After a day and a half at home, an overnight in Waukegan, IL to celebrate Ellie’s eighteenth birthday with her godmothers, we made it to the cabin on East Twin Lake near Nisswa, MN.
My maternal great grandfather, Harry Johnson, built the original cabin in 1940. Since that time it’s seen the addition of a kitchen, a bathroom, two bedrooms and a screened in porch. Of its 85 years of existence and my 66 years of existence, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve not spent part of my summer at the cabin.
One of the joys of being at the cabin is the “no routine” routine. Time is our own and we make the most of it. Mornings are for Caroline’s three mile run/walk into Nisswa while Ellie rides her bike into town. Me, I drive in and meet them at the city gazebo. Then it’s on to either Ganley’s Restaurant for eggs and hash browns or Sammy J’s Stonehouse Coffee for cappuccinos, fruit smoothies and blueberry white chocolate scones.
Before heading back to the cabin we walk Main Street, stopping in the numerous stores and shops along the way…many of which remain from my childhood: Zaiser’s Shoes-“The Store With the Big Red Door”; The Totem Pole-the place for moccasins and tourist “chachkies:” Martin’s Marine Sporting Goods-for all manner of seasonal sporting goods and apparel; Town and Lake (now Nicole’s Town and Lake)-a women’s apparel clothier where Caroline annually updates her work wardrobe; The Chocolate Ox Candy and Ice Cream Parlor-with unique flavors such as “Exhausted Parent,” “Superman,” and “Blueberry Waffle Cone.”
Time spent in the afternoon can include sunning on the dock, swimming, puzzle and Lego building (Caroline and Ellie), kayaking and paddle boarding (Carole and Ellie), and napping (Brad). Evening dinner is followed by either watching movies on Netflix or playing games like Mexican Train or Phase 10.
The days stray little from this “no routine” routine.
I wish everyone would have the cabin experience. It has shaped who I am and who I’ve become. I give thanks for great-grandpa Harry for his vision to create such a place of respite. And I give thanks for my grandpa and grandma Johnson (my maternal grandparents) who, when I was in elementary and middle school, would drive from the cabin or Minneapolis, MN to Bowman, North Dakota, pick up my siblings and me, and take us back to the cabin for a two to three week stay. Their doing so has rooted and grounded me in love for the place we call “the cabin.”
Brad
Wander Tales by PC, PB, and Ellie 