Memorial Day Camping

Every year, we talk about going camping over Memorial Day weekend but when it comes down to it, it just doesn't end up happening.  Mainly because there always seems to be severe weather that weekend-at least here in Iowa.  I was trying to recount what we have done over the past few years over Memorial Day and this is what I came up with:  

2007:  Amber, Marc, John and I went camping in Northern MN at Tettagouche State Park

2008:  John and I went camping at Wilson Island State Recreation Area in Western Iowa. 

2009:  We spent the weekend in Northern Minnesota at my friend Erin's cabin with the whole clan.

2010:  I was working at Y Camp and had to work

2011:  I believe we were at a wedding that weekend for my cousin but I can not recall for sure.  

2012:  I actually blogged about it.  You can read about that here.   Relaxing, boating with Marc and Amber in Story City, campfire at their house.

2013:  We had planned a trip to St. Louis to camp and visit the sights of the city but it was forecasting severe weather and so we cancelled our reservations which ended up being a good thing because

Day 1 Day 2

So now here we are in 2014 and I made reservations at a state park.  I was actually shocked that it was late April and I still found a campsite when I decided to book a trip.  The state park that we chose to go to was Pikes Peak State Park.  I have wanted to camp up in that area for a few years now but could never snag a reservation over the 3-day weekend and we try to avoid driving that far with the camper for just a regular weekend (It is about 3-3.5 hours away).  So I was thrilled when I found the available site.  So Friday after work we loaded up some last minute items and hit the road.  We arrived there about 9:00 and it took a little bit to get everything situated.  I think Elsie was was asleep by 10:00 that night- (way past her bedtime).  John and I climbed right into bed too since it was already so late.  

Tally also came with us camping of course and this was her first camping trip.  Normally when we drive up to MN she is in her kennel in the back my vehicle but since we had the truck she got to ride in style in the backseat.  We bought her this harness and it attaches to the seat belt so she doesn't jump or climb on Elsie while driving.  It worked perfect!  

A Little note:  the past two years we have taken a mini pack and play for Elsie to sleep in but this year she gets to sleep on the bottom bunk.  She looks so tiny on the full size bed but she loved it!  If you asked her what her favorite part about camping was and she would tell you it was her bed :)  This is a little monumental because she has never slept on a bed other than a crib or a pack and play-something with sides where she can't escape.  Thankfully she never got out of bed either.  

So Saturday morning we were up bright and early thanks to Elsie who just doesn't know how to sleep in :).  We ate some breakfast and hung out for awhile in the camper because it was still "quiet hours".  We ended up deciding to head into town for the morning because we had planned to go to Effigy Mounds National Monument in the afternoon.  As we drove into Marquette we discovered there was a little flea market taking place.  Yay!  I had just made a summer bucket list and visiting a flea market was on the list.  

The only thing we found was a little pink and black softball glove for Elsie, a baseball to go with it, and a little horse figure that Elsie played with the entire day.  As we were at the flea market we heard a loud crash and looked towards the road to see a car accident.  People rushed towards, calling 911.  It just made me sick!  I couldn't stop thinking about it all morning.  I tried later to find out what happened but could not find anything in the news about the accident which I hope means that it was nothing more than minor injuries and car damage.  But just like that-those people's holiday weekend changed in a blink of an eye.  

After the flea market we let Elsie play on a little playground and then decided to walk through town a little bit.  There were tons of antique stores and I thought it would be nice to take a look.  What we also discovered was a winery-something else that was on my summer bucket list!  John and I have visited quite a few central Iowa wineries and enjoy doing the tastings.  Oh my-their wines were delicious!  We ended up bringing three bottles home with us!  Elsie also enjoyed the tasting-she got a cup full of chocolate chips to keep her entertained.  

After exploring Marquette for awhile, we got back in the car and crossed the river to Prarie du Chien.  We drove around a bit and stopped at a little park along the river for Elsie to play on the playground somemore.  It was just so nice to be relaxed and not have to rush for any plans.  After that we made our way to Effigy Mounds to have a picnic lunch and explore the ancient burial mounds.  For more info on the mounds go here:  Effigy Mounds Info.  When we arrived we headed inside to chat with the rangers about where to go and what to spend our time with.  They recommended a hike on the boardwalk for Elsie's sake because it was an easy walk and there was a good chance to see some animals along the way.  But since we were there for the mounds and the views of the river we chose to an uphill hike complete with switchbacks. Before heading out we enjoyed our picnic.  

After lunch we made our way uphill.  Poor John had to push Elsie up the entire way while I had Tally.  The views from the top were beautiful and well worth the walk-although Elsie was getting crabby and wanted to sleep because after all, it was naptime.  Oh well.  We still enjoyed the hike and for once in the last 7 months that we have had Tally, we felt like we actually wore her out.  Towards the end of the hike she was definitely losing steam. Here are some views from the hike

In this picture you can see the mounds. 

Stopping for a break-Elsie loves to hold the bowl for Tally

After we got done with the hike we headed back to our campsite for the evening.  It was nice and relaxing.  Of course we had to make s'mores. 

Also at the campground, we went on a lot of walks, played games at the picnic table, and Elsie rode her bike all alround.  She especially enjoyed the downhills where she would just glide down. :) 

Let me just a do a quick review of the park where we stayed.  Pikes Peak State Park was just beautiful!  The trails were really nice and views were wonderful.  It is a hotspot for motorcyclists which doesn't surprise me one bit!  The campgrounds were okay-the sites were really close to each other but at least the were shaded.  The bathrooms/showerhouse were modern and clean which is always nice-in fact I prefered to shower there than in our little camper shower.  I would definitely go back again though.  

Sunday morning we went for a hike.  We took the stroller again not knowing what to expect and hoping to go a ways down the trail. The trail started out paved and the switched between alternating stairs and boardwalk. ha.  It was interesting... but we made it down and back up.  John just pushed the BOB down the the stairs and then on the way back up we I held the front and John lifted the back and we carried he up the stairs.  

Late Sunday after noon, we packed up and headed home a day early.  We thought it would be nice to have a day at home over the long weekend and we were right-it was nice to have a relaxing day home and to work on the flower beds.