The Summer Road Trip

The car was full of bags and food. My dad packed the trunk carefully. "Is everyone ready?" he asked. My brother and I nodded. We left the noisy city behind us. We drove for three hours on the highway. Slowly, the tall buildings disappeared. We saw green trees and blue hills instead. The road became smaller and curvier. We opened the windows to feel the wind. The air smelled different here. It smelled like pine trees and rain. We were tired from sitting, but we were very excited to see the lake.

We arrived at the cabin in the afternoon. It was made of dark wood and had a large porch. It looked old but friendly. My mom unlocked the front door with a rusty key. Inside, the air was hot and dusty. "Let’s open everything!" Mom said. We opened all the windows and doors. The fresh breeze came inside. We swept the floor and put sheets on the beds. There was no television and no internet. It was very quiet. I could only hear the birds singing in the tall trees. It felt like a different world.

I woke up very early the next morning. The sun was just starting to rise. I put on a sweater because it was chilly. I walked down the wooden stairs to the lake. There was a long wooden dock sitting on the water. I sat on the end of the dock and dangled my feet. The water was very still. It looked like a mirror. A little mist floated above the water. I saw a duck swimming quietly near the shore. It was the most peaceful moment of the whole summer.

"Today, we will catch dinner," Grandpa said. He gave me a fishing rod. We went to the edge of the lake. Grandpa showed me how to put a worm on the hook. It was a little gross, but I did it. We threw our lines into the water and waited. Fishing requires a lot of patience. We waited for a long time. Suddenly, my red bobber went under the water. "Pull!" Grandpa shouted. I pulled hard. It was a small sunfish! It was too small to eat, so we put it back.

In the afternoon, my brother and I took the canoe. We wore our orange life jackets. Safety is important on the lake. My brother sat in the back and steered. I sat in the front and paddled. The canoe moved smoothly through the water. We paddled to the other side of the lake. It was very wild there. "Look!" whispered my brother. On the shore, we saw a deer drinking water. We stopped paddling and floated silently. The deer looked at us, shook its ears, and ran back into the forest.

Dinner was a classic summer barbecue. Dad cleaned the grill on the patio. He put charcoal inside and lit a fire. Soon, the coals were hot and gray. He cooked hamburgers and hot dogs. The smell was delicious. Mom made a big potato salad and cut up some watermelon. We ate outside on the picnic table. I put ketchup and mustard on my hot dog. The watermelon was sweet and juicy. Eating outside always makes the food taste better. We talked and laughed until the sun went down.

The only bad thing about the lake is the bugs. When the sun goes down, the mosquitoes come out. They are small, but they are very annoying. I heard a buzzing sound in my ear. Slap! I tried to hit it, but I missed. My arm started to itch. "Put on some bug spray," Mom said. The spray smelled strong, but it helped. We also lit citronella candles on the table. The smoke from the candles keeps the bugs away. Next time, I will wear long sleeves at night.

One afternoon, the sky turned dark gray. The wind started to blow the trees hard. "A storm is coming," Dad said. We ran inside the cabin and closed the windows. Suddenly, we heard loud thunder. Boom! Then we saw bright lightning. Rain hit the metal roof of the cabin. It was very loud, like a drum. We could not go outside. We sat on the rug and played board games. It felt cozy inside while the storm raged outside. After an hour, the rain stopped and the sun came out again.

On our last night, we made a campfire. We sat around the fire on logs. It was time for dessert. In America, the best camping dessert is "s'mores." You need three things: a graham cracker, a piece of chocolate, and a marshmallow. I put a marshmallow on a stick and held it over the fire. It turned brown and soft. I put the hot marshmallow and the chocolate between two crackers. The chocolate melted. It was sticky, sweet, and messy. It was the perfect end to the day.

The week passed too quickly. It was time to go home. We packed our bags and put them in the car. We had to clean the cabin for the next visitors. We washed the dishes and swept the floor again. Dad locked the door. I walked down to the dock one last time. "Goodbye, lake," I whispered. I took a picture of the water with my mind. I felt sad to leave, but happy about our memories. "Don't worry," Mom said. "We will come back next summer."