Fall Lake

When I was a little girl, there was one annual camping trip that I could always count on: Fall Lake, MN. The lake sits on the edge of the Boundary Waters - one half is out, the other half is in. There's even a sign on the shore that reads: "You are now entering the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness." My husband's and my parents found a secluded, rustic campground on the shore of Fall Lake years ago, and we returned there together each summer. Most times, we would canoe into the Boundary Waters and do several overnights in the wilderness, but we would eventually return to "home base" at the Fall Lake campground. Back then, the campground was privately owned and barely heard of. We felt virtually alone when we went up there - no flush toilets, no showers, no one else crazy enough to be there - just woods, water, the loons and us. Those last two can be easy to confuse sometimes.

My favorite childhood memories are contained in that place. My birthday falls on Memorial Day weekend, a common camping weekend in our family. I spent many a birthday perched on top of my favorite boulder in my favorite campsite on Fall Lake. I love that rock. With no showers available, the only way to get clean was to jump in the lake with a bar of soap and a washcloth. And let me tell you, a northern Minnesota lake in late May is no balmy place! By the time you were finished, you couldn't feel your skin, your head ached, and you were about to shake your molars loose from shivering. But the scenery was beautiful, and your hair and skin would feel unbelievably soft afterward. I think there must be something about the minerals there.

Since the day we got married, we've dreamed of returning there with our own children. This year, we finally had the pleasure. Both sets of our parents came along - even my mom, after her stroke! I have to admit, I was a little nervous to go back. That little campground is now a national campground. There are flush toilets, showers, and groomed hiking paths. Many more people have discovered our hidden jewel in the woods. Would it feel the same? And would our children catch the magic? Would they get it?

They did.

They did all the things that we used to do growing up - skipping rocks, gathering fire wood in the forest, canoeing, and bathing in the lake (it's a childhood classic - even with the showers available, you really have to do it at least once.) I saw the light come on in their eyes - they caught the magic. My heart is full, and I have so many things to add to my thankful list:


#258. Returning to places I loved as a girl
#259. That Fall Lake rock
#260. Six of us in a canoe
#261. Loon call at dusk
#262. Sunlight sparkles on water

#263. The sound of the wind through birch leaves

#264. Skipping rocks

#265. The freckle on my little girl's foot

#266. My mom's bravery

#267. Traveling far enough to really see the stars

#268. Aged trees

#269. The dog endlessly plunging off the dock to fetch sticks

#270. Funny boy pranks

#271. Sweatshirts that smell of campfire smoke

#272. Embers that glow late into the night

#273. Beauty that grows wild

#274. Four soapy little heads bobbing in the water

#275. Generations sharing memories

#276. The magic