Growing up in the Midwest surrounded by cornfields and prairies, I longed for mountains and ocean coasts. Wealthier friends had lake houses in Michigan and Wisconsin. Others, like me, resorted to people's backyard pools or the rare excursion to Chicago's public beaches along Lake Michigan.
For July 4th weekend this year, we had the privilege of spending a couple days at a friend's lake house in Lakeside, Michigan. It's a little village near New Buffalo.
When we arrived, it didn't take me long to understand why people loved spending most of their time at their lake houses. I felt like I was at adult summer camp. Our friend's cottage home was surrounded by tall pine trees and located on a quiet street. The home's interior was walled and floored with beautiful pine wood, which gave it a cabin-like feel. The beach was a stone throw away. Our days consisted of sleeping, snacking, and going to the beach. It was wonderful.
The best thing? We were only 90 minutes from Chicago.
