Up North

When I moved to MN, I kept hearing about this magical place called “Up North,” where everyone went to play and relax each summer is what they referred to as “God’s Country.”

I went Up North for the first time in 2011. A week-long trip with a friend to the Brainard area. We visited the Mississippi Headwaters at Itasca State Park, saw Paul Bunyan in Bemidji, and biked some of the trails in the area. I also learned why mosquitos are the unofficial Minnesota state bird.

My next visit Up North in 2018 when I biked the Paul Bunyan Trail from Crow Wing State Park to Lake Bemidji State Park. That was when I fell deeply in love with Up North. It also began what would be a yearly trip to this fantastic place.

In 2019, my friend, Vickie, got a cabin in Park Rapids at The Loon’s Nest Resort. This is a 15-cabin resort constructed around 1927 according to Amber Larson, who owns and operates the resort with her husband, Grant. The cabins are small, rustic, and ideally situated along Fish Hook Lake. You can watch a family of ducks swim by and hear the Loons call at night. It’s perfectly designed for kids to play in the water or on the playground while parents relax nearby and visit and enjoy their favorite beverage. It’s where you reserve your cabin for next year before the end of the week. This means that the same families vacation together each year. You get to know your fellow vacationers and develop traditions with them. A little community comes together once a year to bask in the sun, enjoy the lake, and get away from life for a bit.

Above: View of my cabin home on Fish Hook Lake.

Below: Floating in the lake with Vickie.

A view of the resort from one of the docks that lead onto Fish Hook Lake.

Above: Vickie and Michelle kayaking at sunset.

Below: The beautiful trees Up North.

Vickie invited her sister, her niece, and me to join her. It’s turned into an essential girls’ getaway each year. Vickie, her sister, and niece share a 3 bedroom cabin with a kitchen while I sleep in an efficiency-style cabin next door. We all share the kitchen in Vickie’s cabin since mine doesn’t have these facilities. We take turns cooking dinner and share dish duty. Michelle volunteers her mixologist skills via a nightly happy hour around 5p.

The joy of this week is how everyone just lets everyone else be. If you need to be alone, you are allowed the space. If you want to join in a group activity, you are welcome. We sleep late, read, nap, and just be. We take turns using the kayaks and paddle boards to explore the lake. Other times, we just float in the water and enjoy the moment. It’s a beautiful way to relax and recharge before classes begin in August.

One evening, I reached peak summer. I savored a scoop of rum black cherry ice cream while floating in the lake and watching the sunset. While earlier in the summer I was feeling absolutely soul tired, I felt full and at peace in this moment. It was refreshing to feel like my old self again. I realized to find joy in life, I have to find the little moments like these and delight in them as much as possible.

In a time of uncertainty and dystopia, I found joy and peace. This was a true vacation from the stressors of reality, something my soul desperately craved. We must create these moments of disconnect to rest and recharge before we reenter daily life. We never know when life will change. This kind of respite can make all the difference when life gets hard. I recognize this is a privilege many don’t get. I am thankful I can get away like this.

We agree we will continue with our yearly girls’ trip Up North for as long as possible. We will savor every happy hour, every journey out onto the water, and every moment in our refuge in God’s Country.