The big draw at Lake Itasca is the source of the Mississippi, and it did not disappoint. The water was clear and beautiful. Rock stepping stones marked the boundary between the calm grassy Lake Itasca and the small stream destined to swell into the mighty Mississippi. We crossed the rocks, back and forth, carefull not to slip. We waded in the stream, and then swam in the deep pool just across the steppingstones on the lake side. Now completely wet, we lay on our backs and floated down the Mississippi, completely at ease. We got out and walked the board walk, got back in and floated some more. I am sure we spent hours, and we were not alone. The source of the Mississippi was a popular spot, full of happy people.
This trip was just me and the kids. Charles flew back home so we could do the road trip west as a family, but at this point he was still in California. The Lake Itasca camping trip was also a dry run for our new camping gear. Our REI Kingdom 8 was quite a spectacle, with the 'garage' attachment and all. But it went up quickly and worked well. We did have a slight condensation problem. In very humid weather, it works better with the rain fly off. I am glad I sprung for the garage. A little vestibule for taking shoes on and off helped keep the inside clean.
A comfortable place to sleep goes a long way with the reluctant camper, and with that in mind I got a super duper full size camping mattress for Charles and myself. (In fact every single person I saw looking at this thing claimed to be getting for their significant other.) A hybrid between a therm-a-rest and a manual pump air mattress, it was absolutely the most comfortable camping pad I have ever slept on. Ariadne eventually migrated over in the middle of the night. She was a fan too.
Back a the camp site Solomon, our fire master, started training in Charlotte and Aria. We made pizza burritos in the camp fire, a favorite of Nova and Charlotte’s 4-H camp, and finished off the meal with s'mores. The girls made friends with the kids at the neighboring camp site and played on a swing set at the end of the campground.
In the afternoons, when the camp site quieted down, the kids practiced their instruments. We intend to bring them along for our 10 day road trip to California and this was a dry run for that too. When Solomon played his viola, the few campers left looked up and took notice, enjoying the music.
A long stairway lead down to Lake Itasca near the entrance of the camp ground. We stared went there to wade and stare at the sunset and listen to the birds.
There were also plenty of opportunities to see wild life. We saw some creature (was it a beaver? A muskrat? a turtle?) Nearby was an old fire tower. We climbed to a dizzying height, and I was glad my youngest kid was six. Honestly, even I was experiencing some muscle fatigue from all the stairs by the time we were coming down. The family behind us had 21 kids (two families of cousins, with 9-10 kids in each family, plus a friend or two in the mix).
We saw the tallest white pine and the tallest red pine in the state, wild daisies, columbine, and lupine. This is the tallest white pine, with the girls included for scale (Nova was around 5'6'' at this point). If I recall correctly, this tree had been taller in the past, but storms had reduced its height. Battle worn, gnarled, but still majestic, it was the tallest tree the kids had ever seen.
On a day that threatened rain, we checked out the visitor's center. The mini-museum had a 3-D topographical map of the area, as well as relics from the past. Going to Lake Itasca was once a much fancier affair. Dishes and a laundry bag from the resort that once operated here were on display.
For some reason I didn't wrap up this blog post, and found it, orphaned in the draft pile over two years later. From here on out, it is mostly a photo album.
This group selfie turned out surprisingly well.
Nova showed me this page of her journal later. Ha!
A playground half way up from the Twin Cities was a welcome pit stop.
We took a ranger-led hike which lead us town to the dock. T this point, I'm pretty sure we're all staring at a turtle. We also saw swans and loons. I think the hike was about wildflowers.
Classic photo by the marker of the start of the Mississippi
]The view from the top of the fire watchtower.
Lest you think we are all alone, this picture exists purely to prove otheriwse.
