The American humorist Garrison Keillor once said, “The problem with paradise is that it’s temporary: You don’t belong here and the neighbors are nobody you care to know, so it’s only blissful for a week or so.” We lost count of how many blissful weeks we’ve spent camping at Loyd Park this season, but one…
We’re wrapping up a six-week spring staycation at Loyd Park, and we’re in no hurry to leave. In fact, Jon’s Mom recently asked, “Do you think you’ll ever stay in your house again?” There are campers who have no desire to stay, and campers who are in no hurry to leave. We fall squarely into…
The second weekend in March found us among the spring breakers at Loyd Park. It seemed like children were everywhere: playing street hockey, screeching through the forest, riding bicycles. Thankfully, most parents (and grandparents) call a halt to their activities around sunset, so we were able to enjoy calm, quiet nights. Typical of spring in…
We spent the weekend at Cedar Hill State Park, enjoying unseasonably warm temperatures while contending with seasonal allergies. By late Saturday, a cold front moved in, bringing pop-up thunderstorms, sustained winds and overcast skies that lasted well into Sunday. Still, we were able to grill steaks on Friday and lamb on Saturday. And a quick visit…
While the term, “October Surprise,” refers to political events orchestrated in the month before an election with the intention of affecting the outcome of the election, it could equally apply to camping at Cedar Hill State Park. The weekend weather, combined with a lovely campsite on a level pad, seemed orchestrated to change our perception…
We arrived for our weekender at Loyd Park on the hottest day of the year. With the mercury climbing to 107°, we wondered aloud “what the hell were we thinking?” Yet by Sunday morning, the temperature had dipped to 77°. The weather was actually pleasant! When we left for the weekend, we received dire forecasts of…
We returned to Cedar Hill State Park, after nearly a yearlong absence, to enjoy a lakeside site on the Coyote Crossing camping loop. The mid-June temps soared into the upper 90s, prompting heat advisories and indoor activities. The sites in this loop are relatively shallow, so most occupants were tent campers. We noticed several tents…
