Distinctly Montana Magazine

22 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 4 - 2 5 But always I felt the temptation to simply return to the Bison cabin and en- joy all of the com- fort and relaxation of Lakeshore. One evening, a storm gathered over the opposite shore of the lake, and we watched the darkening sky. The once-calm water de- veloped into choppy waves that splashed the rocks while sheets of rain battered the grass. Then, all at once it stopped, and tranquility was restored to the waterside. We watched it all from inside while we sipped on hot cocoa, warm and comfortable, ignoring the HD TV mounted on the wall in favor of nature's own sublime entertainment. I called my mom on the final night that we were staying there and reassured her in no uncertain terms. "It's wonderful," I said. "You're still going to love it. In fact, you might love it even more than you did before." For me, a really nice, relaxing getaway inevitably invites a sense of melancholy. Usually, it's after I get home and I start thinking about all of the stuff that I presumably went on a get- away to get away from—bills to pay, offices to sit in all day, re- sponsibilities to mind. If you're like me, you get a sort of hangdog feeling a few days after coming back, as if in mourning for your dear departed excursion. I call it the "don't-wanna-go blues." Well, you should con- sider it high praise for Lakeshore when I tell you that a bittersweet feeling set in around noon of the last day when I realized that I would have to va- cate these gorgeous and oh-so-so-comfortable environs in less than 24 hours. Do I really have to leave, I asked myself in the same tone that my seven-year-old son laments having to leave the video arcade. The new-and-improved Lakeshore is destined to give you the "don't-wanna-go blues," that's for sure. If the acute melancholy which is the symptom of that ailment is too much for you to bear, I have just one recommendation: book a longer stay. Mom, if you're reading this and I haven't already called to ask, do you mind if we and the kids tag along this year? One week a year isn't enough. Call it a new family tradition. Do I really have to leave? I ASKED MYSELF IN THE SAME TONE THAT MY SEVEN-YEAR-OLD SON LAMENTS HAVING TO LEAVE THE VIDEO ARCADE.

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