Julia and I hitched up the Scamp on Wednesday, got our motors runnin' and headed out on the highway, looking for adventure and whatever came our way.
Well, maybe not. Wisconsin state parks require advanced reservations for camping this year. We made prior arrangements at Blue Mounds State Park to spend a couple of days mid-week, before the crowds arrived for the July 4th weekend. Blue Mounds is about an hour from our house.
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Hazy Jane IPA
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Things have been a little tense with the four adults (more or less) in our house, staring at each other for the last few months. The real grown-ups had to get away to preserve sanity. Allie and Justin were left to fend for themselves and defend the castle. They did remarkably well, despite some challenges, and we appreciated the chance to get away for some safe down-time with nature and each other.
Campground check-in was touch-less. The office was closed. A sign directs campers to go directly to their campsite. You can print a copy of your confirmation to put up on the site or show your phone if asked. No one asked us for anything. Aside from waving hi and thanks to the workers cleaning the bathrooms several times per day and spraying down the water spigots, there is no interaction with park personnel. We brought our own water and bathroom, so things were touch-less there too.
The pool is closed. The towers are closed. The playground was closed. Trails are open. We hiked the park's trails and also strolled the Military Ridge Bike/Hike Trail which passes next to the state park.
After a daily five mile hike early in the morning to beat the heat, we spent the afternoons and evenings at the campsite: reading, cooking, drinking, and staring into the fire. We tried to remember the last time we enjoyed a dinner inside a restaurant. But mostly, we tried to stay in the moment and enjoy this respite from the current days.
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Reading a book by the fire
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When we first arrived on Wednesday, the campground was about one-third full. When we left this morning, things were just about filled up. Camping mid-week seems like a good way to avoid the crowds. Julia has changed her work schedule to allow more of these outings.
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