I was lucky enough to spend the 4th of July at 'the lake'. My grandparents began the tradition of owning a family lake home, and my parents continue that tradition. Lucky us! The weekend was filled with outdoor fun: lots of volleyball, beanbags, roller blading, biking, long walks, skiing, tubing, running, and of course swimming! My brother-in-law, who is much older than I am (one whole year!), fell while skiing and bruised a rib. He nursed it with ice packs and beverages for the duration of the long weekend. My teenage boys enjoy tubing and the rougher the better. Their cousin was only too happy to oblige by driving them through the waves that sent them both flying. I haven't gone tubing in years now. The last time my brother took me, it got a bit wild, and I was beyond sore for a week. No thanks. I stuck to the milder sports.
If you ever get up to the Lake Wobegon Trail, I highly suggest a ride, blade, walk or run along the beautiful and scenic pathway. Here's a blurb from their website: " The Lake Wobegon Trail is a 46-mile long, 10-foot wide, bituminous surfaced hike-and-bike pathway. The trail, which opened on September 30, 1998, extends through Central MN from the city of St. Joseph to the city of Osakis. The trail also has an extension on the west side of Albany heading northeast to Holdingford and beyond." It is a divine way to see the Minnesota farming country from a whole different vantage point. As an extended family, we have done almost every leg of the trail. We have seen Sandhill cranes, turkeys, fox, lady slipper, and fantastic rolling farmland! It's all great!
