With the retail holiday season approaching, my family and I decided it was time for a vacation. Our first fall vacation. We scoured various vacation websites trying to find the perfect secluded place within a decent driving distance, as we were taking our two dogs (medium lab mixes) along this time and finally found the one: Julie's Serene Get-Away, a cabin nestled in a subdivision of Gaylord, Michigan.
Upon first pulling up into the driveway, we saw how much had gone into making this house a home. The details alone were spectacular: from embellished hardwood floors to the beautiful Christmas decorations to the heated floors, pathways and driveway to having everything one could possibly need, including extra coats and boots in the closet! Julie's cabin was cozy but not tiny, by any means. Our family of 6 adults and two dogs had more than enough room (and bathrooms) during our stay.
While the weather wasn't exactly what we imagined (it snowed every day we were there!), it turned out to be what we needed. We were able to get the full experience of living in a cabin: fall cabin life and winter cabin life. It was amazing watching the snow blanket everything in a pristine white throughout the mornings and melt away into bright oranges, reds and yellows by the afternoons.
We hiked the trails surrounding the home, took our dogs for several walks around the subdivision each day, "we caught a fish," we attempted to roast marshmallows but failed at getting a fire started (it was still too wet in the fire pit from the snow), built gingerbread Halloween houses and got to spend quality time together as a family. We even sat down to eat our dinners together without distractions like the television, phones or computers, which is a rare occurrence at our home.
We only saw one person during our entire trip, which was exactly what we were hoping. However, even though we were this secluded, we were still close enough to any amenities we needed; there were quite a few shops, restaurants and a Walmart within a five mile drive.
While the trip only lasted a total of four days, I'm thankful for the time there and being able to spend more time with my family, whom I rarely see between our work schedules.
We look forward to visiting again next year. As always, I took hundreds of photos and will post some of my favorites below. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed being there.
