Secrets of the City

Going to Sleeping Giant Provincial park in Ontario in a couple weeks. If you hike in far enough, you can camp right on Lake Superior.

Last year, we went into the back country of Zion National Park in Utah.

You can pretty much minimize bad experiences like Emily had if you bring the right stuff.

Penny slots would be depressing for me, too. What’s the point in gambling if you’re not gambling with money you can’t afford to lose?

Another place that’s an easy drive is Frontenac State Park just outside Red Wing. They have some secluded walk-ins. There’s not much to do there, but hike the trails, which can take you down to Lake Pepin. I’ve gone fishing at Hay Creek, which isn’t far.

And since the Bar Scene is important, the village of Haycreek (that’s the way it’s spelled on the sign, I think) has a little country saloon that’s rustically decorated and the draft beer is served in appropriate 10-ounce glasses that are not plastic and thus reused.

For close by, Afton has a few sites that are about a mile and a half hike in, which is just enough to make it fairly quiet and keep out the riff-raff.

And if you’re like me and can’t make plans two years in advance for BWCAW, go to Voyagers National Park.

The hike doesn’t keep out all the riff-raff at Afton. It’s too close to the cities to get much of a backcountry experience. Stopped camping there after a couple trips.

I love camping and backpacking, but never seem to have open weekends to do it, or the weather is so bad we don’t go.

Glendalough State Park is great. All the sites are cart in, so there are no cars. It is on a lake that was private for many years and doesn’t allow motors. The fishing is suppose to be like what fishing was in 1900.

Myre Big Island, just outside Albert Lea, was a surprise wonderful State Park. The island is all old growth forest and very cool. Perfect for a hot day because all the shade makes it 15 degrees cooler in the campground. Just make sure you stay on the island.

My favorite park we have stayed at so far is Cascade River. It is about a 6 hour drive and on the North Shore. Totally beautiful park. Very quiet and lots of good hiking. It is near Grand Marais, which is fun to run into for a day. We went up to Grand Portage and took the tour which was awesome.

We are going to do our long fall camping trip in the Porcupine Mountains this year, which I’m very excited about. I also want to check out at least two more State Parks this year, maybe Schoolcraft and Mille Lacs Kathio.

For parks near the Twin Cities, yet far enough to get away from it all, we like William O’Brien. Lake Maria has cabins you can rent, if you don’t like the tent thang.

For camping IN the TC area, try Bunker Hills Regional Park in Coon Rapids. Paved bike trails, wave pool, golf, horseback riding!

Up North, if the popular Goosebrry Falls (crowded!) and scenic Split Rock Lighthouse (limited sites) can’t take care of your camping needs, try Tettegouche, just a few miles up the road.

My parents gave up camping about 32 years ago and bought some property on the Lake Maria State Park Chain. Back then $8000 would get you 75 feet of shoreline with a grandfathered in sepctic system with drain field.

One thing I’ve noticed this year is that it is very hard to get a good site. People must be camping more because sites are booked further out than usual. Getting a site on the North Shore is getting very difficult and even some of the lesser parks are filling up fast.

Rat, nobody promised a “backcountry experience”. I was just saying in terms of places near by where you might be able to hike your way away from the 50′ RVs, that’s worked for me in the past. Then again, it’s been a couple of years, so it could have changed.

If you want a good backcountry experience, I suggest you brave the interior of the peninsula at Voyagers. 2 1/2 mile portage in and out. Now THAT keeps out the riff-raff.

I second William O’Brien, but only for day hikes. It’s especially nice in the spring and fall. Stay away from the river side and go up on the other side of the highway for lovely meadows with oak and birch. Stop by the Marine on St. Croix General Store for a sandwich. Interstate is up that way as well, but the Wisconsin side is nicer and they charge out-of-staters something outrageous to get in.

My family used to take a trip up to Itasca State Park at the end of every summer before school started. We stopped when I was about 13, but my sister and a couple cousins went back last summer and had a blast. The Headwaters and the bike trail (which seemed super long back in the day) seemed much smaller than I remembered. I love it up there, though. So many great memories.

Out of Minnesota, some of my fav sites include Big Bay State Park on Madeline Island, Wisc. and Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota.

Most of my camping experience has been limited to whatever was done in Boy Scouts. I didn’t much appreciate winter camping but our troop did do a couple of extended summer camps in northern Wisconsin.

Best part of camping: Breakfast, cooked over a camp fire.

Worst part of camping: Bugs, bugs, bugs. Rain, rain, rain.

So, yes, having the correct gear is very important. Also, have plans to do things (hike, fish, swim, canoe, read, sun bathe, whatever) during the daylight hours because, otherwise, you’re going to be bored out of your gourd.

My most favorite camping memories are the family trips we took with a pop-up camper: up along the North Shore to Gooseberry Falls and the Gunflint Trail; to Montreal (for Expo ‘67) and then down thru New England, NYC, D.C., and Gettysburg; following the “mission trail” in California from SFO to San Diego, then east to the Grand Canyon and beyond. I learned a lot of geography and history on those trips.

I had a much better camping experience this weekend than Emily did. We went to Glacial Lakes State Park. Started out with a tent (surrounded by 20 groups with campers) and saw two new camper cabins by the swim beach. They were both empty so we asked about them; they had just been finished and were available. We upgraded to one of those, were the first ones to stay in ours and were totally isolated from everyone else. Great hiking there, too, but TONS of ticks.

Ticks have been really bad this year. I did an overnight backpacking trip with Jeff the dog a couple weekends ago at St. Croix State Forest and pulled about 20 ticks off him, and that was with the repellent he uses. I had a ton on me too.

I was a scout, too, noodle. Had some good times and a not-so-good times. Did the winter camping thang, too, albiet in Indiana.

I also went to Expo ‘67! Did you get one of those souvenir passports? I still have mine — one of the places that stamped my book was the Iranian Embasay! Those were happier days.

If anyone was interested in a MNSpeak camping trip, I would set it up. We could get one of the group camps at a State Park. Maybe the weekend of Aug 8 or Aug 15?

I took Mr. B (our beagle-jack) camping a couple years ago, and he loved it. We waited until fall, when the bugs (including ticks) were gone.

In the woods, the House Rules don’t apply, and he can nap with us on the sleeping bags — he seemed to enjoy that quite a bit.

In my teenage years, I went camping with some friends with a giant military surplus canvas tent. Sakatah Lake State Park was rather full, but they were able to give us an “overflow” site next to a volleyball court. Doing my best to keep a long story short, it stormed like a mofo, the tent collapsed, and we ran to the car through a rivulet that formed on our site, i.e. overflow.

Maybe a year later, I went to the Winnipeg Folk Festival. My tent didn’t have a rain fly, so all I used was a tarp, which came in handy when it started to hail. Leaning onto windward side of the tent to keep it from flying away may not have been the most fun experience ever.

Some bad weather never soured me on camping, but getting older… and in many friends’ cases, getting settled… really ruined the experience. It ceases to be a “rustic group camp” when mornings were taken up by stealthy trips to the drive-in sites for showers and afternoons by elaborate dinners.

Ha! I was just talking about this with my wife last night–as many different things as we have done together, we haven’t camped in MN yet.
Our honeymoon is driving out to Oregon, camping along the way–the first 2 weeks in Aug.

I’ll be camping in the BWCAW later this summer. It has always been great! Sadly, no MNSpeak when I’m up there.

I’ll be camping in Wisconsin too — at a camp ground. Not really camping if you can drive to McDonalds though…

“I went to the Winnipeg Folk Festival.”

yikes

I’ll also throw in a vote for Tettegouche. My boyfriend and I went at the beginning of September last year, and stayed in the cart-in area. It got really chilly overnight, though, and I only had a crummy sleeping bag that works great for summers in New Mexico. Other than that, and rain off and on all weekend, it was great. Camping’s not supposed to be easy, anyway.
Tettegouche has some nice amenities, and didn’t seem crowded at all. Yeah, there were some of those gigantic RVS, but the cart-in sites are pretty far away from the other campgrounds. Plus, they’re closer to Lake Superior.
The one thing I wish we could have done is some fishing. The people at the ranger station told us we’d have to get both licenses and trout stamps, but I found out later that we didn’t. I was really excited to see that fishing’s free in some state parks beginning tomorrow. http://news.dnr.state.mn.us/index.php/2009/06/29/invest-in-memories-and-discover-free-fishing-beginning-july-1-at-many-minnesota-state-parks/

The couple of times that I’ve been camping in MN were so bug ridden I’ve sworn off camping in this state.

But, I’ve come back to my love of camping – heading to Montana at the end of July for a weekish of swimming, camping, and groove rejuve.

I did have a n00b experience when I was younger in the Bob Marshall Wildnerness. Even though my friends warned me over and over, I was not at all mentally prepared for the, uh, primitive living experience.

One of my favorite state parks is Savannah Portage. Lots of hiking, 3 or 4 lakes, there are a couple of hike-in sites, and I think there is even one canoe-in site. Also, it doesn’t seem to get quite as busy as some of the others.

We grew up camping for vacations in the Dakotas, MN and Wisconsin, but I’ve only been camping 3 times since moving back to MN in 2006:

BWCAW from Moose Lake, where despite having a former Boy Scout Guide in our group, we spent 2 out of 4 days lost.

St. Croix, which was awesome–we hit up the lookout tower and enjoyed the swimming hole.

Wild River, which had a creative DaVinci Code-style clue hunt that kept our group involved and laughing despite chillier weather.

Next weekend we’ll be at Lake Maria–my first time there. A friend says she picked up more ticks there than anywhere else a few years ago, and hearing from folks on this board about this year’s ticks has me thinking about protection…

The couple of times that I’ve been camping in MN were so bug ridden I’ve sworn off camping in this state.

This summer has been surprisingly good for bugs. I have been camping three times so far this year and haven’t encountered many bugs. The most bites I received was while staying at a friend’s cabin in WI.

That said, I prefer to camp at county or US Army Corps of Engineers sites. I don’t like camping at State Parks (even though I did camp at a WI state park last weekend with friends) because I don’t believe we should be taxed for parking on top of what already goes into the DNR’s coffers.

Check out Dakota County’s parks (Lebanon Hills or Lake Byllesby) or one of the several USACE campgrounds around the state. You’ll pay about the same price but aren’t required to shell out for the car costs.

This weekend I’m camping again in Rice County (for the third time this summer) because it’s heavily wooded, very inexpensive, and secluded. Only downside is that it’s first come, first served.

I’ve only been camping a couple of times in the Berkshires. Once, during frosh orientation, all we had for sleeping were tarps and our leaders were incompetent. There was a thunderstorm so they told us to lie on on tarp and they just covered us up with the other. Good grief.

hilo- Savannah Portage is really nice too. We went there last year with a tent CJ found on the bus. He swore it had never been used. Well, it had, and was missing parts for the rain fly. Huge storm was coming and we knew we were about to get wet, so we left. It was okay though because the mosquitoes were so thick we couldn’t do any hiking. I have never seen mosquitoes like that before in my life.

Jared- Lake Maria is a nice park. I hike there a lot because it is so close and they have nice trails. Hilly, but not too hilly for my fat ass.

Someone left a tent on the bus?

They took the phrase “Explore Minnesota” to heart.

Like fishing @ MN state parks? Starting tommorow, you can do it without a license.

With the state hurting for cash, was this really a good idea?

How bad were the mosquitoes last year?

Ha last camping experience I had in Montana was in grizzly country near Big Sky and involved eating smoked salmon and cream cheese on triscuits. i like to look back on it and call it camping roulette.

Dear KC and CJ,

I’d really like my tent back. I’d been looking all over for it and don’t even remember leaving it on the bus but looks like I did. Also, it had better be in the same condition you found it and not have Jeff hair all over it.

Best,
Bixby

My good friend from college is now a horse/fishing guide I think I’ll have to take him up on a trip into the wilds the next time I head out to MT.

He’s the fishing guide in this story
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2008/0915/148.html

that gets thrown from his mount.

If your ever in Bozeman and want to get on the trout…call Aaron he’ll put you were you need to be.

Camped in Yellowstone in 2006. Not going to do that again. At our first choice in sites, a grizzly bear chased a guy and a some kids off the trail. That must have been pandemonium, because if the story we heard was true, they did absolutely EVERYTHING wrong when they encountered the bear.

So we took a second site near the burn area. But I don’t like the whistling and the bear spray you have to take along and all the precautions.

I also went to Expo ‘67! Did you get one of those souvenir passports? I still have mine — one of the places that stamped my book was the Iranian Embasay! Those were happier days.

I’m sure we had Expo ‘67 “passports,” bob, and one or more might still be among the family keepsakes. I remember the thrill of visiting the USSR pavilion (real Russians!) and the geodesic-domed US pavilion with actual space capsules displayed inside. It was at Expo ‘67 I also had my first pomme-frites … with mayonnaise! We probably spent three days visiting the Expo, and also took in a tour of the newly-opened Habitat (one of the first large-scale pre-fab housing projects).

We camped outside of Montreal in our pop-up camper in a very nice, “civilized” campground. We’d cook breakfast there, have lunch at the Expo and then find some place in the city for a sit-down family dinner.

We left Minneapolis and drove north into Canada and headed east through Ontario into Quebec. Probably was a two-day trip. After leaving the Expo, we headed south into New England and stayed a couple of days on Cape Cod (sightseeing there and in Boston). From there, it was on to New York City where we camped outside of Newark for three or four days. Washington, D.C. was the next destination, and we camped in Fairfax, VA, for three days. Gettysburg was the last stop on that trip before a LONG one-day drive back to Minnesota.

I would like to try horse fishing, ryanol. Do you cast from the saddle?

I’ve been cast from the saddle more than once, but that’s another story…

I had my pomme-frites with malt vinegar, noodle. I remember the futuristic US pavilion vividly. I also remember riding on the prototype of what would later become the Disney Space Mountain ride.

I bet the Expo next year in Shanghai would be an experience. We’re looking into it.

I did a lot of camping during my 10 years working at MN summer camps (Lake Shetek Lutheran Bible Camp, Green Lake Lutheran Bible Camp, and Good Earth Bible Camp), where I learned the finer points of making pancakes and stir fry over a fire. I haven’t camped since college, though, and probably won’t anytime soon.

Justpbob re: Horse fishing… it’s pretty simple first you whittle the end down off a 18-20ft branch…stick a couple of apples on the end of that son-a-bich (preferabbly harelsons). You dangle that apple stick out over the herd and jump super fly snooka style onto the biggest bastard you can find. If you can hold on for thirteen seconds that’s considered a “keeper”

Expos and World’s Fairs were big events last century. I also the good fortune of attending Expo ‘70, in Osaka, where I rode my first-ever metal-rail rollercoaster, and where KFC and McDonalds were first introduced to Japan.

The US dropped the ball, though, with the upcoming Shanghai fair. (And, yes, Fallows mentions the same Adam Minter who wrote for The Rake.)

@ryanol: Nice story. It actually sounds like an awesome trip to take. I learned how to fly fish in Montana, but don’t fish much anymore as I feel sorry for them.

This year I was thinking about heading to Glacier for the free pass weekend in July, but I think it may be way too busy.

I was traveling through a few of the national parks during the summer of ‘07. It was extremely dry and hot. Fires were breaking out all over so I kept having to change my route. It made it interesting and saw some places I wouldn’t have normally visited.

My wife and I are driving to Oregon, camping and visiting national parks along the way, and on the way back. So far we have Badlands & Yellowstone slated. We’ve only planned 3 days. And must sees along (or near) this route that mnspeakers know of? We like camping, widlife, museums, and greasy diner food.

Baker, stop at Al’s Oasis in Chamberlain for the bison burger and pie, just drive by the Corn Palace (no need to go in), get your free ice water and bumper sticker at Wall Drug, go to Custer State Park to see the Buffalo and other animals, Wind/Jewel Cave, and, of course Mt. Rushmore, when you’re in the Rapid Area. If you have time, head up to the Lead/Deadwood/Spearfish area. Lead has a cool train ride, Deadwood has period casinos, and Spearfish canyon has awesome hiking and some beautiful resorts that have wonderful restaurants.

Oh, and looking at your route, you’re going right through the Lead/Deadwood area…there’s also a “petrified forest” you can walk through near Jewel Cave. You also might want to check out the Needles area in the Badlands (I think that’s where it is…). There’s also tons of weird little tourist traps along that route that are interesting photo ops.

Baker — Devil’s Tower (in WY) is not too far out of your way. You may want to get off the interstate, and have a gander…

Also, watch out for pheasants playing freeway chicken, baker. One zipped past my windshield on my way home from Pierre and was creamed by the 18-wheeler I was hoping to pass.

#10 Saloon in Deadwood for a sarsaparilla.

I second Devil’s Tower.

It looks like your route takes you through Bighorn National Forest. Your route is really stunning. There are some really nice camping areas and I think you can book them in advance. You have to call though as they don’t take online reservations.

I don’t know if you’re visiting friends/family along the way, but rather than taking the Idaho route out of Yellowstone, you might want to reconsider driving down through Teton National Park, Jackson Hole and then cut over to Idaho Falls. It’s such a gorgeous drive and so much to see along the way.

If you’re not into visting Jackson Hole you can circumvent by taking the Moose exit north of Jackson that takes you through a really cool part of Teton park. It turns into a dirt road that can be pretty rough, but there are some awesome hiking trails and the chance of seeing wildlife is the best on this road.

On the way back, hit the Deli Down in Medford, Oregon. A highschool friend and his brother own it, but it’s really good – really.

Chico has this amazing park that runs through the city up into the hills. If you’re bringing bikes, it’s a great stop.

Drive as fast as you can without getting busted through Kansas. *yawn*

I’ll second Custer State Park. It is stunning. And Devil’s Tower is very cool, but I was there off season and it was closed, so we couldn’t get all the way up to it.

Spend a day in the Black Hills and in Spearfish, which is a cute town.

Haven’t been a serious camper in 15+ years. Most of my childhood / teen / 20’s camping experiences were in northern MI and out west.

We’re taking the kids camping near Lanesboro / Root River next month. We did a few nights with them in the Porcupine Mountains on the shore of Superior in Michigan’s UP this week last year and it was chilly but amazingly bug free with fantastic scenery. Just under 6 hours from the Twin Cities.

Thanks guys! great suggestions.
Our route is not yet final, but Cat thanks for the idea about going that alternate route–I sort of forgot about Grand Teton…I think we will change accordingly.

So if I had to choose between Custer State Park and Black Hills National forest, which would be a better choice?

Really just taking three days on the route?

I fear your stops will end up like this

no,no
I meant we only have 3 days planned so far. We will take two weeks for the enitre trip!

Baker, that’s like choosing between ice cream and chocolate…gah! It is possible to do both if you change your route from the Badlands to swing through Custer and do the driving tour as a way to see it if you’re pressed for time.

Although, altering your route in ranchland is an exercise in creativity…so if I REALLY had to choose, I’d pick the Black Hills…although, if you zoom in a bit, you can see that highway 385 out of Custer takes you directly through the Black Hills (and also gets you off the concrete wasteland that is I-90).

Badlands is cool, but kind of a drive by compared to what you can see in Custer State Park and Black Hills. You could cut off onto Hwy 79 loop down through the north part of Custer State Park; take hwy 87 (Needles Hwy) up to Hill City and then 385 through Lead/Deadwood/Spearfish back up to 90. It would be worth the extra time.

I don’t know when you’re going, but the weekend of 7-18 and the weekend of 8-15 are National Park free weekends. No entrance fees. Yellowstone is a $25 fee – good for both Yellowstone and Teton National.

Here’s the Custer State Park interactive map that can help with your decision (and also shows where the Needles scenic highway is, which I HIGHLY recommend).  Basically, if you plan it right, you can hit all the major tourist destinations in the Black Hills/Badlands area just by getting off the freeway.

Damn it, now I want to go to The Hills…and I have no money…

Looking at the names of roads on that map is a lesson in the culture that is West River, SD. Pretty sure “Lame Johnny Road” was named before the days of the ADA.

When the car thermometer hit 117 degrees driving across South Dakota we said the next trip west is by plane.

@alie: I hear ya’ about The Hills. I’m taking the SD route to Montana as I like it so much better than ND.

Wait a minute … Baker, we could make this a MNspeak road trip. I’m sure your newly married sig other wouldn’t mind if we tagged along.

We’re nice enough, well, sorta.

alie-

It can be cheap if you camp and don’t eat out…

kc, but…but…I love those tourist-y diners…boy howdy, do I love them…

Oh, and there’s very little that is free in the Black Hills, even the gas is surprisingly spendy. The best way to travel west river is with my dad (you get to take advantage of cheap lodging at Ellsworth AFB and get all the military discounts).

I’m really thinking a trip to the Black Hills would be a super fun spring trip next year. That or San Francisco.

If you’re leaving soon, Baker, Fill up today

Tomorrow gas goes up and we get to pay that sales tax for stuff like dog parks that all of you probably voted in.

Also, pull out a tape measure and yank it out to 4 feet 8.5 inches, like the cops are now going to have to do.

“Beginning Wednesday (tomorrow) in Minnesota, children younger than 8 years old or under 4 feet 9 inches tall will have to travel in booster seats, according to a new law that will take effect.”

That kid will have a fun road trip. A seven year old? He can find his way around Windows XP.

There are some grown women that height.

Ahh, democracy. How we hate you so.

I voted against that sales tax. I didn’t think we should be taxing people more when so many are losing jobs and homes.

Yes, I don’t like it when I’m voted down. Do you?

Is there any tax that you would oppose, Dave?

I oppose a tax on my patience but I guess I’m not going to get that one.

Le sigh.

Actually did vote against he outdoors/arts tax. Not because I opposed the tax/purpose itself, but because I don’t think tax policy should be handled that way.

But I did oppose the Twins stadium tax.

At least the outdoors/arts tax followed proper proceure, unlike the Twins tax. State law required that be put to a vote, but they manage to get a one off bill to waive that because they knew it would lose badly if it was actually put to a popular vote.

Yes, the stadium bill would have lost more than likely. I wrote my rep and senataor urging them to vote for it, and when they voted against it, I wrote them another letter.

OK, I was wrong, Dave.

What does your kid knowing his way around Windows XP have to do with him surviving a car accident? Because it’s one of those things where IQ doesn’t come into it.

But that does strike me as too much law. As a short kid, I would have been using a booster seat into high school. I suffered enough shame and indignity without taking a car seat with me on field trips in eighth grade.

The law states that kids under 8 must be in booster seats unless they are 4′9″ or taller. Once you are 8, regardless of height, you can ride without a booster.

You’re right, kc, but Rat’s quote says “under 8 or under 4′9″, not “and under.” How many 8 year olds are that tall?

There are legislators who barely make 4′9″.

Tettegouche & Itasca are favorites from car camping. While the BWCA is not a state park, it offers Minnesota at it’s best. However, Yellowstone and the areas around the park (to me) are far superior than the BWCA. For example while hiking the Hellroaring Creek Trail last Saturday, we spooked the Cottonwood Pack (5 adults & 3 pups) It was quiet the sight and experience. We saw many grizzly bears, black bears, moose, elk, bighorn sheep and mt goats…another great week in Yellowstone.

It was quiet the sight and experience.

I’d bet it wasn’t quiet at all!

I’m going camping tomorrow night at Frontenac State Park. All this camping talk has got to me and I must get out of the city soon. Just me and Jeff for the night tomorrow.