Weekend Getaway: Cabin by the Lake in Minnesota

Around Nick's birthday last month, we took our first trip without Cooper since we adopted him last June – crazy right? Having a dog is seriously like having a kid sometimes... we were so sad to leave him behind! Luckily, B & David took very good care of him while we were away!

We weren't planning on traveling in July, but Nick's family has a cabin on one of the many lakes in Minnesota & when his grandma sent a group text seeing if everyone could get together the weekend before his birthday, we jumped at the chance! It was the perfect opportunity to spend time together, meet more members of Nick's family, and take a break from the stresses of work.

DAY ONE

So after a full day of work, we took the red-eye flight out of Los Angeles and arrived in Minnesota at about 6am (note to self: never take a red eye for a 3-hour flight). Once we touched down in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," we drove to Lake Alexander – and pulled over at some fun road trip-style pitstops along the way. Once we arrived at the cabin, we made the decision not to take a nap & just pushed through the full day after only an hour or so of sleep. The weather was absolutely gorgeous – like I said, I've only visited in the chilly fall & winter months, so we spent the whole day outside drinking Michelob Golden Light (only available in the midwest!), playing badminton (which is surprisingly difficult), and enjoying the warm weather.

DAY TWO

After an incredible first night's sleep to the sounds of a thunderstorm, we woke up the next day rejuvenated and ready for our only full day on the lake. We took the boat out a couple times to sand bars, which made it easy to either swim or stand in the middle of the lake. After a full day of relaxation, getting ice cream from a real ice cream truck (my first time!), and sitting around the campfire eating s'mores, we spent our last night outside in a tent under thousands of stars. I got one of my best sleeps ever... sleeping outside in a tent (with an air mattress) is the best.

DAY THREE

On our last day, we had a slow morning and then took the boat to a nice lunch. Pretty soon, it was time to say our goodbyes and head back to the airport. Before our flight, we had one of the best airport meals I've ever had at a Mexican restaurant called Cocina Del Barrio – who knew the Mexican food would be so good in the midwest?!

Now that we're back, we're trying to live stress-free like we did that weekend on the lake – not glued to our phones, checking emails, and worried about work. Our new term for this way of life is #LakeLife. It's tough to live by when we're not on the lake anymore, but we're doing our very best!

What's your favorite way to de-stress?