Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Summer Escape {Lakes}

While my family never had one regular vacation spot where would we trek every year, some of my fondest memories of summer revolve around time spent at various lakes.

When I was growing up, not only were my best friend, Jenni, and I close, but so were our parents, and thus my family was welcomed at their weekend getaway. Summer memories from my elementary school years are peppered with days spent at their lake house.

Country Living

The lake was only an hour's drive from our homes, but, at that age, felt much further. I was always anxious to arrive, and the car ride seemed to last an eternity.

Country Living

The house was on a small, private island, and, although it was truly only a short distance from the mainland, it always seemed an adventure to reach. We would load people and belongings into a rowboat and traverse the distance between the shores; each trip, I prayed for the boat to not tip in transit.

Thayer Allyson Gowdy

This is not a tale of the exclusive and wealthy, however, but rather of a simple family cottage that welcomed many; the home was shared by their extended family, and I fondly remember afternoons spent playing on the banks of the lake alongside my brother, Jenni, her sister, and their cousins.

House Beautiful

The island seemed enormous from a child's perspective, although, surely, like many things remembered from childhood, I imagine I'd be surprised to see it again through an adult's eyes.

Country Living

Whatever the true breadth of the land, it was large enough to encompass more than it's fair share of memories including one of the day Jenni and I were given the very grown-up privilege of taking the row boat out to circle the island alone; sadly, our experience came to a crashing halt when, not yet a quarter of the way into our trip, we lost an oar in the water and had to be rescued by our dads.

Country Living

Summers during my middle school and high school years included time spent with our extended family on lakes in Michigan and Wisconsin. The lasting images from those trips are of riding over waves, first on an inflatable tube, then later, water skis, and feeling the wind whip across my face as I was pulled behind a boat flying furiously across the water's surface.

Pia Ulin

I traded the lakes of the Midwest for those of the South when I was in college. There was a lake 15 minutes from campus, and although it was far from a glamorous retreat, my friends and I loved heading off to its murky waters. The best spots were reached via dirt roads, and it felt like we were world's away as we lay sunning ourselves on the lake's dark sandy shores.

Country Living

I moved one state over to attend graduate school, and during that following summer, there were two holiday weekends spent lakeside with my friends from school. An unseasonably chilling drizzle didn't dampen our spirits as we celebrated our friends' engagement over Memorial Day, but it did cut short our time on the water; cruising around the lake in our rented pontoon boat, while lacking the adequate gear to combat the cold rain, wasn't quite as much fun as had planned.


Our lake trip later that summer, over the 4th of July, proved much kinder, as we were greeted by beautiful, sunny skies and scorching temperatures, perfect for cooling off in the water.

Hakan Ludwigson

My memories of time spent on lakes has continued into my adult life too; E's and my house in central Texas is only a 10-minute drive from a lake where we watched a sunrise in the early days of our relationship, and since then, more frequently have viewed sunsets... have I ever mentioned I am a bit of a night owl? The lake also provided a perfect place for walks with our dogs and for an afternoon spent swimming the comfortably warm waters when my youngest brother visited us last summer.

Krakvik and D'Orazio

I know we aren't too far from a number lakes here in Houston, and I imagine it will only be a matter of time before we find ourselves making new memories in their now unfamiliar waters. Until then, I will dream of once again jumping into the refreshing water of a lake on a hot and sticky day, something that makes my list of things to love about summer.

12 comments:

La Maison Fou said...

This sounds like a lovely relationship with lakes and lakehouses! I love the images, and it so represents what a wonderful lakehouse should be! Thanks for sharing,
Leslie

Tina { Luphia Loves... } said...

i;ve never lived near a lake or taken a lakeside holiday but it sure seems so romantic :)

Andi said...

Great post!! You will love the water on our river trip in August. It is so blue and pretty...not exactly like Sardis!

studioJudith said...

Just a dreamy post, Courtney!

What could be better than memories of a summer lake?
A summer lake on an island:
perfection.

Sarah Engel said...

i absolutely love this post, every picture is where i want to be:) Have a great holiday weekend. xo Sarah

Haven and Home said...

I am dying for a lake escape. Are you by any chance referring to Sardis in college?

Courtney said...

Marianne- yep, I am referring to Sardis! :)

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

Thank you for sharing that. Such magical memories!

Jen said...

What great memories! We'll be at that lake again this holiday - you are welcome back any time. And, yes, the island seems way smaller now, as an adult...

Alicia said...

Door County has to be some of the best lake country & Northern MI & the U.P. too. Those have been my lakes of the last 17 summers but now its Northern AZ.
I grew up with the Finger Lakes then traded them time & time again but something about New England, Door County & Upstate NY reminds me of the true lake days.
Thanks for sharing your memories Courtney & igniting mine.

Treacy said...

Oh.. Court- Thanks for bringing back those memories... and how much fun we all had! Do you remember the Lake Erie trip?

What would life be like if the mind could not hold our memories...I am thankful for every single one.

Beautiful post.

alissa said...

ok i was not at all bummed that husband and i have no plans for this weekend - no fireworks over the lake, swimming etc...until i read this post!
now im like wait! we need to go to the lake!