Gull Lake Vacation

Our second annual trip "up north" (as Minnesotans say) was a great time! We stayed at Cragun's resort on Gull Lake near Brainerd and it was a 5-day stay full of fishing, walks, playing, relaxing, and memory making.

Our first evening there was chilly, but we know how to bundle with the best of 'em!

On our first morning, Kendall was still recovering from the virus that had its grip on her for two weeks, so she was up very early. In an effort to not wake up the rest of the crew, we took a walk and watched the sunrise from a dock.

This was the view from our room off of our little patio. Picture perfect!

It was a cooler day and not the best for swimming, so we hopped in the car and drove out to Lake Mille Lacs. It was our first time there and wow! Massive and beautiful. 

And how about this for a truly Minnesotan family picture?! 

From there we went back to Brainerd and spent the day at Paul Bunyan Land, which is a cute little amusement park. We went there last year, but Kendall was so little. This year was a whole new ballgame for her! She and Katelyn went on a bunch of rides just the two of them, while Michael and I went with Katelyn on some of the big girl rides. Like the Tilt-O-Whirl...

Katelyn and Michael with their ambitious spirits climbed the rock wall...

Below is the pretty view from the top of the ferris wheel - it was a beautiful day!

So, our mission of not eating in our new vehicle (purchased in June) lasted all of about 12 hours. With kids, snacks in the car are a source of sanity for the driver (and the kids!) Once we broke that rule, why not just have a straight-up picnic in the trunk?! Guess that's a thumbs up!

One last picture with Babe the Blue Ox before leaving. Smiles all around - ha! :)

The next morning was another beautiful one, so we took out a row boat for some fun and fishing.

Our captain navigated the waters like an old pro. He is an Eagle Scout after all!

Michael and Katelyn did some fishing, but came up empty in their attempts from the boat. It was time to step it up from the dock...

Success! Here's Katelyn's first fish!! Of course the maxi-dress had to have helped, don't you think?! 

Kendall enjoyed the first-fish scene and was off to get her own fishing pole...

That night, there was a fundraiser at a local arboretum so we went to check it out. Once we paid admission, they had tons of food, beer, ice cream, face paint, and entertainment - all FREE. It was fun for the whole family and a great close to another beautiful day on Gull Lake!

We spent a lot of morning time playing on the beach, walking the docks, and feeding ducks. The simplicity of this vacation was intentional and, like last year, was something we really appreciated.

The girls threw handful upon handful of duck food (corn) to the ducks. For awhile after our trip, every time Kendall would see corn she'd say "duck food!" :)

Once it warmed up, we hit the beach right outside our door for swimming, sand castle building, and a grill out. Another lovely day!

After we got cleaned up, we spent more time on the playground at the beach. I just love this shot of the sister telling secrets!

Then it was dinnertime! We didn't have a full kitchen in our suite this year, so we ate more of our meals out. Of course we hit up Zorbaz a couple times. Zorbaz is a lakefront restaurant and bar on 11 of Minnesota's most popular lakes. A definite must when up north! And hello... free popcorn!

And hello... $4 Zorbaritaz for the parents :)

High fives for Zorbaz!!

The lake was just behind me to my right. Delicious food, great drinks, and beautiful scenery! When we discovered Kendall dropping popcorn kernels off the balcony (and possibly into people's food!), we decided we ought to call it a night!

Kendall always went to bed at her normal time, but Katelyn got the privilege of staying up a little later for lakeside s'mores! 

We logged some hours at the resort's outdoor (and indoor) pool. 

Swimming sure does wear the little ones out!

And how could I forget the one thing that brought hours (no, seriously, hours!) of entertainment for the girls? Perhaps something they have never seen, let alone gotten to play with. That which is old becomes new again. Get ready.... This....

After telling the kids to not touch it or push buttons for the millionth time, Michael unplugged the thing from the wall and let them have a heyday! Good times!

It was a fabulous getaway and we loved the relative quiet and calm it offered. We made some great deposits into the memory banks and it was a blast for the four of us. Thanks, Gull Lake!