Minocqua Vacation

This summer, we took a week-long vacation with the Guenther side of the family to Minocqua, Wisconsin.  Dan and his family spent a lot of time in the Northwoods while he grew up.  For me, it was my first time up there and I'm hooked.  I completely understand why people go back there year after year.

Our first look at the lake.

I think she's going to like it here.

We, along with Dale and Mary Ann, stayed the entire week (at a rental home - room for all!)

Greg and Jess were with us the first half of the week and Jeff, Katie, and Grayson came the second half of the week with ALL of us there for one day/night.

Although the temperatures were not your typical July temperatures (I'm talking 60s - 70 something on the warm day) we still had a great time.  Just mostly on the pier rather than in the lake.

Testing the water. Chilly for sure!

We did get to spend some time in the water though. Although our kids were both very nervous and didn't even want to go in the boat at first, once forced like any good parents would do, they loved it.

This fish made her poor dad stay in the water so she could jump off the pier.

Fishing with Dad and Grandma

It was too cold for her to get in her suit but we still wanted to let her experience the lake as much as she could.

Grandpa time!

Certain nights of the summer they have an amateur water ski show.  Most of the squad is made up of kids who summer there - not many locals.  Even a handful from outside of the U.S. 

I felt so bad for them because of the weather.  Note that most of the on-lookers are dressed in pants and hooded sweatshirts or jackets.  And as I said, it's an amateur show so yes, they do occasionally take a spill. I was cold just watching them.

The kids really enjoyed the water show.  The cotton candy and ice cream that Dan kept buying them when it was already past their bedtime might have been part of the reason.  But that's what vacation is for after all.

The other thing Nora and Myles had fun watching (and I did too!) was the lumberjack show.  Real lumberjacks that perform in a competition. 

They do things like the partner saw,

watching from the sidelines

a race to chop down a section of tree while on a small platform and even an ax throwing competition.

They had a script to follow - trash talk between competitors/teams - that sometimes catered to the adults which made it more enjoyable for us too.

This lumberjack has won ESPN competitions for his chainsaw work.  He was "pretending" to carve a bunny for the audience but "messed up".  What he was really carving the entire time was a small chair that he would give away to a child in the audience.  

Well, guess what?!  With Grandpa's help, Myles raised his hand and he was the lucky winner!  Although he didn't show it until after he was chosen and back at his seat, he was very nervous to go up there. But he was a brave boy and he treasured that chair.

He was all business with his hands on his hips as he received the chair.

At intermission the children could come down and use the saw with a partner.

After you were done you got a certificate!

After the lumberjack show we explored downtown for a while and stopped

Chocolate candy coated pretzel rods they used their own spending money to buy!

Myles didn't seem too excited to win the chair - I was, but he seemed like he could take it or lose it. Until we got back to the house anyway.  Then he proudly carried his chair out to the pier, sat down and cast his fishing pole. He loved his chair. Still does.  He'll take it out and occasionally sit on it.  He had to show all the neighborhood friends his chair when we got home while telling them the whole story of how he won it.

This picture makes my heart happy.  A boy and his dad. In the wilderness.

One morning while the men were away literally fishing for our dinner the ladies took the children to the park in the morning to play.

Nora found a love for fishing during the trip too.  She's like her mother though, loves to catch them and hates taking them off.

One of the things the kids still talk about is driving on Dad's lap.  And one of the reasons they say they want to go back up north! I was a little nervous to let them do this but Dan brushed me off and said, "This is the kind of thing up north is for." I know it's true.  The only difference is when I was a kid I did it in the cemetery!

They had one of the most amazing zoos I have ever been to.  Many of the animals were roaming free so you could walk up to them and feed them too.  It was kind of amazing being this close to animals. 

Not gonna lie, I'm kind of scared in this picture.  I kept thinking of "when animals attack".

 

These goats were aggressive! You walk into their area and they know you'll have food and they aren't afraid to try to get it themselves.  They'll jump up on you, they'll try sticking their noses in your pockets.  Like I said, aggressive. Nora ended up holding her own pretty well and learned quickly to use her knee to knock them back while saying no and holding her food up on the air. 

Myles found the sweetest little goat minding her own business that he felt comfortable with.

Yes, that's a bear guzzling sugar water.

It was like she was Snow White.  Jess was out there alone and they kept coming up to her. She called for reinforcements to help dole out more food.

I'm not a fan of birds.  Especially when there's a lot of them in one area.  So the bird cage was something I stayed far away from.  No desire whatsoever to enter.

A little hard to see but there are at least 4 birds sitting on Dan trying to eat the seed from his sticks.

These kids have fed more giraffes in their lives than most.  Lucky ducks. Animal pun somewhat intended.

We got her in her suit on the warm day.

and she loved every minute of being in the water.

One family picture before we left.  Crazy faces requested by Myles.  Nora didn't get the memo. After she saw it she asked, "Mom, why is everyone making silly faces and I have a beautiful smile?"

 

{Almost} The entire Guenther family on our overlap day 

(minus Greta who was napping at the time - sad face).