Any Southerners have Summer homes up North?

[Markola]

We would be looking around Solon Springs or Hayward Wisconsin. Lots of lakes and fishing and a nice change of scenery for a few weeks or few months out of the year.

I am from Georgia but married a Minnesotan and I know that remote and beautiful area of WI very well. The season is short, so one thing to ask yourself is whether you're going to worry a lot about your home up in WI when it is 10, 20, 30 below. If a pipe busts or an animal or vandal gets in, you won't find out until spring, unless you pay for a service and/or web cam. DW and I rent a far better cabin than we could ever purchase on the shore of Lake Superior every year for a week. We take our own pots and pans, tools and even shower curtain and make it our own. Last year, I rewired a busted porch light that the cheap owners and management had ignored by just putting tape over the switch. I enjoy such projects. Anyway, there's nothing better than turning in the keys at the end of a great week and not giving that place's maintenance needs a second thought for a year!

 

[Maenad]

My MIL and her husband live down in Arkansas and have a place up in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area for the summers. We have successfully avoided visiting thus far.

 

[audreyh1]

To me I would have to go west of the Cascades to cool off in the summer. The rest of the US is too hot! Well - the mountains higher altitude is not too bad, but it can still feel pretty warm in the 80s with the sun beating down on you at those higher altitudes, even though the nights are delicious. But the super low humidity can still be hard to take.

Anyway - I've considered a Pacific NW place for the summer. But we'd rent first. Right now we are usually traveling to Europe during the summer, so the Pacific NW trek hasn't happened.

 

[Ed B]

Renting makes much more sense for us.

 

[Marita40]

NW Wisconsin is wonderful. There are a lot of historic lodges well worth visiting, and if I were you I'd hold family reunions at some of these rather than buy a place. I particularly like Garmisch and Spider Lake Lodge, and we also used to go to Seven Pines in Lewis but, alas, it is now indefinitely closed. Here's an article on some of these and other lodges and guest houses: https://midwestweekends.com/plan_a_trip/stay/lodges_resorts/Wisconsin_historic_lodges.html

 

[euro]

Anyway - I've considered a Pacific NW place for the summer..

+1!!! Oh, how I miss those gorgeous WA Summers! Lived there for 8 years and never once needed an AC, not even a ceiling fan.

 

[braumeister]

I have a friend who lives in Kentucky but spends at least four months every summer in the UP.

 

[StuckinCT]

I just bought a place in the mountains in southern VT. We have young kids and we live in CT so it is sort of a ski place but one day it could be a summer home, especially longer term if we sell our primary house and go south. I lived in Florida on the east coast on the barrier island and found summers to be a little too hot and humid, especially August and September. I also missed New England around the holidays. Even Connecticut can be hot during the summer, but this year has been really cool.