When he is not swamped with his Hollywood projects,
Josh Duhamel retreats to his off-grid property in Minnesota, where outdoor barbecues, fishing and lake days offer him and his son a taste of the simple life.
asserted
barbecues → swamp → life
Duhamel bought his first parcel of Minnesota lakefront land around 2008.
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Duhamel → buy → 2008
Soon enough, he purchased the property next to it, bringing the total to 52 acres.
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he → purchase → acres
The land sat empty except for an old cabin.
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land → sit → cabin
It was the kind of fixer-upper that most buyers avoid.
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buyers → avoid → that
The cabin had no electricity or plumbing.
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cabin → have → electricity
For Duhamel, it became the most meaningful investment he had ever made.
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he → become → Duhamel
The property sits 40 minutes from civilisation in northwest Minnesota, nestled on a lake not far from where his father lives.
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father → sit → lake
So, for him, buying this land only made sense.
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buying → buy → sense
The fixer-upper soon became his favourite getaway spot.
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upper → become → ?
Now with all the amenities, the Minnesota cabin is every bit the family retreat he dreamt of.
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he → dream → amenities
Before becoming the heartthrob of Hollywood, Josh Duhamel was an outdoorsy guy.
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Duhamel → become → Hollywood
As a kid, he chased salamanders in the woods of North Dakota.
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he → chase → Dakota
"My buddies and I were living our lives like Huck Finn," the actor, 53, told Men’s Journal.
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actor → live → Journal
His days were spent fishing in the summer and sledding in the winter.
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days → spend → winter
Those memories made him want a place in Minnesota’s wilderness, and that led him to purchase the fixer-upper cabin.
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that → make → cabin
"My father lives in Minnesota.
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father → live → Minnesota
The place that I got is near his, on the lake and out in the deep woods.
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I → get → woods
I always come back with my spirit feeling lifted," he told the outlet.
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he → come → outlet
When he bought the property, it was just a piece of land with a cabin on it.
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it → buy → it
"It was just half a parcel of land at first, which had an old cabin on it with no plumbing or electricity," he said.
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he → have → plumbing
But he had no complaints.
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he → have → complaints
In fact, he found the place refreshing.
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place → find → fact
Going back to a simple life only brought him joy.
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Going → go → joy
"Straight-up old-fashioned outhouse, and it was time to shower in the lake.
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it → shower → lake
Building from scratch
While the wilderness of Minnesota and the fun the lake and outdoors had to offer were exhilarating, the challenges inside the cabin were real.
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challenges → build → cabin
The initial cabin offered nothing but the basics.
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cabin → offer → basics
Water came from the lake.
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Water → come → lake
Waste went into an outhouse.
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Waste → go → outhouse
Showers meant a trip to the lake.
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Showers → mean → lake
Doing dishes involved carrying water.
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Doing → do → water
When the neighbouring property came on the market, the actor bought it, taking the whole property to 52 acres.
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actor → come → acres
That second parcel had electricity.
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parcel → have → electricity
Over time, a third parcel joined the portfolio, bringing with it another structure.
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parcel → join → structure
The transition from outhouse to infrastructure took time.
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transition → take → time
Digging a well became a priority once he could afford it.
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he → dig → it
‘I put in a well this year, so we finally have a working toilet and shower inside,’ he told the outlet during their 2017 interview.
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he → put → interview
Running water meant no more shuttling to the lake.
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water → run → lake
Electricity from the second cabin followed.
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Electricity → follow → cabin
With power and water secured, he could focus on other improvements: a boat dock for fishing, cleared areas for grilling, and the kind of installations that transform raw land into liveable space.
uncertain
that → secure → space
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia
