A Sunday Drive

At the first hint of nice weather we run to the nearest body of water. And Sunday was that day. It was a clear, blue sky kind of day. Our Sunday drive to the lake turned into a bittersweet adventure. Being outside and  being able to smell the outdoors and sit by the lake was so close to heaven that it made me breathe that deep breath of relaxation you get on vacation. I even got to spend some time swinging on a swing. If the kids aren't using them, I am! 

Our route to the lake is one we've driven many times. Along the way there are plenty of quaint hotels and resorts, but there are also a couple that seem to have been all but forgotten. It has long been a dream of ours to purchase an old 'cabin camp' or 'cabin court' as they were once called. So with little traffic on the road and no real place to go, we pulled off and decided to scope out one of these properties. It was heartbreaking to see these once sweet little dutch inspired cottages sitting abandoned, in the truest definition of the term. 

Doors were left ajar giving us a glimpse of beds no longer providing someone a restful night's sleep. Books lined the shelves waiting to be picked up and read. Curtains still hung in the windows. The porches and roofs were collapsing under the pressure of the elements. 

It was ironic to me that what was once a place of rest and relaxation for those taking their 'Sunday drive' into the country, now sit, left uncared for, weathering the years with no tender loving care. The stories they hold, forgotten. 

Although there are many cottages and cabins that have had similar fates, being bypassed by bigger and supposedly better things, there still is a home in my heart for these places. And I believe, that with a little help, there is still a place for them now. Telling their story is one small step in bringing them back to life.