What if you could go to a place where time stood still?


Where who you were with counted more than what you did?


And where you could see the world through the eyes of a child?


Then you would not count the weight you carried on your back


or in front,


how far


or how fast you hiked to get there,


or what kind of gear you were using.



Instead, you would stop to pick up acorns,




play with sticks


and on them


and enjoy snacks.



You would build castles,


dig moats,


turn cartwheels,


and play in the mud.


A lot




All right, enough with the mud already.



You would go exploring,


take long walks on the beach,


track animals,


watch minnows,


and get stuck in quicksand.



You would exercise,


have a spa day,


reclaim lost youth,


get clean,


and then dirty again.



You would climb rocks,


walk the plank,


chase clouds,


find peace,


and we’re back in the mud again.


You would share a meal


with family


and still have room for desert.



Stay up late,


sleep well,


dream of eternal summers,


then wake to enjoy the sunrise.


Days like these


don’t come often


but when they do


they remind us


about what is really important

Edited by Ike on 09/19/2012 09:41:12 MDT.

Beautiful stuff, Ike!

This reads like a little book of wisdom. You should print copies with the text and give them to your girls when they are older.

What a beautiful and wise trip report, Ike! How lucky your daughters are! This reminded me of trips I did with my own dad - the kinds of trips that remain with us our entire lives.

Your writing is lovely, too. This reminded me a bit of "On the Loose", by Terry and Renny Russell.

Thank you so much for sharing this - you made my evening!

Very nice! Looks like those girls had a great time.

A truly beautiful photo-essay!

Thanks for sharing.

Ah Ike, what fun. I reclaimed a little of my lost youth just reading it.

thanks.

Thank you for the nice comments.

Negwegon State Park is one of Michigan's hidden gems for family camping. Located on the shores of Lake Huron near Alcona, it consists of 4 backcountry campsites and about a 12 mile loop trail. Each campsite sits on its own secluded cove and is separated from other campsites by about a half mile. For small children like my 4 year old, this provides the perfect training ground for backpacking, while still being accessible enough in the event of an unplanned evacuation. I would highly recommend this trip for young families.
Details are available here:

Negwegon State Park

Outstanding trip report as always Ike :-)