A Quick "Camping" Trip to Sibley State Park

Last week was the boys' spring break. We headed out for a 1-night stay in a state park. Here's 10 images I posted on Instagram with this caption:

Back from a night in a camper cabin with the fellas at Sibley State Park. We trudged through the slush on a 3 mile round-trip hike to get up to the top of Mount Tom: the un-epically named highest point in the county (and in a 50-mile radius). We went bowling in town (voted the best bowling alley in MN by WCCO viewers a few years back), and played card games and dice in the trail center back at Sibley, which we got so hot with the wood-burning fireplace that Charlie had to take off his shirt. We had the park to ourselves from about 6 pm until 8:30 am this morning. We ended with a breakfast of salted naan and fried eggs both over the fire. (No meat, because it’s a Friday during Lent. #WeMissedTheBacon) The boys look unenthused in most of the photos, but they are already planning our next camper cabin stay which they want to do for 4 nights.

And here were those 10 pics:

Slow trudge up to Mount Tom.


Nearing the tower on Mount Tom.


At the top!




Awwww yisss.


Charlie's way over the line, and Henry's celebrating his first spare.


In the Trail Center by a hot fire!


Tucked in for the night.


Eggs over the fire for breakfast.


Eggs, oatmeal, tangerines, apples, and fire roasted salted naan.

A former babysitter of mine from when I was a boy commented on the pics that I needed to be in some, so I also shared this selfie from the top of Mount Tom:

And here are a few more pics from the trip:

Looking for woodpeckers.


On our long hike


Our food between bowling games. (I tweeted the next day that my
3x1600 intervals were fueled by a bowling alley quesadilla and onion rings.)


Starting games (and the fire) before it got dark.


A full moon (with foreground lit by headlight) back at our cabin.


Reading before lights out.




A few LOUD groups of white trumpeter swans flew overhead as we were cooking breakfast!


Fooling around on Lake Andrew.


Busting thin ice in a parking lot puddle.


Goodbye camper cabin!


A beautiful little reminder at the top of Mount Tom. :)