Even at this time of year, flannel shirts are still worn outdoors up north.
Submitted photo
Stepping outside through the sliding glass door onto my deck in the early afternoon is an unpleasant experience this time of year. The hot, humid air is heavy. It feels like you’re in a small bathroom with a closed door after taking a hot shower.
I enjoy nothing about the heat of summer. Once the temperature is above 80, all I can do is dream of going north.
Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota are what I mean when I talk about going north. Look, I’m keenly aware north is relative to where one lives, and in some sense, everywhere is north of somewhere. But for folks from Chicagoland, like myself, going north usually means you’re heading to one of those three states. And when you get there, you’re probably going fishing.
My grandpa spent 50 weeks a year preparing for the two weeks he and Grandma would go up north. One week in the spring, another in the fall. With the “Lady Dee,” the boat he named after her because her name was Dorlis but people called her Dee, in tow. They’d descend on some small fishing lake, where they’d stay in a rental cabin. They wanted to be far enough north to need a light jacket in the morning and evening while fishing.
I think I was 8 the first time I went north with my grandparents. We went to Yellow Lake in Wisconsin, near the town of Webster. It was the biggest adventure of my life at that point. My grandparents would explore the small towns along the way. I’ll never forget the big breakfasts, and being allowed to order fried shrimp for dinner. On one early trip, my grandma bought a giant sack of candy bars. We ate them all. It was a memory we’d recall and laugh about for 30 years.
So much of my love for the outdoors comes from these simple trips with people who cared about me. I know how blessed I was. My parents took me camping as kid, and allowed me the freedom to roam about outdoors. Both my sets of grandparents were amazing. They took me on many trips that involved time in nature. Two of my uncles took me hunting before I was old enough to go on my own.
These days, I’m trying to pay it forward.
If you want to influence a young person in your life — your own child, a grandchild, a nephew or niece, or any young person who may benefit from your time and attention — you should take them outdoors. Do an activity with them. I vote for fishing, but camping, hiking, bird watching, bicycling and so many other activities also provide opportunities to capture the heart and mind of a youngster who may be forever grateful for, and better because of, the time you spent with them.
If you want to get out of the heat for a while this summer, you should head up north. Find a cabin and book it. Take your family. There are all kinds of price ranges. Or take tent, rent a room, pull a camper, or crash with family or friends. Whatever way you go, just have a good time. That’s what my grandparents did so right. They made sure we were having fun. Grandpa appreciated when that meant being in the boat and fishing hard. But Grandma made sure I had whipped cream on my pancakes.
Up north, people are generally very nice. It’s a welcoming part of the world, with a Friday night fish fry in every town and supper clubs where the prime rib comes soaked with au jus with a side of fresh horseradish. If lake perch and cheese curds aren’t on the menu, something’s amiss.
You find a lot of transplanted Chicago Bears fans mixed amongst the Packers and Vikings loyalists, which makes for fun Sundays in the taverns. Most of those have the same knotty pine interior decorated with old local taxidermy and fishing antiques.
Daydreaming about going north, and those long ago trips taken with my grandparents, leaves me longing to load up the Lady Dee and hit the road. I’ve had the old boat since my grandpa passed away in 2004. I’m proud to say she’s still fishing. I don’t know exactly where we’d go, but Hayward, Wisconsin, Lake of the Woods, Minnesota, and Gaylord, Michigan would all be top considerations where flannel shirts and shorts would be likely attire in the same day.
See you down the trail …
Brandon Butler writes a weekly outdoors column for the Daily Journal. For more Driftwood Outdoors, check out the podcast on www.driftwoodoutdoors.com or anywhere podcasts are streamed. Send comments to [email protected].
