I would say the only, and I mean ONLY downside to traveling, especially camping, is the inevitable disaster that your home becomes before and after the trip. Or is that just my house? We’ll commiserate and pretend its everyone… I hope you’ll excuse my blogging absence, as I’ve been trying to reclaim our space from the camping gear and laundry that’s accumulated in every room.

This past weekend – from Thursday night to Monday night – we were in the great north, about two hours from Sault Ste. Marie, at Lake Superior Provincial Park. How did we get there? Turns out the world is pretty serendipitous. After running into a friend a baseball game, we were talking about fall plans, and she began telling us of this amazing camping trip she goes on every year to Canada – and that we should join the group this year. I’m not sure how serious she was at the time, but things escalated, and soon we were making packing lists and checking the weather! So, that’s how we ended up taking a long weekend in a magical northern paradise…

As a kid I spent a lot of time in Canada, mostly in Georgian Bay, not on Lake Superior – so while the scenery was slightly familiar, it was so awesome to explore a new place with Ryan, especially because he’s never been. The water was so crystal clear, our campsite was right on the beach, and the weather was perfect. Not too hot, not too cold. One afternoon, after an amazing hike, everyone put on their suits and took a (very quick) dip into Lake Superior. And is there anything better than homemade meals while you’re camping? We’re not the “hot dog over the fire” kind of people – I make spaghetti, blueberry pancakes, flank steak, you name it. Everything is simpler when you’re camping, so making a great dinner or breakfast never seems like a chore, it just naturally fits into the day. And after all that activity and fresh air, it’s typically a well-deserved meal.

I would love to see this area in the winter – it must be so rugged and aggressive, yet peaceful at times. Growing up in Michigan, I know that our winters are brutal, and so I can only imagine what northern Ontario’s shores are like with even more weather extremes. I did notice some cabins that were open year-round…it’s a tempting thought! As Jo said on the trip, “there’s no bad weather, just bad gear.”  I like it.