Coming to a Blog Near You: Tettegouche State Park!

Guess what we did?!

Reserved our dream campsite for September 2015!!!

This campsite has it all.  Take a look at the view from the campfire ring!  Look at all the sticks I can chew!

Only downside to this site is that you have to cart-in .25 miles to get there.  But the views?  Totally worth it!

Where is your dream campsite?

Adventure Dog Tuesday: What do we Look for in a Good Campground?

Bosses have been to many different campgrounds, at least in Minnesota.  So, after all these trips that we've blogged about, what do we do to find a great spot?

Bosses took their first foster dog, Cody, with them camping last fall.  He loved it!

1. Location.  Our personal preference is traveling to places that aren't terribly far away from our house, and have beautiful scenery.  Our favorite place to go in Minnesota is anywhere along the North Shore, but the Mississippi river bluffs on the Southeastern border are pretty cool, too.  It's nice, because these are 2-5 hours away, making it easy to drive there for either a weekend or extended weekend.

Camping is even better when you can find fall colors, too!

2. The campground amenities.  While we're not terribly picky about this, we like to look at what the campground has before we book a spot.  Is it a drive-in campsite, a walk-in, cart-in, kayak-in, backpacking?  Definitely something to consider depending on how light you want to pack.  Most of the Minnesota state parks have showers, bathroom/shower rooms with hot water and everything, running water, the whole kit and kaboodle.

Easy access to trails from the campground makes finding beautiful scenery convenient and fun!

• Drive-in campsites: Ever see that commercial from Staples with the "Easy" button?  You could press it in this instance.  Drive-in campsites are fun, easy, and you can bring anything that will fit in your car!  Mom and Dad "car camp" frequently, since it's easier to do with a young puppy- plus, when you're done cooking, you just throw the cooler/dishes/campsite into your trunk.  That way, you don't have to worry about little critters (and bigger ones, like bears...) getting into your stuff!
• Cart-in campsites: A little more work than a drive-in, since you have to pack all your belongings into a plywood cart to bring to your campsite.  You have to pack a little more efficiently (like...putting your sleeping bags into compression sacks), but we love them.
• Walk-in campsites: Mom and Dad tried this a few months back, and had no problems.  No cart provided, but the campsite is pretty close to the parking lot, and you have to carry all your things in.  Not too hard, but again, the efficiency factor is there- you have to pack everything lightly and in as few bags as possible to prevent yourself from going back to the car multiple times.  But...the car is there, and it's not a huge deal.
• Backpack Sites: Our family hasn't tried this yet!!!  Mom and Dad tried to go on a backpacking trip in the fall, but weddings/family/work/etc got in the way :( So, we're working on a backpacking trip for next summer. We'll report back when we experience it!

All I ask for in a campsite?  Lots of water nearby.  Boy, do I love water.

3. Timing.  The time of year in each place we go to is another thing Bosses like to think about.  For example: planning a trip that isn't scorching hot or freezing cold.  They like to plan trips in early June or July, September, and even October (as long as it isn't on the North Shore).  October gets to be pretty chilly "Up North", and some of us don't have warm insulation like us fluffy friends!  A lot of Northern Minnesota parks also have fresh raspberries on the trails, so they miiiight also plan trips to be able to pick those, too.  But it's not the end of the world. ;-)

4. Who we're going with.  Let's face it- everyone is busy!  If we go with our friends, it's tough to find a weekend when no one is working or doing other things that prevent them from camping (how dare they?!).  Also, their whereabouts affect which park we camp at.  Our friends whom we camp with a lot live about an hour and a half away from us (and in the complete opposite direction of the North Shore), so we try to pick campsites that are within reasonable driving distances of both of us.  Not only does it affect where we camp, it also depends on what kind of campsite we get- a roomy campsite with the capability of multiple tents is also nice.  Minnesota's DNR website is great, because they give you all the specifications of each campsite, and most times will give you an actual picture of the site.  Now that is convenience!

Just getting out of the river...The rocks up by the North Shore are pretty "intents", wouldn't you say? ;-)

What kinds of things do you look for in a campsite?  I'd love to get more input so we can find more amazing places to explore!

Chow!

Adventure (Sans Dog) Tuesday: Split Rock Lighthouse State Park

Hello, World!

Well, today, I hate to say it, but....

Bosses ditched me for this trip. :(  You know why?  I wasn't even born yet!

The "morning coffee" spot!

This was Bosses' camping trip from Labor Day weekend, 2013.  I was merely a breeder dog, still in Momma's tummy.  Bosses went up there and camped in the campground right down the hill from the famous lighthouse there.  This place is a little less than an hour up Scenic Highway 61 from Duluth, MN.  It's right along Lake Superior, and Bosses gotta say: it's one of their favorite state parks so far.  I really wish I were with the Bosses for this trip, but alas, there was no physical way that I could be there.  However, Bosses DID say that I did really well in the tent last time and will *maybe* take me there next time! :)

Look at the fog coming off the lake.

So....this is what I have to look forward to:

Beautiful morning out at the "coffee spot"

This campground is all either cart-in/backpack-in/kayak-in campsites.  Bosses like these campsites, because there are no loud motors from either cars or RV's.  It's a little ways off the path from the parking lot, so it's desolate, quiet, and sooooo scenic.  Bosses had to cart their stuff in about 100 feet or so to get to their campsite.  So....not terrible.

View from the campsite in the morning.

The campsites themselves are very spaced apart, which is also nice.  They were at a different campsite for a night on the way to Duluth, and you could practically reach outside of the tent and touch the other campsite's fire ring.  Well, not quite that close, but Mom unzipped the side of her tent, got out, and BAM there was the neighbor like right there, and he waved and said "good morning" while making his coffee.  Definitely not something they're used to!  But....Mom/Dad are friendly people so they made small talk.  Anywho, I digress.  Desolate campsites!

Hot coffee and eggs are ALWAYS on the menu when we camp- even I get a nibble most times!

Mom, Dad, and I all manage to fit in this 2-person "extra-long" backpacking tent.  Impressive, eh?

Waking up to serene and stunning nature was really easy for them here.  While it was brisk in the mornings in September there, they could walk to the rocky shoreline and have their morning coffee.  It was about 50 feet away, and there was a nice log to sit on.  Is there possibly a better place to sit and enjoy a morning?!  Bosses don't think so.

The log the Bosses sat on at their "coffee spot"

There were tons of hiking opportunities, which Mom says I would absolutely love!!!  The trails were lined with fresh, wild raspberries, so getting a snack on the trail was as easy as plucking them off the plants.  Beautiful overlooks, a lighthouse you can tour (no dogs allowed inside though, grrr), a little market on the weekends at the lighthouse where you can buy local things, and even access to the Superior Hiking Trail, if Mom remembers correctly.  It was splendid.

Split Rock Lighthouse.

Really loud horns up at the lighthouse.  Wooooo wooooo!

So, when are we going to take a trip there?! Mom says next year when the weather is nice, they'll book a spot.  Mom says they already have a site booked for us for Labor Day weekend - the best cart-in site at Tettegouche State Park (coming to a blog near you very soon).  So, this park is going to be in our near future! :) It's dog-friendly.  2 paws and 2 thumbs up! :)

View from the lighthouse.

Lake Superior was surprisingly calm when Bosses went up there.

It's a long way down if you somehow fall over the super tall fence!

View from the hiking trail along the lake.  How gorgeous is this?!

View from the lake.  It was beautiful! (The water's chilly, though.  Tons of dogs are usually out here!)

Beautiful day for a hike.  I should've grown up quicker so I could've come along!

Beautiful hiking trail lined with birch trees.

Mom and Dad are those little shadows!  What a nice beach to play fetch on.  Next time!!!

Look at all those trees.

Little creeks flow everywhere along the hiking trail.

Settlers once used this place as a gathering place, and built this cool fireplace!

The beauty of fall up on the North Shore is unsurpassable.  It takes our breath away every time! <3

This post is part of the Adventure Dog blog hop, hosted by DOGthusiast and Tiffany's Diamond Dogs every Tuesday.

Adventure Dog Tuesday: Jay Cooke State Park

Happy Adventure Dog Tuesday!

We'd like to start our post off today with some GReat news:  Our buddy Kaiser, will be adopted on Friday!  He will now be known as Geno- named after a famous hockey player.  His new family is fantastic, and we know we'll get to see him every once in a while- they only live 15 minutes away!  So hooray for Kaiser/Geno! :)

Anywho, back to our Adventure Dog Tuesday.

We LOVE adventures around here, so you'll be hearing about our excursions for a loooong time. :)

Our second camping trip from this past summer was with our friends up to Jay Cooke State Park, up near Duluth, Minnesota.  We thought this place was a gem- there was something to do for the entire weekend.  It was a little more loud and crowded than other places we go to up on the North Shore, but the campsites were far enough away and separated by trees that it didn't matter much.

This was the one weekend this summer that we didn't get rained out at least one night.

The campsite was enjoyable.  Busy, but enjoyable.  It was a little more difficult to reserve a campsite here, because so many people like to camp here that you do have to book your weekend at least 6-8 months in advance.  We managed to get two campsites that were across the street from each other- pretty snazzy!

There were so many hiking trails to go along.  Not only were there hiking trails, there was a really nice biking trail for Bosses, too!  We went along the Munger Trail, a rugged hiking trail along the river.  We thought it was fun!

Bosses even taught me how to swim in a calm bay off the river.  I LOVED it.  I am now addicted to swimming. :)  See, I told you I was a water dog!

Small Boss had a rather unfortunate "spill" on our afternoon hike on Saturday.  I was hiking along with the Big Boss, and Small Boss lost her footing on a rock face and fell down 15 feet with her nice DSLR camera in her hand.  She cut up her knee really good, and the camera survived!  We were so prepared that we even forgot band-aids....oh wait, yeah, we weren't prepared at all.  The Big Boss is an Eagle Scout, he was NOT prepared whatsoever!  Oh well, I digress.  We got back to camp and cleaned up Small Boss and she was fine.

I got to play all weekend with my little buddy, Jax!  He's quite the guy. :)  I'm always bummed when we have to go our separate ways, but I know that he'll always be my little buddy!  Friendship is the best ship!

Well, I hope you enjoyed my pictures and memories from my lovely July camping trip!  Have you been on any fun camping trips?  What kind of memories or good advice do you have?

Chow!
This post is part of the Adventure Dog blog hop, hosted by DOGthusiast and Tiffany's Diamond Dogs every Tuesday.

#AdventureDogChat Tuesday: Cascade River State Park

Heya, Fans!

Welcome to my second Adventure Dog Blog Hop post!  I'm so glad you liked my first one, and I hope to do plenty more where it came from.  Bosses and I practically live outside whenever possible, and it usually involves exploring and adventuring in the great outdoors.   Well, enough with my blabbering, onto some sweet pictures and details!

Our little tent for the three of us :)

My first weekend adventure was in June 2014.  We went Up North the Friday night after work, and set up our camp.  I was pretty excited!

Gorgeous wooded trails we hiked on.  Look at all those sticks! ;-)

The first night, Bosses and I slept in the tent.  Little did we know that a thunderstorm would roll in around 4am.  I wasn't a huge fan of the heavy rain, nor the flashes and cracks of lightning/thunder, so I panicked.  I started pawing at the screen, and poked a little hole in it.  Oops.  Boss fixed it, though.  Whew.

Wouldn't that be a nice spot to sit and relax for a while?

It was VERY foggy when we were up there.  No one out on Superior today!

The next morning, we got up, had our breakfast and coffee over the camping stove, and then decided what to do.  The weather was nasty- 50 degrees predicted as the high temp, with VERY dense fog.  We held off our morning hike for the afternoon, and drove the 15-20 minutes into Grand Marais, Minnesota. *We usually never leave the campsite, but Big Boss had never been to Grand Marais before, so we left.*

Big Boss and I going on a walk along Lake Superior- we looked for the perfect skipping rocks for him!

In Grand Marais, there was a wooden canoe festival, along with a little farmer's market.  We walked around the town, skipped some rocks into the lake, shopped, ate pizza at Sven & Ole's, and took our time.  There was still heavy fog in Grand Marais, but at least we were enjoying ourselves.  We had our fill of Grand Marais, so we packed in the car and headed back to our campsite after the lunch hour.

Hiking and looking at Lake Superior.

Whew! I LOVE HIKING!!!!!

This was our overlook spot.

Once we got back, we strapped our hiking boots on (I don't have hiking boots....) and went on our afternoon hike.  It was soooo muddy.  I loved it, but Bosses never like all the things that I like.  So, we sloshed our way up a trail which fed into the Superior Hiking Trail.  We went onto that, and got to the overlook of a "mountain" (which for Minnesota, looks like a mountain).  We got there, and it was so foggy, we couldn't see anything. :-(  So much for a scenic overlook!  Drat!  The other scenery we saw made up for it in the "gorgeous factor".  Very pretty.

Bosses loved looking at the cascades.

We crossed this bridge.  And promptly jumped in the creek.  And by we, I meant me. :)

YESSSS! FREE TO JUMP IN THE WATER! Shoveling it onto shore is my specialty!

We went back to our campsite, had dinner, a nice campfire, and went to bed; this time, I got the "presidential suite", aka the car.  It was a nice night to sleep there! We went on one more hike in the morning, and then packed up the campsite and went home.  It was pretty fun in all!  Bosses and I recommend Cascade River State Park.  It was secluded, quiet, and had many trails and activities to keep you busy during the day!  4 thumbs and 4 paws up! :)

We love visiting the North Shore for great camping and hiking!

This post is part of the Adventure Dog blog hop, hosted by DOGthusiast and Tiffany's Diamond Dogs every Tuesday.