Creating Memories with Traditions

Remembering traditions and trips from my childhood has me longing to create these types of memories with Frankie. I can remember waking up early on Saturday mornings during the summer and loading up in the Astro Van while my dad hooked up the boat trailer so we could spend the day on Lake Lanier. My mom would pack pimento cheese sandwiches and cold fried chicken to take on the boat for lunch. She would bring all the snacks, watermelon, chips and pistachios, back then they had a red dye on them, and they would turn your fingers red. Moreover, I remember bringing Mellow Yellow or Squirt soda to drink. Oddly enough they were two sodas I don’t recall having any other time really.  Once we got out far enough from the city and closer to the lake we would stop at a roadside tent or shack for boiled peanuts (a southern delicacy).  Nowadays they sell them in regular gas stations, but unfortunately they are not as tasty as I remember them being. As we backed the boat into the water I would watch intently as my dad and mom worked together to get the boat off the trailer and into the water. To this day when I smell a boat exhaust on the lake as it cranks and starts, it brings back a flood of fun memories.

My uncle Alan taught me how to waterski. Alan spent a lot of time on that lake, he had a boat at one point also. There was an island with a rope swing that we would swing into the lake from and a bridge that the more adventurous adults would jump from. I’m pretty sure my mom jumped from it, landed wrong and ended up leaving a huge bruise on her leg. Needless to say, I don't believe I ever jumped from that bridge, even as I got older. Lake Lanier is very large and said to be haunted. Also, from what I understand it was actually a small village that was flooded. I did however get my scuba certification on this lake. Although I didn’t dive very deep, maybe about twenty-five feet, I did see some pull tab beer cans, what looked like old Christmas trees and a very old Volkswagen. This lake has some interesting history that I didn’t really find that fascinating until I was older.

Since we live less than a mile from the beach in Florida, we spend our Saturdays in the ocean. Although I love it and feel extremely fortunate to be able to do this, by the end of summer, I am ready for some freshwater lake time. The air is different on the lake, it is a refreshing change of pace. My mom's favorite lake to visit, before she passed away, was Lake Hartwell. One of her friends had a house there and we would visit her and spend the weekend tubing, swimming and just lounging around the dock. It was where she always enjoyed spending time together. Last year my husband and I started a tradition. We decided that every Labor Day weekend we would rent a Vrbo | Book your vacation rentals: beach houses, cabins, condos & more and spend the long weekend with family and friends creating fun memories with Frankie. Our first time going was a success so we will continue the tradition for many years to come.

What is a weekend on the lake without a boat? Yes, it is fun to just kayak, paddleboard and swim from the dock. However, renting a boat from Location – Harbor Light Marina is affordable, and they make it easy. The staff is friendly and helpful. They make sure you have the equipment and details you need about the lake in order to enjoy your time stress free. Last year the house we rented was only about a fifteen-minute boat ride from the marina. This year we got a larger house because we have a bigger group, and the house is a one-hour boat ride from the marina. I only know this because the gentleman from the marina took the address of the house we rented and gave me an estimate of the distance for us to better plan our day. This was not only super helpful, but it also put me at ease knowing what time we can expect to arrive back at the house to pick up the rest of the crew.

We are all looking forward to the trip this year. We have the same group coming as last year only my cousin will be joining us with his kids, making it even more exciting for Frankie because she will have other children to play with. Who am I kidding? It makes it even more exciting for me and my husband because we can relax a little more instead of constantly entertaining her. Don’t get me wrong, we will have eyes on, especially being on a lake, but she will have youngsters to entertain her. Frankie has been calling it “Lake Narwal” ever since last year and I don’t have the heart to correct her. The time will come all too soon when she can read and learn the correct spelling. Until then, Lake Narwal, here we come.