Camping with My Dog

The end of June, we decided to see if we still enjoyed camping. So we went camping with our dog, Hobbes, to Bear Head Lake State Park near Ely. MN. We packed the SUV with Hobbes’ crate and all our gear. Hobbes loves his crate and looked out the window on the trip north. We took many rest stops and Hobbes was bouncing and ready for action.

Bear Head Lake State Park, MN

The campsite was beautiful and quiet. We set up the tent and got a fire going. The weather was perfect. Food seems to taste better when it is cooked on an open fire. The daytime temp was low 70s and 50s at night – perfect weather! As we settled into the tent, Hobbes took a spot by me. The light of the fire keep him alert and he grumbled as he heard noises. When the fire went out, so did Hobbes.

In the morning, first came a quick walk, breakfast, and hot showers. Then off to a beautiful spot John and Hobbes had found looking at Bear Head Lake. We sat for over an hour enjoying the tranquility. Hobbes asked for TTouches and kept close to us. Then off to the Tower Sudan Mine and exploring. In the afternoon, we stopped in Ely and visited with a TTouch student. Hobbes played with her 4-month old Husky. Hobbes showed the puppy how to listen very closely to our voice commands as he ran down the path in front of us. Yes, I was concerned about the wildlife.

Camping with Hobbes, the Dog

Then back to the campsite for dinner over an open fire. The temps were dropping to the 40s and we sat close to the fire. Hobbes curled up on a blanket and slept. As it got colder, John threw the blanket over Hobbes, the “pup tent.” Hobbes didn’t move until bedtime when he dove into the tent.

The final morning, Hobbes was exhausted from camping. He watched a red squirrel in the campsite and didn’t move! Later a he just turned his head as a chipmunk walked through the site! He was ready to go home. We packed up and headed down the North Shore stopping at Gooseberry Falls and later at Banning State Park. It was wonderful three day escape. Yes we all enjoyed camping.