August 5, 2012

We were the first to arrive at Camden SP probably a little bit after 1:00 PM.  We were pretty much set up when Julie, Arnie and family arrived.  About the time they were done setting up Leslie, Paul and the kids made it.  They were followed by Dennis, then Steve, Karen and Vadim.  A little later Laura and Mark arrived then finally Joyce, Lee and Mom got here.  The SHOWeR group was finally all together.

Camden is a pretty park.  There is a small manmade lake that the kids are canoeing in today.  The Redwood River runs through the park and there are three camping areas.  We’re in the upper.  The lower is near the swimming pond and there is a small horse camp across the tracks.  The tracks run through the park and are fairly busy, we often hear the trains and train whistle.

We did take a ride yesterday to see the park and a little of the area to the east and north to Marshall but that’s about it as this is more of a family visit time.  The younger kids have been active swimming, fishing and canoeing but most of the time has been watching grandkids and visiting.

Tomorrow we head home so I’ll try to add some pictures and wrap this up when we get home.

August 8, 2012

We arrived home Monday about 6:00 or so.  The drive took a little longer than planned as we had to stop 3 times to secure a body panel.  There are several panels on the coach that are held on with double stick body tape.  I’ve learned to easily deal with this when one comes loose.  I guess this time there was either too much residue from previous tape jobs or my tape is getting old because it would not hold.  After replacing it twice I got out the Scotch88 and got it anchored down for the last 30 miles.

The SHOWeR reunion was great fun.  The kids swam, fished and canoed and the little ones really enjoyed the bounce house.  Each family took turns preparing the evening meal which was great fun.  The different “camping food” choices were interesting and it was all good.  There were also two group breakfasts and a group lunch.  No alcohol was consumed as it is illegal in Minnesota State Parks (if you believe that I have a good used bridge to sell).

Camden SP is on our list of parks to revisit.  We did not get to spend any time exploring the area or to see as much of the park as we’d like to.  The topography changes as you move from east to west in Minnesota.  Around Camden it is more open prairie than farther east, more arid and rougher terrain but the glacier cuts seem less dramatic than in the east.  When we were in Shetek the staff was working to keep the trees alive in the new campground.  One ranger said that they had not had any rain since Memorial weekend.  While in Minnesota we got a little rain every three or four days.  The crops looked pretty good.  On the drive home you could drought damage kept getting worse as we went south.  Along I29 north of Council Bluffs fields that were under water last year are so dry the corn is dead and beans are close behind.

Well this will be my last post until our fall travels.  We’re not sure where we are headed yet but thinking of Colorado.

August 1, 2012

Rice Lake is another pretty park but we just barely got a glimpse of the lake.  It is a shallow lake surrounded by trees and marsh.  The “boat ramp” leads to a path through the cattails but I didn’t see any open water.  The park is pretty large but not a lot is developed.  There are several campsites that are canoe in sites.  There are two loops in the campground one without electricity and one with electricity at most sites.  The electric installation is new, you can still see the trenches. The shower house is in the loop w/o electricity.  From a design / cost perspective this does not make sense unless future plans call for adding electricity over there.

Rice Lake was popular with the Indians and white settlers because of the wild rice.  It provided a plentiful food source.  The town of Rice Lake failed like many small communities when the railroad went around the town.   The only thing that remains is an old church that they are trying to preserve.

Owatonna is the closest town of any size.  I’m sure it is a nice community but I saw nothing outstanding when we visited.  The surrounding area is very pretty, I see why folks settled here.  The land is gently rolling with rich soil and plenty of water.  You rarely see any irrigation.  Although we keep hearing about drought conditions this area appears to be doing better than farther south.

On Monday we moved to Flandrau SP at New Ulm.  The park is located on the south edge of town.  It has a more open layout than the last several parks we’ve visited.  The sites are large and well spaced but trees can make it a challenge for larger rigs in some sites.  The guy across the road asked us to move our Jeep Monday night as he was leaving early Tuesday morning had to swing his 5^th wheel around a tree.

New Ulm is an impressive town.  It is very well laid out and was settled by German and Bohemian immigrants so you can see the German influence in the old parts of town.  At 5:00 PM Monday we visited the Glockensphiel. It’s an animated German clock tower with 37 bells.  I think we’ll visit it again with a video camera.  The animation lasted 10 minutes and occurs 3 times each day.

Yesterday we toured the Schell Brewery.  It was a fun tour and of course ended with sampling their beers.  Following the tour you are invited to walk around the grounds which are beautiful.

Well tomorrow we move to Camden SP where we meet the SHOWeR group for a long weekend of family fun.