One of the first things guests do when they arrive at Garden Lake Resort--sometimes even before they check-in at the office--is head to the lake.
They may stand on the dock, sigh deeply, and scan the tea-colored water, making their plans. Or--especially if they're young--they may lie flat on their stomachs on the dock and run their fingers through the water. Sometimes, no matter their age, they kick off their shoes or sandals and stick in a toe. They look beyond their reflections on the water's surface, searching for minnows or pan fish, or crayfish or turtles swimming below. They may skip a rock or two from the shore of our sand beach. Or, they may grab a stick, trying to gauge the depth of the water or pretending to cast.
Reluctantly, they pull away from the lake to check-in and unpack. But soon they're back by the lake with bathing suits on or gear in hand. They may go in the water, or lie beside the water, or go out on the water. Regardless, they head to the lake.
The phrase "head to the lake" implies more than just being by the lake. It suggests a freedom of time and structure that we often don't feel onshore. "Heading to the lake" means moving away from things that are restrictive in form-perhaps our jobs and our daily responsibilities-and heading toward something unrestricted and formless, if only for a while. We are creatures of the land, after all. But aren't we lucky we can at times be amphibious?
At our Minnesota resort, fishing boats, canoes, and kayaks dot Garden Lake and our Chain of lakes with people who are out fishing and paddling and exploring. They've heeded the call to "head to the lake."
Now it's your turn!