Tomorrow Bill and I are heading out to Wisconsin to visit family and friends. Most of Bill’s family lives in either Minnesota (where Bill’s originally from) or Wisconsin, so we usually make a trip out there during the summer. Lucky for us, Bill’s Aunt and Uncle and his Grandfather both have homes on a great property in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, right on Lake Wissota. It’s a beautiful lake and lots of fun during the warmer months. We will be heading there during the second part of our trip and to Solon Springs, Wisconsin for the first part to stay at a friend’s lake cabin. Basically, we have a lot of lake time in our future and I’m not mad about it.
As much as I enjoy a trip to the ocean, I really do love lakes. I love hanging out on boats and being on the water during the day and then sitting by the fire at night. It’s relaxing, peaceful, laid back and overall just a really nice way to spend a few days. I feel like at this point I have a pretty good handle on what I need to pack for these types of trips, so below I’ve rounded up some items I always make sure to have in my bag when heading to a lake.
I’ve broken down my list into a few categories — bathing suits (duh), cover ups, comfy sweaters (for when the temps drop at night), shoes, comfortable/casual dresses and of course my favorite low maintenance beauty products and sunscreens!
Bathing Suits
This summer I’ve shopped for bathing suits more than I have in years. There are so many cute options out there this season and I can’t resist any of them. This seersucker off-the-shoulder two piece has been in heavy rotation (recently seen here!) and I just picked up this adorable gingham bikini from J.Crew that I can’t wait to wear.
Cover Ups
A good cover up is necessary for long days at the lake. I’m a fan of light dresses like the ones below, but recently I’ve been loving a white denim skirt as an alternative. If you have a cute bathing suit top a skirt provides a little coverage for daytime activities but still looks really cute.
Sweaters
My favorite sweater to wear on cooler summer nights is my J.Crew 1988 rollneck sweater. It’s a classic and just warm enough! My mom recently found her J.Crew rollneck from years ago and it still looks and feels so good. Lucky for me she let me have it and I wear it all the time.
Shoes
When it comes to shoes at the lake I pack a couple pairs of versatile sandals and two pairs of sneakers. I picked up these Converse Jack Purcell sneakers (pictured above!) earlier in the summer and I’ve been wearing them with everything from jeans to dresses.
Dresses
I’m not a huge shorts fan so I usually opt for dresses during the summer. For the lake I’m packing a couple casual/comfortable options like this Free People one (pictured above!) that I’ve been living in the last two months.
Beauty & Sunscreen
You don’t need a lot of makeup at the lake so I just throw in some essentials (mini dry shampoo, CC cream, etc.) along with a few of my favorite sunscreens.
That’s about it! Although I try to pack as light as possible, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t already ask Bill to put some of my stuff in his suitcase…
Which do you prefer — lake or beach?!
Photos by Julia D’Agostino