Soucheray: The lure of the lake

The advertising campaign for “Explore Minnesota” has captured our family and we are doing all we can to fulfill its hopes for every state resident. We reserved the use of a private home back at Christmas time and then put it on the back burner, so to speak, all throughout the winter and spring, in anticipation of star-gazing, lake swimming and campfires on the beach. We also rented a pontoon, which might have been the highlight of the week for all of us.

The cabin has been wonderful and the pontoon truly fantastic, as it allowed us to spend our days on the water, jumping off from all points of the boat and swimming in deep water that just didn’t seem to end. What I did not anticipate, however, was the swaying movement we experienced on the boat long after we got back to shore. Each day, no matter what time it was, the room seemed to be moving like the waves of the water. At times, this would subside, but the lure to return to the lake for just one more ride brought the expectant swaying back once again.

One could almost call it a dizzy feeling of the entire body, not solely the head, and was tolerated because of the loveliness of a lazy, afternoon nap under a sunny sky, listening to amazing songs on our son’s iPod or taking a cool plunge off the side of the boat into clear, refreshing water. As I write this from the kitchen of our rented cabin, I continue to focus on the computer screen and not the chair that seems to be swaying beneath me.

When was the last time you and your family took a vacation up north in Minnesota? It’s close to home and within the driving distance of a day, there will very likely be water wherever you go, as well as lots of great people to make your stay enjoyable and memorable.

One memory I know I will carry from this week is when our youngest son and I stood on the end of the dock and star-gazed for about an hour. The bugs were minimal as we oohed and ahhed over the Milky Way, the Big and Little Dippers, Cassiopeia and so many other bright stars it was impossible to count them all. One thing is for sure: the lights of the city certainly obscure the wondrous sites available on an unobstructed, up-north lake.

And if you liked the movie “On Golden Pond,” you know the sounds of the loons to be haunting as you hear them call to each other, especially at night. You can hear their lilting tune and their responses to each other, as they echo throughout the still, night air.

Finally, time spent together as a family, making supper, playing games, going out for dinner, watching a special movie, sitting around the bonfire and telling old family stories all makes for creating great memories to talk about throughout the coming year.

Go to the website exploreminnesota.com and see if there is something that fits your schedule. Then head out and explore our great state in these glorious summer weeks.

Soucheray is a Woodbury resident and a licensed family therapist

Tags: opinion, viewpoint, column