Super Dads

Just getting started on the Baptism River, morning 1. They weren't supposed to get wet yet

 A couple weeks ago, while Lady D Rider (wife,mom) was out of town on her annual girls weekend, the boys and I headed north for a little vacation. Joing in the fun was T-Roy and his daughter J-Boo. We both took work off Friday and headed out Thursday night for the north shore of Lake Superior. What ensued in the next three days was one of the best weekend trips I've done in a while.

The first night we stayed near Finland Minnesota at the Eckbeck Natl Forest campground. The forest service campgrounds are nice, but sometimes are just a place to stay. We lucked-out when we scored a sweet site at Temperance River State Park on Friday morning. The lake, and river water, was warm enough that we spent about four hours swimming, cliff jumping, and playing in the waves.

Troy, cliff jumping in Temperance River

Yours truly, jumping in Temperance River

Lake Superior at the mouth of the Temperance River

The gang

J-boo does first cliff jump, ever!

Dinner time

On Saturday morning we headed north to Grand Marais. The Dragon Boat festival was going on, so the town was packed. We hadn't planned for the boat races but we sat and watched one anyway.  Once you've seen one dragon boat race, you've seen them all. The boats are like a really big canoe with a bunch of people paddling to the beat of an onboard drummer. On to better things, we headed a little further north for the real prize of the day. We would navigate up the steam bed and waterfalls of a small creek that becomes somewhat of a slot canyon, one of my favorites of the north shore. The water was flowing a little faster than  when I did a solo trip two years ago, but was manageable with two adults working together to get everyone upstream, unscathed. T-Roy did manage to cut a large gash in his knee while making sure his daughter made it through a slippery section.

T-Roy and J-boo navigating the first waterfall

Big "D"

Team Work

All natural water slide

OOPS! at Sven and Olie's,  Grand Marais,  MN

Front row seat for the waves

One of the treasures we found at Ben Franklin in Grand Marais

Super "Y" trying to catch a mosquito

Sunday, our final day, had us sleeping in from a wild s'more party that went late into the night (8:30 pm). After breakfast we packed up and started heading home, but not before I brought the group to the greatest swimming-hole on earth. I want keep it a secret, so I thought about blind-folding T and J for the van ride, but decided that might look a little suspicious to passing motorists. Instead I had them sign wavers written in blood and authenticated by a pagan ritual. They're never going to tell !

On our way to the best swimin' hole on earth

Heck yeah !

We had a ton of fun swimming,we had just as much fun exploring further upstream. I had only been up this creek one other time on skis and turned back before the really good stuff. I was regretting that decision but was very happy to be experiencing new ground with my boys. Along the way we found several other shallow pools we could swim or relax in, as well as beautiful rock walls covered in green moss, lichens, and ferns. Small waterfalls gave way to boulder strewn water courses that disappeared around the bends only to be repeated at the next turn. This was true beauty!      We played and explored most of the day before we got back to the van and made the rest of the trip home.  Thanks T-Roy and J-Boo for joining the boys and I on one of the funnest trips of the year!

If there was a place to swim, we would find it.

The boys warming up after a long time in the water.

Wait for me.