We even went into a small town to watch their Fourth of July parade. The vegetation was bright and vibrant in the summer sun.

There were children laughing and playing in the water. We had a great time floating down the stream that will become the Mighty Mississip. From there we went to Lake Itasca, which is the headwaters of the Mississippi River. The only downside was cleaning the dishes afterward. The food, the sun, and the campfire were all perfect. It was lobster, scallops, and potatoes cooked in butter with garlic in a cast iron over the campfire. The next day we ended up making an amazing meal. It was a beautiful night watching the lightning. It was a powerful storm that ultimately had the rangers riding through the campsite warning people to take cover in the bathrooms if they didnвЂ™t have a hard-sided vehicle to hunker down in. I ran the guy lines out and had the tarp set up just before the rain started coming down. I was able to make it work with a couple of tarp poles and a tree. Setting up our Kelty NoahвЂ™s Tarp 16 was a bit of a battle because of the wind and limited space. We pulled into camp just as the sky was turning grey and stormy. What I didnвЂ™t realize was it was going to change the way that I thought about and looked out for poison ivy. The plan was to camp for a few days, relax, eat some good food, see the headwaters of the Mississippi, and enjoy the Fourth.

It seemed fitting to spend a few days camping there for the Fourth of July. We werenвЂ™t far from Itasca State Park, which is home to the headwaters of the Mississippi River. DonвЂ™t touch it!ДЄ few summers ago, we found ourselves in northern Minnesota.

Poison ivy plant pictures