Kayaks, Waterfalls and Campfires

We took a small part of Labor Day weekend to get away and enjoy some time together as a family. We hadn't planned on going away (we don't usually like to fight crowds), but we decided it would be good for us to do a short trip, and we had some friends who were letting us camp where we didn't have to worry about finding a spot. We left Saturday morning (still had to put up with a few lines of traffic through some "road construction"--even though there wasn't any work being done). I managed to forget the tent (I'm learning that if I don't plan the day ahead I usually forget something), which was okay because we've been needing a slightly larger tent and ended up finding one at a good price.

We pitched our tent deep in the woods at Covenant Park Bible Camp about 20 miles southwest of Duluth. A friend of ours manages the camp. It was a beautiful night for camping. we left the rain fly off so we could see the stars and the full moon (but slept in the tent because of the mosquitoes).

We did a little kayaking at the camp.

We took a trip over to Amnicon Falls State Park in Wisconsin. It was a short hike there, but enjoyable. And not too crowded.

As we drove through Superior on our way back to the camp, we saw some big ships in Lake Superior, so we though it would be fun to let the boys see them. Canal Park in Duluth was absolutely packed, so we went over the bridge and found a place with access to the lake. We hadn't brought any swim wear with since its usually quite cold along the North Shore. The water was still very cold, but the day was warm enough that it felt refreshing.

We were home late on Sunday night after a tiring drive back. Frustrated with some of the travel incidents (we're still working through this obedience/good attitude/no tantrum behavior with the boys), but we were refreshed as well. Beth is working today, and we're getting laundry done and things put away. The labor never ends.