Summer 2022: Camping in Minnesota in our New Rig!

Winona, MN

Picking up our 24RDS from Camping World

In the spring of 2022 we decided we needed to upgrade our RV setup, especially for longer stays in the winter. We did a ton of research online to determine the right rig as well as the right truck. By mid April, we took possession of our 2022 Chevy Silverado 3500 and our 2022 Keystone Cougar 24RDS. Exciting and scary - especially the first time we backed it into our driveway!

Our maiden trip was to Winona, to visit parents and help our oldest move. We set up at Prairie Island Campground right on the Mississippi, backing in a little better this time. We enjoyed a few days with family, and some gorgeous sunsets. Here's a short video of our location.

Glow of the Mississippi at dusk

Deerwood, MN

Site 10 at Camp Holiday

In the summer of 2021 we made a promise with another couple that we would definitely find a way to go camping together in 2022. So with a little research we picked the Crosby area, since it's not too far 'up north' and there are bike trails in the area. We made reservations at the highly rated Camp Holiday Resort & RV Park, a small campground with a lot of character.

On the way we stopped for a beer at Jack Pine Brewing in Baxter, MN. We kept it pretty simple, grilling one night and heading out to a local restaraunt (JJ's Bird's Nest) the second night.

Friends since 3rd grade!

Sunset glow off Turtle Lake

Here's a short video of Camp Holiday and our setup.

Jean and Bruno had just the weekend off, so they left Sunday morning. Tim and I stayed one more day, opting for a fairly long bike ride into Crosby, including a stint on the mountain bike trails in the area. We finished off our day with a cold one at Cuyuna Brewing.

Grand Marais, MN

During our 2021 road trip to Voyageurs and Isle Royale, we stopped briefly in Grand Marais and promised ourselves we'd be back for more than just a beer. So after packing up at Camp Holiday we left Deerwood and hit the road for the four-hour drive to Grand Marais and the Municipal Campground and Marina. Our plan was to take in a few longer hikes in the area, but the weather didn't quite cooperate so we opted for shorter trails, where we could abandon the trek if it rained hard.

Site 278 at Grand Marias Recreational Area

Taking advantage of the amenities at the marina

First we drove about 15 miles north in Hwy 61 to Judge CR Magney State Park, where we took on Devil's Kettle, a 2.0 mile out and back trail, with 192 steps down leading to the Upper Falls area of the Brule River. At the top of Devil’s Kettle, the Brule River splits in two. One stream flows over a cliff and into the pool below. The other flows into a hole in the rock. From there, it appears to go nowhere. People have tried to figure out where the water goes for years, dropping objects into the water at the top to see where the object ends up including sticks, ping pong balls, even a GPS - and all of them disappear. We weren't too concerned about that, and just enjoyed the hike and the scenery. Here's a short video of our trek, and below are some of my favorite photos from the hike.

We also hiked a trail in the Pincushion Mountain trail system, ending up on a large rock overlooking Lake Superior. We stayed on shorter trails since it was threatening rain all day, but the dense foilage protected us from the light sprinkle.