canoe and tower

St. Croix State Park is Minnesota's largest state park, but you wouldn't know it during our visit. The main campground have almost 300 spots, during our stay there were maybe seven or eight in the tent section and another five in the RV. It was quiet, beautifully so.

Our first afternoon was limited, set-up the site and do some hiking. We walked along the St. Croix River, visited the education center, and walked down to an old C.C.C. site. While we were out & about we came across an older gentlemen driving an electric scooter yelling for help. He had run out of battery during his trail-trip'n and needed to get back to his camper & electrical supply. We pushed a bit, he'd try his battery and get another 20 feet, repeat, repeat, repeat. When we got to his camper he treated us to his pics from his trip to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Africa.

Add another place to the wish list.

The primary reason I took us to this state park was the canoeing. Turns out the state park's canoe services are closed Monday through Wednesday. Damn. But just outside and across the river in Danbury, WI is a canoe service. They took us upriver a few miles and we lackadaisically floated down to the take-out point. The St. Croix river is not damned and, because of it's lack of industry, not polluted. It is a great river to canoe and has multiple canoe camp sites. The kids liked this portion of our trip.

The park also has a one hundred foot fire tower. We visited twice, once in the morning and again that same day for sunset. The morning view was surreal, the distant forest falling in and out of view as the fog shifted about. The evening was clearer, but the sunrise was hidden by clouds. Both times I was nervous of the indifference shown by my children to steep staircase. One would think they were oblivious to the danger posed by a trip or stumble.

Our visit was peaceful. The days were damp, cloudy, and without bugs. The evenings were cool, mostly clear and filled with stars. I want to return and canoe some more of the river. We'll see, for now it is a pleasant memory.