Into The Great Wide Open

Under them skies of blue… with the bugs and the humidity and the RABID KILLER GRIZZLYS BEARS.

Tip Of The Day:  Some folks like to go camping.  To them I say, more power to you and you may just be insane.  Of course, people say that about my love for dressing up in costumes and going to as many Ren Fests/Faires my checkbook can afford.  In short, to each their own.

For those campers who love to camp and live around the TC, today’s post and tonight’s Fox 9 segment are all for you.

Tip For Tomorrow:  It feels like it’s been MONTHS since I’ve done a beauty product review around here.  Or posted readers’ tips.  Fortunately, I have a back-log of both, so the next few days will be all Beauty and Readers ALL THE TIME.

Further Elucidation Of My Cheap Deal:  Being a Minnesotan, I am blessed with an embarrassment of parks and campgrounds encircling the Cities where I live.  And in an economic climate where money is on the short leash (and it better heel and sit and go potty when it’s told… and I’ve now lost control of this analogy), we need activities that are inexpensive, if not downright cheap.  Fortunately, camping is one such activity.

A family of four, camping for 5 days, will pay well under $150 for a campsite at one of the many campgrounds located minutes from the Cities.  Here’s how they stack up.

State Parks, run by the DNR.  There are two traditional tent-camping parks less than half an hour north of either downtown – Interstate and William O’Brien campgrounds.  Both charge a mere $20 a day for a site.  You’ll also need a vehicle permit, which runs $5 for a daily pass, or just $25 for an annual pass.  And if you make a reservation, either online or via phone, there is an additional $8.50 reservation fee.  Total cost for 5 days?  $133.50.

Not mentioned on TV – you can also backpack into a campsite at Afton State Park (no flush toilets or showers) or stay at a rustic campsite at MN Valley State Park (no flush toilets or showers) for $12 a night.

Three Rivers Park District.  Three Rivers manages most of the regional parks and campgrounds in the western side of the Cities.  They have two campgrounds, including Baker Campground in Maple Plain.  Baker charges a mere $17 a night for a campsite, and there is no vehicle registration fee.  However, like the state parks, there is a reservation fee – $7.50.  For a family of four to camp 5 nights, you’ll pay just $92.50.

Not mentioned on TV – their other campground at Carver Park is one of those “primitive” campsites with no flush toilets or showers.  But it’s dirt cheap – just $11 a night.

The best price for a traditional tent campsite, with the best location.  Just minutes from the Cities in Apple Valley, is the lovely and convenient Lebanon Hills Campground.  Sites run just $16 a night, with a low $7 reservation fee.  And no, there is no vehicle registration fee.  To get back to nature and sleep out under the stars for 5 days, you’ll only pay $87.

Not mentioned on TV – The other campground for Dakota County has an even BETTER deal, although further away from the Cities, at Lake Byllesby Regional Park in Cannon Falls.  There, campsites are a mere $15 a night – lowering your overall cost to just $82.  Plus, there’s a vineyard nearby, if camping gets too much for you, and you need a tipple or two.

One last tip, wherever you book your campsite, check first to see what their firewood policy is.  Most campgrounds won’t allow you to bring in your own wood.  You’ll either need to buy it onsite, or from a DNR-approved vendor.  Why?  To help prevent the spread of invasive species, like the emerald ash-bore beetle.  See?  BUGS – which is why I don’t camp.

Let me ask you – Do you camp?  If so, what’s your favorite thing about camping?