Okoboji 2021
Ahh. Okoboji. My favorite place on earth.
Every year I like to recap our Boji time because — although much of what we do is the same year to year — we tend to discover something new, and I want to remember it all.
Okoboji is my favorite place in the world. I spent my childhood summers there, went to church camp there, was living there when Eric and I started dating, got married there, and now get to make memories with our kids there. It is our paradise. I mean … where else can you boat to an amusement park?!
It’s a four-hour drive for us (or a full-day bike ride if you’re crazy like Eric), and it’s totally worth it even for just a few nights at a time. We went five times last year, which is exactly how I like it. We share a house with my mom and my siblings and their families. I’m so grateful all 13 of us enjoy each other’s company enough to stay in the same house together for what ends up being 3-4 weeks per year.
In the off-season, Okoboji turns into a small Iowa town. The entire county has a population of about 17,000 people year-round but nearly 100,000 in the summer. There are definite Dirty Dancing vibes!
If you’ve never been to Okoboji, or if you’re wanting some ideas of things to do, here are our favorites:
2021 HIGHLIGHTS
Sledding at Pikes Point State Park and walking on the frozen waves
Shuffleboard with Finch at the park
Easter egg hunt in the yard
Carbon monoxide detectors saving our lives
Finch riding the big rollercoaster for the first time!
Corn dog picnic
Dropping the kids off at camp and enjoying two days of adult time
Convertible ride to The Beach Club Lounge
Biking to Maxwell’s
Reading a book on the boat
Nutty bars on the boat
Kids playing ball in the yard and picking up sticks to make a fire
Evening swim at the dock
Sparklers on the deck
Annual sunset boat ride
Watching the Summer Olympics
Playing games at the cabin
Finch hiding in the pontoon compartments
Finch diving off the front of the pontoon
Boat snuggles
Bumping into an old friend
New swings ride at Arnold’s Park
Barefoot Bar water slide
Adults enjoying Boji Boardwalk while the kids rode amusement park rides nearby
One of these years we are going to get over there for Winter Games. It’s taking place this weekend but didn’t work out for us this year. Next year!