Negwegon State Park: Pure Michigan

[Ike Jutkowitz]

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

[Steven Paris]

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.

[Kathy A Handyside]

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!

[Jay Wilkerson]

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

[Mary D]

A truly beautiful photo-essay!

[danny chough]

Thanks for sharing.

[BlackHatGuy]

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

thanks.

[Ike Jutkowitz]

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

[Stephen M]

Outstanding trip report as always Ike :-)

[Author]

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