Camping 2015 - Trip #3 - the North Shore

Last weekend we went on our third camping trip of the summer. It was our second annual camping weekend on the North Shore with friends from church. we camped at Burlington Bay Campground in Two Harbors. We love the campground because we can have camping spots overlooking Lake Superior. Last year we went in June, and here are some comparisons regarding camping in each month:

June 

• The weather was more unpredictable - cooler, and wetter
• No bugs
• Campground not as crowded

August

• Nice summer weather
• Black biting flies always around
• Campground was packed - many sites had more than one vehicle, and more than one tent. This made the roads in the campground less safe, and the bathrooms more dirty. The campground was still very quiet at night.

We enjoyed our weekend so much. Both my husband and our friends have motorcycles, so we trailered them and brought them with us. One day the four of us jumped on the two motorcycles and enjoyed a ride up Hwy 61, stopping in Beaver Bay for lunch.

Another day we packed a lunch and the 4 of us plus our dogs piled in the pickup and drove up to Grand Marais for the day. It was beautiful!

Each night we had a campfire and roasted marshmallows and made smores. Each morning we had our coffee while looking out at Lake Superior. We walked along the shore, and threw stones in the lake. We simply enjoyed the beauty around us, the company of our friends, and the relaxation that comes with being on vacation.

Here are some pictures from our weekend.

Here is our camper on the right, and our friend's camper on the left. 

This was the view from our camper:

Our "motos" - as my grandson would say -

Craig really liked this old logging truck we saw...

We stopped to check out this marina on our way up to Grand Marais.

The rest of these pictures are from Grand Marias. It was a hazy day so the pictures are not as bright as if it had been sunny.

We had such a good time that we made reservations to go back next summer - we're going to try June again.

Minnesota State Parks - Camping 2015 - Trip #2

For our second camping trip of the summer we headed south to Father Hennepin State Park. This weekend we brought two campers - because we had company this weekend - our daughter, son-in-law and grandson.

We had two campsites that backed up to each other in the Maple Grove campground. The sites were very private and very large. There was a pretty little path that went from one site to the other.

 The park is not big, but very pretty, with nice hiking trails, and a wonderful sandy beach. There were also two boat landings and several fishing piers, but we didn't bring a boat or fishing tackle this trip. we mostly enjoyed being together, and especially watching Micah explore the great outdoors.

Our grandson loved camping. He loves being outside all the time anyways, so campng was almost like heaven to him. He spent lots of time playing in the sand, throwing rocks in the water, playing in the water at the beach, and doing anything else he could find to do. 

This picture shows how he would splash the water, and when it would splash on his face he would say, "Ouch!" then laugh and do it again.

Father Hennepin State Park is a great park for family or group camping. The other campround in the park, called Lakeview Campground  had sites that were more open, perfect for groups. There is also a special group campground. The state park would also be great for people who want to camp and go fishing on Lake Mille Lacs.

Minnesota State Parks - Camping 2015 - First Weekendi

This year we are continuing to check out the wonderful state parks here in Minnesota.

In May we went to Itasca State Park. 

We spent the weekend hiking and biking, exploring the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Itasca is a beautiful park. 

The campsites were nice and the park was very clean. 

 The biking trails were especially nice - paved trails from one end of the park to the other.

We biked 10 miles on Saturday - pretty good for two people who hadn't been on a bike since last summer. 

We also enjoyed visiting the museums in the park, learning more about the history of Minnesota, especially about the Mississippi River.

We visited the headwaters of the Mississippi river twice. The water was too high to walk across, but it was fun to see it.

We enjoyed our stay at Itasca State Park.

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We also came back with an idea to make a bench like this one...

 Check back soon and hear about camping trip #2 ....

Camping With Mary Lou - #2

Last weekend we took Mary Lou to the North Shore for our second camping trip of the summer.

This time we headed to the North Shore. We stayed at a campground just north of Two Harbors. (This picture was taken on a rainy day, but doesn't it almost look like there's snow and ice instead of water?)

We camped with two other couples, good friends from church. We had a great weekend - hiking, biking, doing a little shopping, talking, sitting around the campfire, enjoying the beauty all around us.

One day we hiked at Split Rock River, and had lunch at Palisade Head, which was just breath-taking. Palisade Head is a 350 foot sheer rock cliff. There were rock climbers on the cliff while we were there.

Here's Craig and Terry trying to see the bottom.

We had all kinds of weather - from cloudy and windy, to sunshine, to pouring rain. Mary Lou stayed dry inside, thank goodness! One thing we especially appreciated was the lack of mosquitoes at the campground. I'm not sure if it was because our campsite was right on Lake Superior and there was a breeze off the lake, or if the campground sprayed for them... but it was so nice to be able to be outside without bug spray.

We stayed one day longer than our friends, so on the last morning we biked a part of the Gitchi Gumi Trail, and then went to Gooseberry State Park for a bit more biking and hiking.

Because of all the recent rain, the falls were roaring with tons of water.

We will definitely be going back to the North Shore.... we already have reservations with our friends, to go back to the same campsites next summer. But we'd also like to take our kids and grandkids. We just know they'd have fun chasing the waves, climbing and hiking, throwing stones in the lake, seeing the big ships go by, and all of the other wonderful things at the North Shore.

What I'm Into in May 2014

I'm following the lead of my daughter, Carrie, who wrote in her blog about what she's been into lately.
As I look back at the month of May, here's what I've been into:

1. Camping - this winter we picked up Mary Lou, our little vintage camper. We took her out for the first time to Moose Lake State Park and had a great weekend. I am excited to visit other state parks - what a wonderful state we have, full of beauty. There are 67 state parks - and we want to start exploring them. This spring we were looking for a pickup, and ended up buying one that comae with a Lance truck camper. So now we have two campers - choices for what kind of camping we want to do. We took the truck camper down to visit our kids last weekend, and camped out in their driveways. We brought our bedroom so they didn't have to give us theirs.
   
2. Flowers - I planted purple pansies in my flower box on the deck. I bought several hanging baskets and have them around the yard. I couldn't resist some multi-colored zinnias, so they're in a pot by the back door.
   
3. Fixer Uppers - it's a show on HGTV about Chip and Joanna Gaines, who help couples buy and fix up homes in Texas. Chip and Joanna are also in the process of fixing up their own home - a farmhouse on their own ranch - Magnolia Farms. I love how Chip and Joanna love their kids and involve them in the show. I also love Joanna's style of decorating - and wish they could come to MN and help me finish and decorate our home.
   
4. Books - I used to be a big reader, but when we moved up north I stopped reading for some reason. I think it was because my new job was so demanding that when I came home I was too tired to read. And there was so much to do around here: unpacking, sorting, finishing spaces, etc. It feels good to be reading again, even though I'm just reading light fiction.
   
5. Hockey - we have been watching some of the NHL playoff games. At first we were cheering for the MN Wild, but after they lost we found out that it's almost more fun to watch games when it doesn't matter so much to us which team wins. We are looking forward to the Stanley Cup match between LA and New York later this week.

What have you been into lately?

Camping with Mary Lou

Last weekend was our first camping trip with Mary Lou - our "new" 1959 Mallard Travel Trailer.

We had made reservations at Moose Lake State Park and we were so excited about the weekend. Craig had Mary Lou all packed and hitched up when I got home from work at noon on Friday. So we had some lunch, and took off on our adventure!

When we arrived at the park, we were very pleased with what we saw. The visitor center was beautiful and clean, and the young man working at the counter was pleasant and helpful.  We found our site, and we liked it at once. There was privacy. There was beauty. The driveway was level. So we set up our camp. Craig cooked our supper over the campfire. 

Why is it that food always tastes so good when it is cooked and eaten outdoors? 

It was chilly outside the first night, but we had brought an electric heater along, so we were cozy and warm in Mary Lou. 

Saturday morning we had some rolls and coffee, and then took off to go to an auction nearby. We didn't buy anything, but we enjoyed looking at the items for sale, watching the people and listening to the auctioneers.

That afternoon we went back to our campsite and explored the state park. There were wonderful trails for hiking. Percy loved all the new smells. He was convinced that there were animals hiding in the culverts under the driveway of our campsite - and we found out that night that he was right! There was a pocket gopher there. Craig let Percy go and he raced off to try to catch that gopher. When the gopher disappeared down a nearby hole, Percy stood there all evening, waiting for him to come back out. Saturday afternoon we also put up the awning on the trailer. We learned that we need to bring a ladder with us next time. Craig was standing on a 5 gallon pail on top of a Rubbermaid container on top of the spare tire! 

That night we used our little propane grill and our camp stove to cook our supper. Later we popped Jiffy Pop popcorn over the camp stove, and roasted marshmallows over the fire. 

On Sunday morning, after breakfast and devotions, we did some more hiking. We visited the agate exhibit at the Visitor Center. We just sat and soaked in the sunshine, listened to the birds singing, and enjoyed being together. 

After lunch we packed up and drove home. It was a great weekend. I didn't think about work, or what I should be doing at home. I just enjoyed being with Craig, enjoying the outdoors, living in the moment. It was refreshing.