Rewind a few weeks to the 4th of July. Our “off-week” if you will. We had the pleasure of introducing our good friends, the Mavros, to Eagle Falls Lodge. This family has become very near and dear to our hearts since we moved to Illinois. Our shared love of sports, good food, laughter, running, Mario kart, and general shenanigans made it easy for us to get along.
They were looking for a family vacation a little bit out of their usual comfort zone for this summer. None of them had spent much time fishing or camping, and to load up three littles for a 900+ mile car ride due north with an off-the-grid fishing destination seemed to qualify. We, of course, were happy to play our part in their adventure. And I was selfishly thrilled to get a mid-summer visit from some of my favorites.
It was SO wonderful to have them in camp. Everyone caught fish and had a blast with everything that comes with lodge life.
Jeff landed a 23″ walleye out on Parker lake:
Ella was especially enthralled with caring for the minnows while out in the boat. She liked to hold them and deliver them to each person fishing as necessary. But especially holding them. 
Niko might qualify for the youngest angler to ever visit at 4 years old. He was very chill in the boat – fished a bit, snacked a lot, and provided lots of entertainment. He tried spicy sprite for the first time (aka ginger ale) and was a huge fan.
Lily was more of the serious angler, which fits her personality. My favorite quote from her during the trip was “Fishing is my life!” She loved to catch them, but not so much on the holding.
Here is the whole family with their first fish fry stringer:
On their last night we had a bonfire. It was a big hit. Smores all around. 
Thank you, Mavros family for making the trek up! It was a good time had by all.