In 2007 the family gathered at Itasca State Park in Northern Minnesota for a long weekend retreat. Here we rented a 4 bedroom cabin that accommodated much of the family, a duplex cabin for two families, and some tented at the nearby camp grounds.

Here, at Itasc, is where the Mississippi River begins its journey , over 2,500 miles to the Gulf of Mexico, we could walk across the river. Not as impressive as it might seem as the river, at this point, is only a few yards wide and but a foot deep.

Beautiful trails throughout the vast wooded area provide for great walks and bike rides. Our cabins were well equipped, ours included a kitchen so that all could congregate here for breakfasts while we had our dinners a the fire pits.

A must, at least to me, is a visit to Douglas Lodge. Built in 1905, Douglas Lodge is the oldest surviving building in the state park system and the first to be constructed in the Rustic Style. The Lodge is a 40-foot x 80-foot rectangular two-story structure built with peeled logs with saddle-notched corners resting on a split stone foundation. A gable roof is supported by log rafters and purlins. A covered entrance porch with log posts and brackets extends along approximately half of the north facing principal facade while an enclosed porch continues around both the north and west facades.
A kitchen and dining area was added in 1914. I can’t go to Itasca without enjoying an amazing meal at Douglas Lodge.

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