By Mallory Mattingly
RANSOM CANYON star Josh Duhamel prefers to spend time at his “doomsday cabin” with his family in Minnesota than in Hollywood.
In an interview with Country Living, the actor explained that his cabin in Minnesota is “an exhale whenever we get here.”
Duhamel, his wife, Audra Mari, and his kids spend as much time at their lakeside property, which is about an hour and a half from Fargo, North Dakota, as possible.
“And then after that, you venture even deeper into the forest,” he said. “We’re about 40 minutes from civilization.”
For Duhamel, his favorite part of the cabin is the fact that his “kids get to be kids.”
“Here, my kids get to be kids, catching frogs, collecting sticks. They come home and they’re filthy, and I think that’s so good for them,” he explained.
He shares son Axl, 11, with ex wife Fergie, and son Shepherd, 1, with Mari.
“These days, there’s so much anger in the world, and I think it’s because people are on their phones, getting caught up in whatever they’re being fed through their devices as opposed to being outside connecting with the world. Nature helps ground you to what’s important,” he added.
Duhamel posted a photo on Instagram of his interview with Parade, emphasizing why he ditched Hollywood.
“Family has always and will always be my first priority,” he wrote in the caption.
“Part of the reason I built my place out in Minnesota, deep in the woods, is it’s removed from everything,” he told Parade. “The closest store is 40 miles away. Once we get there, it’s really about everybody taking care of each other — making memories, spending time with family and friends. You really get a chance to get back to the basics. You’re not consumed by all these other distractions. When you’re out there, it’s really about having fun, making sure everybody’s warm, everybody’s got food and water.”
Duhamel has found that through his cabin, he has been able to grow closer to his parents.
“I’ve become a lot closer to my own parents because of this place, which has been interesting. My dad absolutely loves coming out there to hang out. And we’ve spent more time together in these last five, 10 years than we ever did growing up. I’m much closer to my dad,” he described. “My mom now loves coming out there. It’s become a real, central hub for all of us.”
While many actors prefer the busy Hollywood life, Duhamel loves the quiet woods of Minnesota, a place where he can raise his kids to be kids.
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