Monday, September 1, 2008

Crow Wing Camping

After the success of our earlier camping trip it was decided we'd have a go at a slightly fancier one, this time at a State Park in the Brainerd area. Also, being that it was Labor day weekend we could camp for two nights. Natalya was at her grandparents so Jessica left to visit and pick up Natalya on Monday (with most of our supplies) leaving me to work hard and get my lab stuff done for the week. On Saturday morning I hitched a ride with Claire, Vincent and Lucas to meet up with my long lost family.

Both of our families are state park passport holders so it's always good to visit new parks and get fill in our stamps so when we noticed Lake Maria State Park was on our way we just had to find an excuse to stop. Fortunately we had a pregnant lady in the car leaving us a plethora of excuses (needed to eat, go to the bathroom, stretch her legs, etc) to hide out childish desires to get a simple stamp. I won't say we found the park without effort or make excuses because of the sometimes ludicrous street name designations in this part of the world (I swear the cold weather freezes some important parts of the brain in Minnesota) but we eventually made our way to what appears to be a lovely state park with ponds (read swamps) and at least one extensive lake. The hardwood forest was nice and I'm sure the trails would be a pleasure, had we had more time to explore them. We sat at the uncrowded picnic table and ate a (wait for it) cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese and ham sandwich (well perhaps I overdid the number of types of cheese for effect but I must say the French do seem to love their cheese). I should perhaps be a bit careful because the sandwich was nice and if I'm too sarcastic I might be watching everyone else eat in the future.

Anyway, it wasn't long before we were back on the road. As we got close I was getting really anxious to see the kids and as soon as I saw them I felt my face break out in a huge smile. Jessica had most of our camp already set up (she'd driven down from her sister's place that morning) and the Leonard/Repellin camp was assembled in record time as well, despite all the kids wanting to play in the tent as it was assembled. The campground was fairly open and pretty much full but campsites were set apart enough that it was bareable. Campfires were going all around, kids were riding around on their bikes and running about. People were heading back and forwards from the showers but it really did still feel like camping.



As the evening enveloped us we had another huge feast and a campfire. We could see the stars pretty clearly and I pointed out a satelitte in the night sky to a VERY sceptical Vincent. I still don't think he believes me that it was a satelitte. It was a relaxing night and a little warmer than the previous weekend but still very comfortable. There was one or two mosquitoes but not enough to bother anyone.


In the morning we headed into Brainerd in search of the huge Paul Bunyan statue but instead found a touristy gimmick place charging altogether too much for the little bit that was on offer. There was a large Paul Bunyan at the information center and because Jessica wouldn't honor my request of posing with him I had to resort to posing myself on his knee as he gave me a spanking. Natalya being the good daughter also wanted her picture taken in the same pose. After that we headed up to Cuyuna State Recreation Area for another stamp and a picnic lunch. This area is an old iron ore mining area with the pits now filled in and stocked with trout. Being late in the season and with summer water temps our chances of catching fish were low but we tried anyway. The water was very clear and cold, but it was a little nerve-racking knowing how deep it was with my kids swimming along the shoreline. I almost went in above my head in the deceptively clear water stepping into what looked like four foot depth. There were a few people about but not too many for a holiday weekend.

Our next stop was to stock up on a few items at Walmart in Brainerd. I stayed in the car with a sleeping Pierce while the others headed in. Natalya and Vincent bonded as she got to help him sith his shopping and they negotiated on which balls to get. Natalya came out in love with Vincent. Back at the campground the plan was to get the kids to sleep but it turns out Vincent was the only one that could manage it. The rest of us headed south to check out Lindbergh State Park. The park is close to a number of recreation areas and within the limits of Little Falls but still a nice place. It was getting dark when we arrived so the kids played on the swing sets and things while I took a quick look around.


There was a nice little brook that I'm sure would be quite nice in the spring but at in the season it was a little dried up and looked more like the home of a million mosquitoes (which were very abundant) than the scenic wonderland I'm sure it is at times. Nevertheless the kids all seemed to have a good time and worked off some energy. The adults just slipped into a new depth of exhaustion. Despite our fatigue we once again stayed up until late talking and enjoying ourselves. It was amazing how many people left on the Sunday.



Monday morning I arose early and headed down to the Mississippi River (the banks of which is where we were camped) to try my luck at some smallmouth bass. I did get one fiesy bronzeback that put on a good show until he tangled up in the heavy weed. Still, one fish is better than none. The breeze did pick up and made casting quite tough (at least with the 6 weight I was using) so I headed up for some breakfast. We had a good meal and Vincent and I headed back down to give it another try. We walked upstream and downstream without any sign of luck but it was a nice day and a scenic river. It has a very different personality than it does as it flows by our place further south.


Eventually the girls got sick of waiting and began on a hike. When we saw them we tagged along and got to explote the park a little better. The river is the main attraction but the woods are nice and quiet. We did see both bluebirds and bluejays along with other wildlife. It actually got quite hot during the walk and when we got back we had to break camp. The kids weren't happy by the time we were done either. Finally though we were on our way towards Lake Mille Lacs.


What happened next I'm not quite sure as Jessica and mine (I'm not sure about everyone elses) got a little bit crossed. Admittedly I fell asleep in the passenger seat but instead of pulling up at Mille Lacs Kathio State Park we ended up at a Dairy Queen. Despite some Parent Issues that Lucas had to deal with, we all ended up at the Dairy Queen for a while. There was a play area outside and I think the kids had fun.


As afternoon rolled by we headed to one final spot for a hike/swim (again, I'm not sure everyone was quite on the same page at this point) at Father hennepin State Park. There was a nice swimming beach there and it was a warm, clear evening.


The girls stayed and watched the kids swim while Vincent and I went off and got lost on the small hiking trail system. We started along the lakeshore and then headed towards the picnic area and then...................... Not that we didn't see anything cool along the way. As we were walking we spotted an albino deer. After snapping a few shots it slipped into the greenery but then we saw another. Both were does and we began to get greedy and strained through the forest for signs of a big albino buck. It wasn't to be though.


It was getting dark so we didn't hang around for very long as we still had quite a bit of driving to do. With the sun setting Claire, Vincent and Lucas headed home but we stayed and finished a picnic dinner before setting off. It was another good camping trip with plenty of relaxation and sites to see and both the parents and adults had a good time.
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