When we had looked at the map earlier this summer, the kids and I thought that it would be really great to cross the Mississippi on Saturday in Lacrosse, WI and camp on the Minnesota side. This would be a big 13-hour drive that would require an early start from the Pinery Provincial Park. But after standing on the shores of Lake Huron the night before at sunset, we knew that we could not just pack up and leave without enjoying this magnificent park. We cooked a full breakfast and the kids spent the first part of the morning exploring the dunes and fossil-hunting while I re-organized the van, (again, and certainly not for the last time.)
Who needs toys, when you have rocks?
Then we all put on our swim gear and body-surfed the warm fresh-water waves on a nearly empty beach until lunch time.
Just a short walk to the beach.
The kids found a broken up old boogie board in the dunes and took turns trying to keep it from "accordioning" on the wave.
Julia and Kellan made sandwiches while I packed the tent and gear. We ate our lunch and turned out of the park at 1 PM.
Breaking camp.
A new game: Sprinter Van garbage ball. Sliding door + Moving van + Dumpster = Swoosh!
Our original thought had been to go north into Wisconsin and across into South Dakota to explore Rushmore, the Badlands and the Grasslands. But earlier in the week, I remembered that the Sturgis, SD motorcycle rally was this week and that there would be no camping or accommodation anywhere in or near southwestern SD. We decided to save those attractions for the trip home. Instead, we filled the cabin cooler with snacks, put the credit card down for an audiobook subscription and set the GPS for Davenport, IA. Knowing that we would be arriving well after dark, we decided to camp out in a Hampton Inn for the night. We rolled in at 10 PM CDT and I am enjoying the solid internet connection.
The bridge crossing into Port Huron, MI from Sarnia, ON.
Chasing the sunset across Illinois.