Nature…just a little soggy.

This weekend we attempted to camp. When I say attempted, we spent a night in a tent but that is about as close to camping as we got. Let me start at the beginning:

We are a family of semi-campers. We like the idea of being out in the wilderness away from everything and the ability to see more than three stars. We even enjoy the cooking on a propane stove, walking a bit to get to the bathrooms and the possibility of meeting wildlife on a hike. The part we’re still working out is the sleeping in a tent. Ok, getting comfortable in a tent is the issue.

Last year when we went camping we slept on several blankets that created a pad. Justin was in heaven because he could literally sleep on the ground and be comfortable. Maddie and I both had kinks in our backs. When we were planning this trip, the only stipulation was that I got an air mattress. I blamed it on the pregnancy but it’s really because I’m one for comfort when it comes to sleeping. The air mattress was ordered faster than Jimmy John’s delivers.

We are fans of the northern part of Minnesota. Also, we have a hankering to see all of the state parks. I figured if we were going to go now, then let’s head north and we’ll have a less buggy stay than heading south. Justin wanted to know how long of a car ride would be too long. I figured more than 2.5 hours for one night was pushing it so we settled on two hours. That gave us a couple of options and we settled on Moose Lake.

On the way up it was raining. Raining in a way that makes you notice on the air mattress box that it specifically calls out that it is not a floatation device. Good to know. Instead of racing to the campsite to sit in the car we stopped along the way. There are some wonderful little towns along the way and of course that means thrift stores. You never know what you might find in these shops so each one needs to be explored. Each shop is like its own historical site. Depression glass, out of print books, vinyl (LPs), 8-track tapes and handmade home decorations are there to be inspected. I was working on a small project of my own so I would sit in the car with Ralph while Justin and Maddie went in.

By the time we were done stopping along the way we made it to the camp to find our reservation had not been accepted. There was also no one to resolve this matter at the park office. So, we went to the site we reserved and set up camp. Once that was done we realized we did not have the camp stove so had to change our menu (we decided to buy groceries up there instead of dragging everything with us). I was looking forward to something hot to eat since the chill had set in.

Justin got the fire started and we put our camping chairs around it to try to get a little warmer. By this time I was exhausted and crawled into bed. The rest of the family followed suit quickly. Huddled under the blankets we were a family of toasty tangles. Ralph had to sleep next to the air mattress which was disturbing to him. He tends to be the canine version of a heater. He wanted to participate in the snuggle fest but the fear he would pop the air mattress was too great. In the middle of the night I covered him with a blanket and that seemed to make him happier.

At some point in the night we had a guest of the four legged variety. I’m not sure what it was because it was raining and no tracks were left behind. The trash was not disturbed and the car was not broken into (bears have wicked sense of smell). Ralph let out a few low ruffs to let whoever it was know that they were treading lightly coming close to the tent. I had visions of a skunk pulling up alongside the tent and giving us a giant middle finger by spraying the tent. Thank goodness my visions don’t come to fruition on a regular basis.

When we woke up the next morning we found that the rain was going to be kind and let up for exactly the amount of time it would take to decamp, well almost. Justin took Maddie for a hike while I rolled sleeping bags, deflated the air mattress and got my OCD on. Ralph raced between our site and the vacant site next to ours. He would throw his tennis ball in the air and entertain himself. Just as I got to taking the tent down, the rain came back in torrents. I threw Ralph in the car and began the process of shoving everything into the tent bag. Justin and Maddie rounded the corner. Maddie got into the car with Ralph. Justin and I could have cared less of the state of our tent at this point. Just as long as everything fit back into the bag so nothing was lost was all that mattered.

Still not able to feel my toes we began the search for coffee. We found a place called Joe Jitters. It was a coffee shop and an antiques shop. Maddie and I perused the goods before making our order. You never know when you’ll find that special something. We got our goods and traded with Justin who had been entertaining Ralph. It is amazing how something warm can make you not care that you’re soaked through.

On the road we worked our way back to the Cities. Stopping to see a fur trader post and return to a thrift shop to see if the lovely toy highchair was still there. Maddie came out with $5 less in her pocket but a beautiful 1940’s goodie.

Even though we did not get sunny days while we were on our little adventure I have to say the 24 hours we were gone were well worth it. Now, if I could just get my toes to not be cold I’d be a happy camper.