Well, we had a blast. :) The kids are CONKED out in their beds...Cora was asleep by 5:50 tonight...haha. We ran around and soaked up a bit of nature for the past 24 hours, and their bodies certainly showed it! Everyone got a bath 1st thing after getting home. Totally worth it, for sure.
We look forward to more camper cabin / yurt adventures in the MN State Parks this year!
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As soon as we got to the Yurt the older two kids laid claim to two of the top bunks.
The bunk beds (3 in all, one had a full size bed on the bottom) were made of HEAVY, solid wood.
The Yurt is designed to sleep 7, easily (way more than most hotel rooms), but you could for sure put 2 kids on each top bunk if you wanted. They loved the top bunk experience and we even had Josie spend the night with us, too.
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| I found GIANT marshmallows at the grocery store. GOTTA do it. |
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| Esther and I each took photos like this. :) |
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| So much fun was had with princesses... |
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| Finn was OBSESSED with these $1.25 Jiffy Pop things I got for making popcorn over the fire. OBSESSED. We finally had to make the 3rd one just so he would stop asking about it. :) |
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| One view of our yurt. |
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| Each Yurt was given a cart like this because you can't drive up to the Yurts, so we had to treck out gear in (like 400 feet...not very far for sure). Turns out these carts were the #1 hit of the trip. The kids were in them non-stop. Most of my pictures are of 56 kids around a cart, it seems. :) |
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| Layla is an amazing big sister. |
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| Telling older kids what to do. Like she does. |
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| Just checkin' out some nature. |
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| I loved seeing so many heads together, so often, looking at some new discovery along the paths... |
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| Heading home. |
All in all, it was a super fun trip. Afton is only 30 minutes from our home...so do-able. The weather was wonderful, despite smatterings of rain, and we were even fully prepared for all possibilities! There were NO bugs. It was amazing. That alone made it a great trip for me. The Yurt was fantastic, the kids loved being with their friends (2 other homeschool Mother's and their kids), and we go out in expansive nature to explore for a while. Plus, we ate really well. What more could you ask for??
Below is a map of all of the MN state parks that have camper cabins, and what kinds. So helpful, eh? My guess is that next we'll end up places like William O'Brien, Wild River, Lake Maria, or Jay Cooke.
And a map of ALL MN State Parks. Just for fun.
The Peace of Wild Things
When despair grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting for their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting for their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
~Wendell Berry
