Get A Lakes Life Stories

The Dailey Family:

Jenni Daily and her family moved to the lakes of northwest Iowa region from western Nebraska.With countless opportunities for fun and entertainment, Jenni, a program manager at Rembrandt Foods in Spirit Lake, says her family loves their lakes life.

“Being here in the lakes area has really given us a lot of opportunities to do different things that we wouldn’t have had in western Nebraska,” she says. “To be outside, and we love the walking trails. We love Arnolds Park. I think we spent every weekend last year at Arnolds Park.”

"If you haven't experienced life in the lakes area of Northwest Iowa, you are missing out and you absolutely need to come check this place out. It is unbelievable."

The Follon Family:

Darcie Follon loves her job as a registered nurse in the Iowa Great Lakes region.

She’s a registered nurse at Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake. She’s worked at the hospital for the last 11 years.

“I love what I do,” Follon says. “We have probably the best physicians you could imagine to work with.”

The best part of what Follon does, though, is where she does it. That’s the beauty of having a Lakes Life.

“Weekends that I don’t work or days that I have off, we’re on the water with our family, our friends,” Follon says. “There’s just so much to do.”

She’s lived in a bigger community, too. The life she had their doesn’t compare to what she has now, living in the lakes region with her husband, Bill, and their son.

"It's just that feeling like one big family."

The Malmstrom Family:

Drs. Leah and Lee Malmstrom are entrepreneurs who love their Lakes Life.

Together, they own Spencer Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Spencer, Iowa, located in the beautiful Iowa Great Lakes region.

Through their business, the Malmstroms help people get better and stay healthier without drugs or surgery.

“I love our life here up in northwest Iowa,” Leah says. “Your overall stress levels are so much lower. The pace of life is not so hectic and crazy. Now, when we go back to the city, the people, the traffic and the crowds – it’s just too much.”

The Reed Family:

Jordan Reed and his wife, Chelsea, don’t miss living in a larger city.

The young couple moved to Spencer, in the Iowa Great Lakes region of northwest Iowa, when they began to think about raising a family.

“We got to thinking about starting a family and whether we wanted that to happen in a large city or give our kids room to roam, letting them be out playing, exploring like kids should,” Jordan says.

He and Chelsea, along with their three kids, love their Lakes Life and the opportunities available in the region.

“We enjoy a really nice quality of live in northwest Iowa,” Jordan says. “Don’t miss the traffic (of urban areas). I don’t miss my 45-minute commute every morning. I can be to my desk at work in 10 minutes.”

To read more about why these families love their Lakes Lives, check out GetALakesLife.com, and if you love your lakes life and would like to share your story, become a Community Champion!