It’s the Simple Things

The best times don’t cost much money, just a bit of our time.

Think about the best times of your life and I bet they will involve moments with people you love. For me, that’s been time in the kitchen with my mother, grandma, partners, sister, nieces, and nephews. There have been many moments with smiles, laughs, and love. Other moments would be fishing with my father, going to the Dam store with my grandpa or uncles, or just listening to their stories of a rowdy childhod.

Adding Insulation

Insulation was always in the plan - eventually. But if you’re not going to do it when everything is out of the van, when will you? So I bought some Thinsulate sm600l, and a couple of cans of spray on glue, and got started.

It was a fairly simple job. First, I used a citrus cleaner to wipe down the van wall. Then, I held the insulation up to the wall with the backing facing me, and marked where I wanted the cut using a piece of kid’s sidewalk chalk. Oddly, I had a piece of chalk in the van.

Electricy Gives Us Freedom

The electric system is a huge part of what makes van camping so convenient and van life so enticing. We want to be able to hop into our vans and travel to wherever we like, and live and work from the road. That requires electricity, and that’s why it’s worth the time, money, and effort to do it right.

Trip Notes

Lake Shetek State Park is a beautiful park with a large lake and lots and lots of trails. We spent part of three days here and walked every day without having to repeat a trail. There was a small oak forest bordering the lake, and praire further from the lake shore. There were fish ponds that unfortunately weren’t ponds due to the drought, but still plenty green and full of wildlife.

Why Camp in Minnesota State Parks

We’ve been camping in Minnesota state parks as we experiment with our van conversion ideas. Why the state parks?

• they are beautiful
• they are located all over the state
• several are within a 2 hour drive from home
• they are inexpensive
• some have electricity, bathrooms, and water onsite
• they are clean and well maintained
• there’s a wide variety of activies for us to do

There are 75 Minnesota State Parks and Recreation Areas spread across the state. Many of them have camping facilities for RVs, campers, tents, or you can rent a cabin, yurt, or Tipi. Campsites are drive-in, cart-in, or walk-in. Drive-in spots can have electricity and communial restrooms and showers and water.