Tipi Camping at Blue Mounds State Park (Disclaimer--Lots of Photos)

 This year our annual camping trip was at Blue Mounds State Park.  Located in the far southwest corner of the state, Blue Mounds is prairie punctuated by the large mounds that give the park it's name (though they really do look pink most of the time).  The drive there was filled with a variety of books on CD.  The older people in the car especially enjoyed Anne of Green Gables and Artimis Fowl.  Other titles included Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag, Tikki tikki tembo no sarembo, Knuffle Bunny; a cautionary tale, and true story about a retired fire boat that helped during 9/11.

While on the prairie, we slept in a tipi, hiked out to a rock alignment that matches up with the sunrise at the equinox, and caught grasshoppers in the tall grass.  Solomon was in charge of the fires and the girls enjoyed exploring the prairie around our campsite.  Ariadne loved walking around the tipi, popping in at the door, then going out and around again.

While hiking one of the prairie trails, Nova convinced us to wander slightly off the path and go into to grass.  It was a totally different experience.  For reference, Solomon is about 5'5''.  There was also some good rocky hiking, especially by an old quarry.  Scrub oak dot the bluff, making for varied topography.  However, little ones in backpacks don't mix so well with such uncertain footing, so we didn't go too far that way.  We did go far enough to see the rock alignment.

This is the rock alignment that matches up with sunrise and sunset on the equinox.  As it turned out, we were there the morning of the equinox, but overslept after a very cold (and sleepless) first night.  You will just have to use your imagination, putting in the glints of sun from that first dawn light.  A couple of bikers who were curious about our tipi caught the sight--said it was beautiful.  

Along with the grasshoppers, the kids also found this butterfly wing.  There are cactus plants on the prairie--who knew?

Sleeping in the tipi was quite a unique experience.  We rented it from the park service and it came all set up.  The floor was composite decking (no fires inside, but no mud either).  The above picture is looking up into the rain fly, which is on the inside.  

                                        

Here it is with the rain fly down and Solomon for scale.  The park service says the tipi sleeps six, but we found it very roomy and I suspect it would easily sleep eight.  Below are our youngest sleepers.  

And a few minutes later, awake! Just a little more sunlight was all it took.  

The smoke flaps could be opened for light and air or closed to keep heat in and rain out.
On our first day, the wind was blowing the perfume of a nearby pig farm our way, so we had them closed that day.  It did make a difference.  The next day, the wind shifted and all was well.

Blue Mound State Park's camping has farms very near by.  While the odor of the pigs and the sound of bringing in the harvest late at night was somewhat inconvenient, it was also a worthwhile reminder that the land is and was far more than a recreation area.

While camping Nova learned to whittle wooden flowers, a skill Solomon picked up at a local farmers' market a few years back.  

Nova's first wooden flower. 

The buffalo were all penned up for the annual round up, so we only saw them at a distance.  We did not see any coyotes, though we did see several footprints at the beach that could have been them.  There were also deer prints and possibly something larger with lots of claws.  It was very cold the first night, and we made a little run into Sioux Falls for hats, mittens, more socks, and an extra set of clothes for Charles.  In the day, it was warm enough to go swimming (though not for long after I got a good look at those prints).

The evenings on this trip were a little rocky. This third weekend in September proved to be the first really cold one.  The first morning found us all huddled in the car.  And then there were the ghost stories.  The first night Solomon told the girls stories in the tent while Charles, Ariadne and I settled in by the fire to watch a nearly full moon rise behind our tipi.  Except Ariadne wanted to be where the action was.  For the first time in her life, she refused to nurse to sleep.  After twenty minutes we gave up and doused the fire.  The second night Nova begged for a good ghost story.  She got more than she bargained for when her dad told her Bloody Mary.  Sleep did not come easily after that.  Charlotte (who did not hear the story) somehow or other figured out that just saying 'Bloody Mary' would send Nova into a tizzy and had great fun teasing her older sister.

But the trip held peaceful moments too.  In the evening a flock of blackbirds would come roost in the few poplar trees near our tipi.  Now and then they would decide to swoop and wheel, only to return to the trees a few moments later.  After an hour or so, they would leave for the night, only to return the next.  Larger birds of prey hovered over the bluffs during the day, riding the air currents.  Watching the birds was one of my favorite parts of this camping trip.