe being near water is healing and that is why people are drawn to it