My boys and my mom, walking through the woods.

I’ve spent the past week on vacation with my two sons up in Eagle River, Wisconsin.  This spot holds a lot of history for me: I’ve come up to Eagle River every year of my life to visit the house that has been in my family for 50 years. 
 
Eagle River is an incredible place with a rich history behind it.  The area was carved out by the prehistoric glaciers that moved across the northern parts of the country during the last ice age.  Loggers and fur traders were the first to settle Eagle River back in the 19th century, and later in the 1920s, gangsters from Chicago used the town as a hideout during Prohibition.  Nowadays, Eagle River has become an ideal getaway spot for naturists.  It boasts over a million acres of federal and state forests and is home to the world’s largest chain of freshwater lakes, 28 total, making for excellent fishing.  And for those brave enough to face the Wisconsin cold, Eagle River is just as much fun in the winter.  It is renowned as the snowmobile capital of the world, hosting the World Champion Snow Mobile Derby every year.
 
I brought my boys up here to visit family and to go fishing.  This was my four-year-old son, Charlie’s, fifth visit, and he caught 22 fish within his first hour!  And not just minnows – he caught a mix of perch, bass, crappie, blue gill and sunfish.  My two-year-old, Oliver, caught his first fish on this trip.  Unfortunately, I had less luck trying to catch muskies.  They’re widely known as “the fish of 10,000 casts,” and I didn’t manage to snag one this trip.  But I couldn’t be prouder of my two sons.
 
It’s been great to take a bit of a break and come back to my home state. Still, it will be fun to get back to Washington—FairWinds will be moving from its office in Dupont Circle to a bigger space in Georgetown. New space, new look.