I grew up in the Chicago suburbs frequently recreating with similarly aged cousins at a Loomis family-owned resort with seven cabins on the northern shore of Brandywine Lake in Gobles Michigan.
We swam from light until dark, interspersed with water skiing round and round the 70 acre lake. Mom wasn’t overly fond of the “Gobles Michigan hillbillies” but tolerated “sleeping on the back of the dragon” spring-framed beds over a weekend, or one week vacation. No two dishes or silverware matched and I’d vie for the “prettiest” patterns. It was my job not to burn the toast at breakfast on the old electric toaster.
Sunday morning all the kids were loaded into the truck for a ride to town for the newspaper and candy.
Because I opted to stay in the mid-west an additional two weeks there was time to return to a rather changed Maples Resort after 52 years gone by.
Sandee baked my favorite chocolate chip cookies to take along and I rode to the lake about three hours from the Chicago suburbs with cousin Colleen and husband John after he finished working Friday afternoon. Though we arrived after dark I felt a surge of powerful energy like a welcome home after a long goodbye.
In the morning I peaked out the bedroom window and saw a marvelous light on the lake so threw on clothes and rushed outside even before coffee.
Then, I felt a little confused. Cabins #1, #2, and #3 remain, however #4, #5, and #6 were removed to build Colleen’s brother Larry’s multi-story mansion. Cabin #7 was also moved a bit to accommodate. Then there’s Colleen’s and one other family member’s house added to the end of the line. This is no longer a public resort.
Many more houses line the shore than I remember and some have replaced small cabins.
Later cousin Judy, who has lived in Gobles all her 70 years, and I walked around the woods and she showed me where her camper is parked, where the original big house had been. Sadly a tree took out that house so it was demolished.
Though many old things remain stored away and the old dinner bell has been moved.
As kids, we’d almost fight to be the one to ring that bell for Sunday supper at Effie’s huge table.
In the evening a bunch of us sat around the firepit reminiscing and feeling almost like our parents in the past. Then we BBQed hotdogs for dinner. Wasn’t quite the same as roasting water-soaked corn in their husks on the old metal bedframe over a glowing bed of coals. I’m still kicking myself for taking no photos of the people. Guess I’ll have to go back.
The following morning the light once again beckoned me outside early. But it wasn’t long before my energy level waned and I needed some down time. Colleen and John headed back to Illinois Sunday afternoon and I moved into the camper for the remainder of my stay with an undetermined leave date.
The view was pretty from there also.
Geese overhead
Clouds above and below
After another morning trip to the shore I was feeling chilly at 55° with intermittent rain.
Later, Judy and I went out and visited the Pumpkin Man at Jim and Diana’s recommendation. Absolutely everything is orange. Sadly, pumpkins weren’t yet harvested but I bought an acorn squash for dinner and Judy got some Mums.
With nights in the 40s we decided to fill one of the camper propane tanks so I wouldn’t run out of heat. While out that day we took a drive around the lake.
Afternoon walks through the woods yielded plenty of surprises.
As did waking up several times in one morning to the scratching sound of mice in the camper. So I moved again, this time into Judy’s house just up the road from the lake.
Mostly we spent time talking and catching up on all those missing years. Figured out my last visit was for Judy’s wedding in August 1970. Sadly her husband died over a year ago. We are definitely from the same tribe.
Thursday morning Judy’s daughter and SIL left for a camping trip in the UP so there were chores to be done like feeding Ervin the Burmese dog, Pedro the miniature burro, and Loomis the very large horse.
Plus we spent time sitting in the sunshine by their pond full of fish and frogs.
Yet we also found time for more walks along the lake and in the woods.
My last full day we took the pontoon boat out for a different perspective. Then the wind worked against us getting back to the dock. So Judy just beached the boat and later when the wind dropped her brother Gene moved it.
In the morning I slowly walked the labyrinth, breathing deep of the Autumn scented air.
In the afternoon, Sandee and Carl came to get me via sightseeing along the way and we returned to Illinois.
I’ve gone through several culture and landscape changes over these three weeks in the Midwest. All of them wonderful. But to be honest, except for a full day of flying, I’m ready to return to Arizona. There’s no place like home. So now I’m working on Judy to visit me in December.
Ervin & Effie Loomis bought Maples Resort in Gobles, Michigan during the late 1940s.
Wes, Ervin, Howard, and Fred Loomis
Ervin was one of four brothers, including my grandpa Howard, sons to Clara May Loomis who was an actress in her youth.
Thank you to everyone who made this trip possible.
