Perpetual Ruminations

What? No Booze?

It's a go for camping next week. Just a short trip, three days, two nights, but it should be fun. We are checking out a new state park in Minnesota, so a bit of a drive to get there. Reservations are made, I took Tuesday off to get things ready and packed, and we will leave sometime Wednesday morning.

We will be looking over the campgrounds, checking out some trails and sites, playing a little Frisbee golf, and enjoying the fall colors in the park. It is yet undecided if we will be taking the kayaks along or not; more than likely, we will.

I was a bit surprised at the cost of the campsites in Minnesota, they have gone up in the years I have been living out of state. I was also surprised to see an additional charge for reservations. I can understand this if the park is first come first serve, but in Minnesota, you have to make a reservation, even if it's the day you show up to camp. That means, there is no way around the reservation fee. We also have to be there by ten at night or lose the entire reservation, no refund on fees and only a percentage of the prepaid camping fees. Of course, this is true even if one cancels before the date of the camping trip.

They also prohibit intoxicating liquor, none at all allowed within the park. That's right, no cold beer after kayaking, hiking, or disc golf. No glass of wine with dinner, no intoxicating beverages at all. Why? This I don't understand. I could understand no public drunkenness or even drinking in any of the public areas, but at the campsite, in the tent or in the camper?

We enjoy sitting around the fire in the evenings and having a few drinks before retiring to our tent. We don't get staggering drunk, make a scene, or bother anyone, so why is this prohibited. In fact, the way it's stated, I can't even enjoy my wife while camping. What?

Well, she is my best friend as well as my wife, and we are deeply in love. I enjoy watching her move around the campsite, and I especially love to watch her in the flickering light of the campfire. I drink in her beauty and intoxicated by our sweet love. So, technically, if I'm drinking in her beauty and becoming intoxicated by it, am I not indulging in an intoxicating liquor? I could go on with more examples of this, such as her sweet as wine kisses, but I'll save all the real mushy stuff for her.

Anyway, since this will be our last camping outing for the year, we will likely not follow this rule. I have a suspicion that many other campers also do not follow this. I'm assuming it's kind of a don't show, don't tell policy within the campground. If we keep it out of site and don't go displaying any signs of drinking intoxicating beverages, who's to know?