By Public Insight Network member Gary Linders

We have our place on Island Thirty Six Frazer Bay, Lake Vermilion. Needless to say, the ice must be out before we can go out. I’ve broken ice one time to get out there (it’s about a mile and a half from the landing), but I wouldn’t do that again with our new boat. The last time we have been there was the first part of January by snow machines. We call our place Summer Stuga De Nord. My wife, Rita and I are retired teachers and live on a small farm just north of Cambridge, MN.

By Public Insight Network member Dale Johnston

Our cabins are primitive. We do not have electricity or running water. A year-around outdoor hand pump provides water. Propane gas for lights and cooking is a recent improvement. We have two log cabins, both of which we have built. The small cabin 10 x 15 feet was built in the early 80′s. A few years later we built a cabin four times larger. I recently restored the small cabin with new foundation.

Colleen Spillers writes that owning a cabin is “totally part of the Minnesota Dream. Just not part of the Minnesota Reality at this point in my life.”

Is owning a cabin part of your Minnesota dream?

90 years old, 430 sq ft, one room, bliss #tellmpr twitter.com/Peteyski1/stat…

— Jon Peterson (@Peteyski1) May 24, 2013

The tradition of going to the lake in the Minnesota summer is changing, but remains an important part of the identify of many Minnesotans.

Eight question with Jeff Forester, Executive Director, Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates:

How many cabins are there in Minnesota?
In 2005 there were about 125,000 cabin properties in Minnesota. In 2012, that number dropped a bit to 122,000.

How many are owned by a Minnesotan?
About 80% of the seasonal properties are owned by Minnesotans. But many that are not owned by Minnesotans are owned by snowbirds who were recently Minnesotan, or families with strong ties to Minnesota.
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Sabrina Brady of Sparta, Wisc. who is an artist and a high school student is getting a large audience for her work today. Her Google Doodle is featured on the Google homepage. (more…)