We started another new life on August 1 when we arrived at Beaver Creek Valley State Park in the southeastern corner of MN. This part of MN is very different from the rest of MN. During the last glacial period, the glaciers had not reached this part of the state and is referred to as the "driftless" area. It is characterized by steep valley walls, generally fairly narrow valley bottoms, and broad ridges. Farming occurs on all the flat areas and hardwood forests, dominated by oaks, grow on all the areas too steep to farm. We spent most of our 7 years in Wisconsin in the early 1970's across the Mississippi River from here in very similar country. It's kind of like coming home again.

The park is located in a river valley. There is one road that goes along the bottom, and it is along this road that all of the park's facilities are located. The campground is modest in size having about 48 individual campsites and 3 group campsites. The 48 campsites include 16 sites with electricity, 10 "semi-modern" sites without electricity, and the rest are "rustic" and "cart-in."

Our site is heavily wooded, quiet, very peaceful, and surrounded by stinging nettles. We can watch all the traffic go by. However, we have little idea what is going on in most of the campground. We are in the midst of the 15 electric sites, and wild bacchanalia can be happening elsewhere and we wouldn't have a clue. So, we'll stick with the grey hairs in the electric sites while we all sit around gentle camp fires and gum our s'mores.