Camping at Split Rock

Early this week we headed just a bit north to Split Rock.  We’ve been to the lighthouse several times (although not for quite a few years) and we have kayaked quite a few times from Pebble Beach to the base of the lighthouse, because it’s one of my favorite places to paddle.  We’ve never camped before at Split Rock, or explored other parts of the park, and it was really lovely!  We camped at a cart in site that was on a cliff above the lake.  The cart-in campground was magnificent because all of the sites were spread out in the forest and isolated.  There was tons of privacy and seclusion.  Also, carting everything down the long trail (and it really did feel long!) was such an adventure.  Of course, I say that, but I was not the one pushing the cart up and down the hilly trail.  We brought our bikes, which was the perfect mode of transportation from the campsite to the water source.  

This was the view from the hammock I slept in at our campsite.  It doesn’t get much better, I don’t think!  

The light house and island were one direction, and the other direction overlooked cliffs like the one our campsite was situated on top of.  The weather in the early part of the week was warm and humid, but the breeze over the lake was chilled and refreshing, and the mixture of both made for rolling fog that swept in and out off the water.  I love fog.  It was so beautiful and interesting, too, because the patterns of how it rolled in were constantly changing. The kidlets thought the scenes looked like they belonged in some sort of desolate dinosaur movie. 

Next to the bathroom and water source was a Little Free Library, not for taking, but just for borrowing books to take back to the campsite.  It was stocked with nature books and hiking books for grown ups, teenagers, and kids of all ages.  The kidlets were absolutely thrilled.  They loved bringing a book back to the campsite, reading it, and then riding their bikes back to the little library to exchange it for a different nature book.  There were also novels about wilderness adventures, and picture books about historical events and people in Minnesota.  It was perfect. 

We have become a family of hammock dwellers when we go camping.  Almost everyone has their own hammock.  Some of the hammocks have tarps that can be strung in rainy weather, and others of us just prefer to climb into the regular tent in case of precipitation.  Dr. Peds has rigged up bug nets for the hammocks that don’t come with built in nets.  Hammock sleeping is terrific!  It’s so comfortable, and I love looking up at the sky while I’m rocking away to sleep.  

The card game of choice on this camping trip was “Tastes Like Chicken.”  So silly!

Right before we left for the camping trip, we decided to purchase an additional kayak for our kids to use.  After having so much fun kayaking with kids at the cabin, we were really excited to include them a bit more on paddling adventures.  What we didn’t remember was an additional paddle!  So, after breakfast on our full day at Split Rock, Dr. Peds and Mr. TOF took the car and headed up the shore just a bit more to find a paddle.  The three big kids and I went on a terrific hike.  Not everyone was initially excited about this hike, (although The Banana is always happy to go hiking, and I love that!).  However, it ended up being the perfect short hike.  The scenery at several different points was absolutely stunning.  We traversed the Day Hill loop, which for us started and ended at our campsite, which was just off the trail.  It isn’t a long hike, but it does climb to the top of a high and distinctive hill.  

This was the view of the lighthouse from the top of Day hill.

The most interesting and intriguing aspect of this hike is that there is an amazing stone fireplace on the top of the hill!  I didn’t know about this, so it was a complete surprise, and there is quite a bit of mystery around the origins and history of the fireplace that have me thinking  hard still, days later.  I can’t believe no one has written a novel about it!  It would be the perfect novel!  Seriously, I have so many QUESTIONS about the man might have built the fireplace as a start to a house that was abandoned when his sweetheart didn’t return his love.  I have even more questions about the girl.  

A paddle was located for a screaming deal on a clearance rack, and after a quick lunch, we were on the water!

The kid kayak was so great!  It really worked well, and everyone took turns going on adventures with me and Dr. Peds on his paddleboard.  We paddled around the bend to check out a bay, around an island, and back and forth to the base of the lighthouse and the sea caves (!) several times.  Even Mr. TOF went for a little trip with me, paddling his heart out.  

Of course there was paddle boarding too.

Mr. Trouble on Feet didn’t want to walk across the rock bar to the island because the water was super cold.  He thought taxi service by kayak would be a better idea.  However, when Dr. Peds tried to squeeze him into my kayak, he didn’t quite fit anymore!  They made plans to take the paddlebaord instead, which is a lot more comfortable.  

She got a kick out of wearing Dr. Peds’ sunglasses. She looks serious here, but she was really going for a “groovy” look.

YaYa barely remembered going inside the lighthouse, and truth be told, we hadn’t been there since she was about six years old.  The other kidlets understandably didn’t remember anything, and Mr. TOF wasn’t born at our last visit, so they asked if we could visit it before we left.  Sure!  I’ve always found the light house and its’ history interesting.  I especially like investigating the keepers’ home.