I had always loved that week in Lake Odessa as a child. That time during the summer that we would look forward to for months. We would plan for weeks, and pack for days. It was less than a half an hour drive to Lake O, but it felt like another world to me there. Time slowed down, and everyone seemed to be all about summer fun. My special request every year was to be there when the fair was in town. We could ride our bikes from The Cottage to the fairgrounds, and stop by the gas station on the way for candy and soda.
A trip to the ice cream shop, a quick stop downtown at the dime store, and swimming in the lake were all fun, but the fishing... the fishing was the best part!
And then the evening campfire with stories about the day, plans for the next, and flaming marshmallows on sticks. The smell of bug spray and suntan lotion, and then the kids up to the loft and the parents downstairs to sleep with the windows open and the sound of the crickets, while seeing flashing lightning bugs out the window as you drifted off to sleep.
And Lake Odessa today is pretty much the same experience. Only what I didn't know as a child, is that spring, winter, and fall offer awesome fun as well! Whether it be pickleball, bicycling, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, hiking, or skiing, there are numerous options for enjoying the outdoors year round. And when venturing out is just not your thing, taking a dip in the lakeside hot tub, or stepping next door for a dinner and perhaps bowling offer entertainment without going too far.