Camping Time!

It’s that time of year again!  So get out your bug spray and make sure it has 30% DEET (even though that didn’t seem to help much in our situation) and douse yourself in it!  Oh my goodness!  We got eaten alive by mosquito’s and crawled upon by ticks that were bound and determined to get a piece of us, but to no avail, we were on to their creepy ways.  But the weather was absolutely, perfectly beautiful!  Of course it was, because you rarely get nice weather without bugs and vice versa in Minnesota!  I’m sounding like this was a horrible trip, but I do really love camping; even though there are the bugs, (mosquito’s, ticks, black flies and caterpillars that fall on you from the sky) and the uncomfortable sleeping pads in the tent that I can’t stand up straight in and the layer of scum and bug spray that just seems to accumulate on your skin even if you do take a shower and the fact that I have to walk to the bathroom several times (I’m a nervous pee’er) in the middle of the night in the dark with the possibility of being attacked by a raccoon.  But then, I look up in the sky and I can actually see the stars and I can hear all the little peepers and crickets chirping and I feel so at peace with the world.  And I feel like everything will be okay.

We began our tour of Mid-Northern Minnesota with a photo of Chief Wenonga at Battle Lake.  My midget husband Tim!

We hiked and stopped at the historic gaming lodge at Glendalough State Park.

We camped at Maplewood State Park to rest up for our 6.2 mile hike there in the morning.

After our hike we headed further North and came across this beauty!  Fortunately she scrambled back down the hill and into the pond.  I hope she stays safe.

Taqueria Escobar in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota (kind of the middle of nowhere) was the only place open on a Sunday.  It seems out of place, but believe me, this is the only place that needs to be open!  Their handmade food was awesome and so appreciated after a long hike!

Our next stop, Itasca State Park, the true gem of Minnesota!

Inside the historic Lodge at Itasca.

Yum!  Campfire food!

Do not run out of gas in this town!

A magical evening filled with dragonflies and the curiosities of children.

Some Americana in nearby Lake George.

Chickens at The Forestedge Winery where they create surprisingly tasty wines from fruits other then grapes.  We really liked the plum and black currant wines.  Sometimes having a winery in Minnesota can be difficult because of our short growing season and finicky grapes and people end up making wine that tastes like vinegar and it’s really awful, but you have to smile and pretend you like it because the owner is standing right in front of you.

And of course Paul Bunyan!

We also got our 150 mile patch!  Hooray!