four state parks, part three

Our last trip of the summer was over Labor Day Weekend.  We went to Lake Mille Lacs, one of the largest lakes in Minnesota.  Bryan joined us for this trip - so we upgraded our accommodations a bit.  We stayed at Appeldoorn's Resort. It had the best beach I've been to in Minnesota, and amazing sunset views.  

The weekend definitely ended up being all about enjoying the beach, but we visited the two state parks on the lake while we were there: Father Hennepin State Park and Mille Lacs Kathio State Park.

four state parks, part two

In July, we visited Bemidji State Park and stayed in a camper cabin.  Because it is over four hours from home, we stayed three nights to make the trip worthwhile. 

There was plenty to do - and it was nice to not have anything to do, too! Paul Bunyan State Trail starts at Bemidji.  I loved the bike trail.  Next time I want to do the trip all the way around the lake.  There was also a beach, fishing dock, and hiking trails. My favorite part of camping is the fire, food, and just chillin' with the kids. On our way up, we played mini golf and drove go-carts.  On our way out of town, we stopped for breakfast, took a walk by the lake and saw a loon, and bought real wild rice.

Lydia wanted to do the editing on this video. Make sure to stay tuned to the end of the video to see Reggie impersonate some of the umps he encountered during baseball season.

four state parks, part one

During the summer of 2022, we visited four new Minnesota state parks.

I've learned there are only three weekends it is safe to plan trips over the summer if I don't want to create a conflict with sports - Memorial Day weekend, Fourth of July week, and Labor Day weekend.

Over Memorial Day, I was a little too late to make my camper cabin reservation (EXACTLY 120 days ahead if you want a weekend!) so we ended up going on Thursday. Even though the kids had Friday off from school, Reggie ended up having a baseball game that night.  Since the state park was only a little over an hour from us, Bonnie agreed to bring Reggie down and stay with us after the game.  We're glad she joined us!

The camper cabin had a little gas fireplace but no electricity.  The gas stove kept us warm on a cool night.  The park had a nice bike trail and was right on the lake, but no beach.  It was a nice size, not overdeveloped, but had the convenience necessities, and the proximity to our home makes me want to return.