I like my blow-dryer just as much as the next gal, but lately I have heard the call of the beckoning wild. Hiking, biking, camping, backpacking, fording through rivers…yep, it all sounds fun. Maybe I will just quit real life to spend some time adventuring in nature.
There’s one problem though. I don’t actually have much experience with even soft-core adventuring, so a more serious trip might be a bit ambitious for a first-time outing. Luckily, there are some nice camping opportunities around the Twin Cities, and I had the opportunity to test the waters with one night out in the wild.
We decided to go to Wild River State Park for one night. Wild River State Park is about an hour north of Minneapolis, and there’s a nice campground that offers several drive in sites. We loaded up the car Saturday afternoon and headed out!
When we got to the state park, we checked in and were given our campsite number.
Before going to our site, we picked up some firewood at a random house not far outside of the state park.
Campsite upon arrival:
We set to work setting up our tent and sleeping bags:
Just the basics:
After walking around and looking at the other set-ups, it became apparent that we had only the bare essentials. After surveying the land, it was time to make a fire! Good thing Noah was a master fire-starter, since I wouldn’t have really known the first place to start. He set up small pieces of wood in a log cabin formation and used some birchwood bark to help set it ablaze:
Once the fire got rolling, we roasted the wienies:
Perfect camping dinner. 🙂
The tent was comfortable, but there certainly wasn’t any extra room, and we left some of the rain fly unzipped to let in some fresh air:
Other times when I’ve slept outside, I remember waking up really early due to the chirping and sunlight. I slept really soundly this time though and didn’t wake up until a bit after nine. We Noah immediately set to work on another fire to heat water for morning oatmeal.
After breakfast, we stopped by the St. Croix River and then headed home.
Camping trip success! I had a great time and can’t wait to go again. This ‘intro trip’ made me even more excited to look into other outdoor adventures.
What are your favorite types of outdoor activities?
Treasure Your Being 