Summer 2019: Day 67, Vacation Day 6
I'm writing this post after the fact, for reasons that will become apparent later. Our last day in the North Woods was anything but boring.
I went for one final walk, a little bit around town, then two miles down the trail. Next time we visit, I need to start in the middle to see more of the 13-mile trail on foot. Nonetheless, the walk was a nice way to start the day.
We drove to Franklin Lake east of Eagle River to hang out for a few hours. Years, literally decades, ago, Lori and I had visited this lake with her sister and kids, though no one seemed to remember and I wasn't quite sure where it was. After consulting the internet and texting Lisa, we figured out the correct lake and thought it would be a good choice to hang out at.
Franklin Lake, on national forest land, was stunning. This is the up north experience I was needing, even if just for a couple hours. We walked on a short trail through the woods to get to a beach. The lake wasn't crowded and sandy (once you got back the first yard of rocks), and it wasn't too cold once you got used to it. The woods across the lake and the puffy clouds dominating the sky provided the perfect backdrop. I bought a cheap float a couple days ago at Dollar General and lounged contently, not letting anything spoil the serenity. I could experience a whole week of this, but for today, a half-hour was blessedly sufficient.
The boys, especially Ben and Brody, enjoyed the lake; Lori didn't go in beyond her ankles. We had to go back to Three Lakes, as Lori's niece needed to get back to Merrill. Also, we were meeting friends in Eagle River that evening. A high school classmate of Lori's lives up here, and she is good friends with someone I went to grade school with. We all met at Marina for some good conversation and a lot of catching up. The full-strength Spotted Cow was going down way too smoothly, and the view over the lake was stunning. And frankly, some time without the boys was nice.
After a couple hours, we headed for Lumpy's for a quick dinner. However, as I walked to the car, I started feeling chills and began chattering. By the time we got to the restaurant, I needed a sweatshirt I was shivering so bad. I only ate about half my bacon mac and cheese, and I was done drinking. We made it back to Three Lakes, and I was a feverish mess. I slept badly all night, though the fever broke. The 2019 vacation is beginning to take its toll ...
I went for one final walk, a little bit around town, then two miles down the trail. Next time we visit, I need to start in the middle to see more of the 13-mile trail on foot. Nonetheless, the walk was a nice way to start the day.
We drove to Franklin Lake east of Eagle River to hang out for a few hours. Years, literally decades, ago, Lori and I had visited this lake with her sister and kids, though no one seemed to remember and I wasn't quite sure where it was. After consulting the internet and texting Lisa, we figured out the correct lake and thought it would be a good choice to hang out at.
The boys, especially Ben and Brody, enjoyed the lake; Lori didn't go in beyond her ankles. We had to go back to Three Lakes, as Lori's niece needed to get back to Merrill. Also, we were meeting friends in Eagle River that evening. A high school classmate of Lori's lives up here, and she is good friends with someone I went to grade school with. We all met at Marina for some good conversation and a lot of catching up. The full-strength Spotted Cow was going down way too smoothly, and the view over the lake was stunning. And frankly, some time without the boys was nice.
After a couple hours, we headed for Lumpy's for a quick dinner. However, as I walked to the car, I started feeling chills and began chattering. By the time we got to the restaurant, I needed a sweatshirt I was shivering so bad. I only ate about half my bacon mac and cheese, and I was done drinking. We made it back to Three Lakes, and I was a feverish mess. I slept badly all night, though the fever broke. The 2019 vacation is beginning to take its toll ...
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