A Quiet Weekend at the Lake

We spent some peaceful time at the lake over the Fourth of July weekend. My wife's family has a cabin on a lake up in Aitkin County, and as we do every year for the Fourth, the family gathered. Fortunately for me, I was able to escape from time to time and enjoy the area on my own.

With twenty-two people at a small cabin it's difficult to find time for yourself, but I managed. I could have brought my mountain bike and ridden the new trails at Cuyuna, but I felt that since it was a "family" weekend that was probably not the right thing to do. My quiet time was generally from 5 a.m. until 9 a.m. and then in the evenings around sunset and nights in the tent with Patti and our dog Bella.

Mornings found me up early and out for long walks which ended with breakfast at the Glen General Store and Cafe. There is no better way to get a feel for the locals than to have breakfast with them. Usually the conversation had to do with fishing, the condition of their fields, making hay, and the livestock. The best part was a full breakfast with coffee for right around seven bucks.

Sunday morning was particularly busy...Up at 5 a.m. for nice long walk which of course finished with breakfast and then the walk back to the cabin. I then went for an easy run with Patti, which wasn't the best idea on stomach full of egg scramble:) After a swim in the cool waters of the lake I was able to take to the kayak and paddle for a couple of hours.

The evenings at the lake are always relaxing. A good dinner usually followed by another long walk and then watching the sunset from the dock.

Peace and Quiet...

Only to start it all over again the next day

In all honesty...I really didn't miss the bike all that much. When you can get away and experience this it matters not whether you are on a bike or not.