The Lake of Good Memories

It’s January, it’s snowing, and it’s cold. What a wonderful time to think about vacation! The vacations of my youth were very traditional and very consistent. Every year, in July, we went to a cabin at Lake Wallenpaupack and had wonderful times.

When I say we,  I mean  my extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings. In fact, any particular July there could be any combination of relatives staying at the cabin.  The cabin itself belonged to my Uncle Dave’s supervisor, some guy named Rhody. So Rhody’s cabin it was.

It was in a small cluster of cabins in an area called Lakeview Acres. To get to the cabin you had to take two very long dirt roads past nothing but woods. The cabin itself was wooden clapboard, if I remember correctly. You would go in the front door, into a large living room with fireplace. Directly to the right of the front door, as you entered, was a small bedroom.  Once in the living room, opposite the fireplace, were two more small bedrooms and a bathroom. In the ceiling was a pull down set of stairs which led to the attic which was filled with about ten more beds. This is where the kids usually ended up.

Into the kitchen, small but utilitarian and with a long, long, dining room table. The site of many awesome vacation breakfasts. The view from the kitchen window was spectacular. Lake Wallenpaupack in full view.

We walked the dirt road to the lake itself and our dock and rowboat. Many good times fishing from the boat and jumping into the lake water from the dock. Even in July, lake water can be…refreshing!  There was a small wooded island maybe a quarter mile off shore. A famous family legend involves that island. My brother, Gary, had an argument with his fiancé, Nancy. In the middle of the night, Gary rowed our rowboat to the island and spent the night there! Such a long time ago.

At night we would go deer spotting, sometimes counting into the hundreds. Sometimes we would travel to a resort called White Beauty View and see a movie, or swim at their sandy beach, or buy souvenirs.  Most of the time though was spent at the lake, or in the cabin, or in it’s wonderful side yard.  We didn’t have to be doing anything special to have fun. Just family being together was more than enough!

I tried to find Rhody’s cabin a few years ago, maybe 40 years after I had last been there. I found Lakeview Acres! I was able to find it because I remembered the villages of Greentown and Newfoundland. Did I find the cabin? Maybe, but maybe not. There were no long dirt roads, only blacktop. There was not a cluster of cabins, but a multitude, back to back and side by side.  I saw a little white cabin that could have been ours. But I can’t say for certain. Maybe that is a good thing. Maybe Rhody’s cabin is best left in my memory. Not maybe, for sure.