A well-timed post. We just got back yesterday from a three day car-camping trip to the Minnesota blufflands.

All the way there the wind buffeted the car, making the drive more challenging. When we arrived however, the wind died to nothing, and with the temperature topping 100 degrees, and the humidity at 100% the air was oppressive and heavy. After setting up camp, I was drenched in sweat. The ground was wet from condensation, and the trees were dripping water. I had some difficulty getting a fire going because the wood was wet, and I had to tie a bandana around my head to keep the sweat out of my eyes while I shaved down some fatwood for kindling. I finally got a good fire going, and almost immediately heard a clap of thunder, followed by a torrential downpour which extinguished my fire.

Sitting in the heat under the fabric canopy watching the heavy rain, wet from top to toes, for the first time ever I told my wife that I thought I might be losing interest in camping. My wife knows me well and just nodded knowingly.

The next day, the sun came up over the tall bluffs around our valley campsite with an eastern exposure, and I was up early brewing a pot of my coveted camp coffee. The droplets of condensation in the trees glowed brightly with all the colors of the spectrum, and I could hear a wild turkey calling behind my camp. One of those living jewels - a Myrtle warbler - chased a moth branch to branch through the camp, as it hunted for it's breakfast. Everything was lush, green, and fragrant.

We finished a hearty breakfast, drained the coffee pot, strapped on daypacks and headed out. Miles of cold, crystal clear water creek teeming with brown trout the size of my forearm. We followed the creek to it's source, taking time to doff the boots and walk in the icy water, and ford the creek using a fallen tree for a bridge. We looked in amazement as the creek gushed out of the base of a 250 foot limestone bluff. We then headed out through the hardwood forest onto the wild mint scented tall prairie. Everything was in bloom and attended by hummingbirds and butterflies. I almost felt like we were on the set of 'Avatar', as we gazed out on the prairie nestled at the base of tall limestone bluffs.

This time we were car-camping a remote state park, and that evening sitting under the stars next to the fire, my wife declared that the problem was that 3 days is not long enough. I thought about that and realized that I don't like being stressed out, hot and wet, but I really do love camping.