I am a native and resident of the mountains of North Carolina.
My first exposure to northern Minnesota was in the early '70s while fishing the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness with guides Harry and Mary Lambirth. I am an avid grouse and woodcock hunter and, following my retirement in 1988, I became an annual fall guest of the Lambirths, who spend their winters in the Blackduck, Minn., area.
In 1993, we acquired 29 acres of woodland and quickly built a 432-square-foot cabin, with one small bedroom and a loft that sleeps three. Each spring, my wife, De'An, and I spend five to six weeks in Blackduck, and each fall I spend seven weeks hunting and am joined by numerous friends from North Carolina.
While the hunting and fishing is great, the most beneficial aspect of our investment is the many Minnesota friends we have made, many of whom have visited us in North Carolina.
Phil McGuire, Boone, N.C.
