We actually had guessed and got one of the better sites in the park. The only down-side was that it was next to one of the restrooms but we didn’t notice any odor. There was a decent amount of traffic coming by our spot because it was next to one of the paths that leads to the lake. So, if you don’t like people walking by it’s not the spot for you! Also, we didn’t have a tent tarmac if that matters.

Rice Lake State Park, a Quaint and Quiet Escape

Rice Lake. We were kind of disappointed because the lake is consumed by cattails. So there is absolutely no way to fish from shore, throw rocks, or in some cases even see the lake! Another negative is that the lake is extremely shallow so no fishing. (the ranger did say there was bullheads but some may argue that that’s not a fish!) We did go out canoeing and that was a very good time and VERY reasonable. We paid $10 for half a day of canoeing which was more than enough. That $10 included the canoe, paddles, and life jackets.

There was a good amount of hiking trails and lots of wild flowers, mushrooms and berries to take pictures of and enjoy.

The campground is small so if you have an aversion to huge side-by-side campgrounds this is definitely a nicer park for you.

Again, the park rangers were very nice and so was the office staff. They didn’t drive by a ton and hawk over you so that was very welcome and appreciated.

The General Store is a pretty typical rural pub/restaurant but their menu really got us fired up. We stepped into the place knowing what we were going to have, their pork tenderloin sandwich! This would be my first! I was not disappointed, this thing was as big as a dinner plate! Portions aside, it was tender, juicy, and the breading was a perfect crispy texture. I layered on the mustard and pickles and went to work. To Sarah’s amazement, I ate the whole thing. What can I say, it was my first and I sure wasn’t going to let any go to waste.

“The General Store Pub, An Iowa Gem”

The sandwich came with a side of waffle fries, normally one of my favorites but I have to admit they should have cooked these a little longer and maybe a little more seasoning. A side of chipotle sour cream would have went nice as well.

We didn’t ride our motorcycles because, well, we don’t have any but there were several riders stopping so I  assume it was a nice stopping point for local ride. The area was beautiful so I am sure there are plenty of sites to see on a bike ride.

It’s a bit remote but the Old General Store is certainly a little Iowa gem!

If you’re into cars at all this is a must see event. There really is something for everyone, custom rat rods, vintage Impalas, chopped Mercs, you name it (as long as it is older than 1964!).  The Back to the 50’s Car Show is put on by the Minnesota Street Rod Association and from what I read it brings in some 11,000 cars from all over the United States and Canada and over 100,000 spectators. This must be for Saturday! It was nice on Friday though because there wasn’t that many people there but still plenty of cars to look at.

The show offers all the typical fair foods, cheese curds, pork chop on a stick, burgers, etc. Most of the “big” stands weren’t open though, like Famous Dave’s and the French Fry stand but still plenty of food to choose from. The one thing that really surprised us and lets face it, down right disappointed us was the lack of a beer stand. Not sure what was going on there but a beer in hand while checking out the cars would have been nice. One thing to note, there were people walking around with beer but they must have brought it in.

There was a band playing but we didn’t stick around long enough to comment on them. They did have a decent crowd though.

All in all I wish we would have went on Saturday but we had to be out of town. I think the offering of cars there would have been better and hopefully they opened some beer stands!

Please leave your comments below and expand on the info!

At Father Hennepin are 2 campgrounds with a total of 103 campsites. You may also rent the group campsite at $30-$75/night The park has 2 shower buildings & 2 restroom buildings. With regular “vault” toilets located throughout the park.

Upon arrival we were greeted warmly by the park staff. They took our reservations and admitted us into the park with no hassle. The camp office offers firewood for $3.50 per bundle and ice for $1.50?? We were also able to buy a Frisbee for $1.50 and a nicely honed walking stick for only $6.95.

We had reserved campsite #94 – located just a few hundred yards from the shore of Lake Mille Lacs.

Since we’re becoming avid campers, it took a total of 10 minutes to set up our tents. One thing we noticed right away was the large change in temperature at our campsite. The dense tree canopy and close proximity to the lake made it feel a good 20 degrees cooler.

Father Hennepin State Park, the Doorway to Lake Mille Lacs

Most Father Hennepin campsites had special sandboxes for our tent placement. The sandbox area held our 2 room tent nicely and we still had plenty of room in the wooded area to accommodate the adult tent.

After we settled in, it was time to check out the restroom/shower facilities. The ladies were none too pleased. There was a constant musty smell accompanied by literally 100’s of dead mosquitoes on the sinks and rolls of damp toilet paper in the toilet stalls. The ladies promptly decided they would not be showering during our stay.

A walking trail on the back side of our campsite took us down to the shore with a very nice fishing dock. The kids were able to net catch minnows. Just to the left of the fishing dock was a decent sized boat launch and a short distance from the boat launch was a sand beach for swimming with a playground. It started to rain just as we headed to the beach so we didn’t stay to check out the swings.

We were very pleased by the level of service our Park Rangers offered. They drove by once every couple of hours and never stopped. I think they were just checking to ensure no one had started a forest fire.

Although drinking is strictly prohibited in all Minnesota State Parks, we found a few tell-tale beer caps and noticed our neighbor campers were drinking beer in plain sight.

Although we were only able to stay one night, it is definitely a park we will return to. I get the feeling that even in the middle of summer, the tree cover will keep the campsites cool and hopefully the breeze from Lake Mille Lacs will keep those monster sized mosquitoes away.

The Blue Door Pub  is in St. Paul, MN, on Selby Avenue and is honestly one of our favorite place go for a burger. It’s a pretty small place and you’re almost always guaranteed a wait, but well worth it.  When I say small, I mean small, their bar maybe seats 5-6 people max and there probably aren’t more than 10 tables in the place. But that is definitely part of the attraction. It’s not your run of the mill restaurant where you get lost just trying to get back from the bathroom.

The Blue Door Pub offers their own version of a Juicy Blucy, a hamburger filled with all sorts of cheesy goodness! They always have a good selection to choose from and plenty of other items on the menu if you’re not into hamburgers. If you do decide to make it to The Blue Door I STRONGLY suggest you give their beer-battered green beans a try! By far the best I have ever had. And why not take something very health and dip it in beer batter?! You’re just asking for all kinds of de-lic-ousness.

The Blue Door, Great Neighborhood Pub!

The Blue Door also keeps a nice selection of beers on tap and you can almost bet one will be a selection from local brewer Surly (also a fan).  All in all, one of the better dining experiences as long as your looking to get back to the basics of having a nice cold pint of beer, a great atmosphere, and a wonderful burger and you’re in St. Paul, stop in! Tell them Troy sent ya and you will most definitely be greeted with a confused yet polite, “WHO?!”.

Sakatah Lake State Park has 62 camp sites, 14 with electric, 2 group camps which accommodate 50 people, 5 bike in sites and one camper cabin. There are showers and restrooms throughout the camp loops and I would consider them pretty good for a campsite. The showering and restroom facilities seemed to be fairly updated and were kept clean and free of any major smells.

The campsites are ok, at first we weren’t real sure where we were going to set up our tents. There weren’t any sand tent spots that we noticed and certainly wasn’t one at our spot. But, once we cleared a few twigs we found room to set up our two tents on fairly level ground.

Sakatah Lake State Park sits along side Sakatah Lake (obvious!?) but the shore line is fairly rocky and full of trees. So not much place to walk the shoreline. There is a fishing pier and public boat access both close to the camp sites. Not that we caught any but there is suppose to be walleye, large mouth and white bass, northern pike, and panfish in the lake.

The park rangers were polite and friendly but maybe a little overbearing.  Seemed to drive through a lot and didn’t take much for them to stop and talk or let you know the rules. We weren’t breaking any mind you but they were really worried about the large log that was half burned sitting in our site (there when we got there). We were using it to tie of the dogs to but were asked to throw it back to nature once and the second time the ranger stopped he just politely offered to take it.

Sakataha Singing Hills State Trail runs through Sakataha Lake Park and runs 39 miles from Fairbault to Mankato. The trail is paved and offers a beautiful trek through the park and hardwoods.

Other things to note about the park: firewood available $4, ice available (not sure price), canoes for rent, closes town is Waterville for grocery or dining and there is also a gift shop in the office of the park. Park entrance is located on State Highway 60, 14 miles east of Faribault, or one mile east of State Highways 13 and 60 in Waterville.