Nestled on the shores of Round Lake in Minnesota, you’ll find the Davidge hideout.
A lot of people enjoy cabin life, but what makes the trip to the family retreat unique is the actual distance from their home. The Davidge family lives less than 20 minutes away from their cabin.
Eric and Julie Davidge purchased the cabin in their hometown of Brainerd, Minn., about four years ago when their kids were at an age where their lives were getting busier and busier. The couple wants to spend as much time with their children as possible and knew buying a cabin would help keep them close.
“We looked at cabins out of the area, but we knew we wouldn’t use it as much if it was hours away,” explains Julie. “So instead, we decided to go with a location that was more convenient for our busy schedules. It’s still a getaway, but if someone has to leave to go to work or to dance practice, hockey or whatever, they can.”
Adds Eric, “As crazy as it sounds to have a cabin in the same town you live in, we feel like we’re gone when we’re here. We try and act like we’re on vacation as much as we can.”
Family Tradition
Eric and Julie have four children, three daughters and the youngest being their son. Kayelee is 22, Mackenzie 17, Avery 15 and Keegan who is now 10 have all grown up around the water and have been enjoying the boating lifestyle for many years before the family purchased their cabin. Growing up around boats was something both Julie and Eric wanted to pass down to their children.
“My parents both worked but on the weekends we always went to the lake, so I grew up boating,” says Julie. “Even before the cabin, we kept our boat on the lake so our own family could have a similar experience.”
Adds Eric, “Boating is an activity that you can do together as a family as opposed to other sports or activities where if you have a different skill level or an age gap you might not be able to enjoy it together. And the nice thing about having a cabin is our kids want to come. We don’t have to drag them here.”
Just Our Size
The Davidge family owned a cruiser boat for seven years and then a ski boat for about four years before purchasing a Misty Harbor pontoon. Heading into their third season, the family couldn’t be happier with their decision to go with the Misty Harbor 2285 CS with a Suzuki 140 four-stroke. The three-logged pontoon was an instant upgrade for the couple who likes to go out on the water with their kids and their friends, as well as the family dog. Having the bigger boat makes this all possible.
“It was hard to accommodate a lot of people with the other boats that we had, especially the cruiser that has a cockpit style where you could get maybe five people in it at once,” says Eric. “The ski boat was a little easier, but it was still too close. Plus I feel safer letting my kids take out the pontoon versus a powerboat. Not that you can’t get into trouble with a pontoon, but this one goes 30 while the other went 60.”
Best Of Both
The Davidge family enjoys their time on Round Lake, which is a shallow lake that warms up quicker after the winter ice thaws. What makes this lake so popular is when compared to other lakes in the area it’s smaller and quieter, yet it still gives the family access to Gull Lake, which is one of the larger lakes in the area. Gull Lake is best known for is many resorts, restaurants and sandbars, so a trip to Bar Harbor—one of their favorite on-water stops for great quality food—is possible. Going to different restaurants by boat is just one of the many different ways the family enjoys their pontoon.
Why Misty Harbor
Misty Harbor has been a family-owned company since its inception in 1989 and is currently manufacturing pontoons in its 115,000-square-foot facility in Fort Dodge, Iowa. With 35 different pontoon models to choose from including its Skye, Biscayne Bay, Adventure and Explorer series ranging from 12- to 26-foot long decks, the family liked having a lot of options.
The Davidges ended up purchasing a Misty Harbor pontoon nearly three years ago from Brainerd Sports Outlet, but not before they first did their homework.
“We have friends who own Misty Harbor’s and they highly recommend them,” says Julie. “I was probably the most hesitant to go from a ski boat to a pontoon, but now that we have it I love it.”
The Davidges have a connection with Brian Halverson who owns Brainerd Sports Outlet. He purchased the dealership from his father Jim over 10 years ago, so the business has been in his family since 1995 and the popular boat dealer has been offering Misty Harbor pontoons since day one.
“Misty Harbor has always been the bread and butter of the boats we sell,” says Brian. “There was a time when we used to carry up to seven different pontoon lines, but today we have just one. We sell around 35 pontoons a year and we love the range Misty Harbor provides from its entry-level 12-foot models to its high-end Skye line of pontoons.”
The Misty Harbor 2285 CS came packaged with a Suzuki, which worked out great since this engine manufacturer was Eric’s first choice after owning several of them over the years.
“I love our Suzuki outboard; it’s a great motor and a great fit for our pontoon,” says Eric. “If we were to do it again, we’d probably go a little bigger, like maybe in the 26-foot range and bump up to a Suzuki 200hp, but we’re extremely happy with the boat we have. It’s been great for our family.”
Adds Julie, “Our goal was to have our kids spend as much time on the water as possible and the Misty Harbor allows us to do that.”
Trailer?
Like a lot of boaters in Minnesota, the Davidge family doesn’t own a boat trailer. In the spring the boat goes into the water and then in the fall the dealer returns to take it out, shrink wrap it and store it for the winter.
“Our dealer probably stores over 100 boats or so,” says Eric. “They pick up boats at all the lakes around here, which really makes it easy for all of us.”
Despite having busy lives, the family continues to make time for each other. Julie is the Youth Program Manager for Just For Kix throughout the U.S. and has been organizing youth programs, camp divisions and special events for over 23 years. Eric is a financial advisor at Stifel Nicolaus & Co Inc., a regional firm, and helps others plan for retirement and has been doing this for over 20 years as well. As their children get older and get more involved with other interests, it’s nice that the family has a quick retreat available. While some might question owning a cabin in such a close proximity to their home, it clearly works for the Davidge family and in a lot of ways it makes perfect sense.
