Introducing Grandpa Adventures

My logo for the new program. With 20 grandchildren, I figured it was worth the effort.

     By the time I was five years old both of my Grandfathers had passed away. My Grandpa Fred babysat me while my parents worked. According to the stories I've been told, he doted on me. My mom said one of his dying sentences referred to me. He reported in a strained voice, "He said 'birdy' today." The year was 1948 and I was almost exactly fifteen months old.  He had just turned age 65.
     In 1951 I actually remember going to the mortuary with my parents to select a casket for my Grandpa Martin's funeral. Other than this rather clear memory, I have no personal recollections of the man. I was exactly four and one half years old on the day of his funeral. He was 69 years old.
     Fortunately, I had two grandmothers that I loved, and I grew to adulthood with them in my life. I must say, however, that I have always missed the presence of a grandfather. In my day many grandfathers were typically remembered as farmers. If they weren't working farmers, certainly they were raised on farms. This was the case with my grandfathers. Many of my peers had stories of driving grandpa's tractor, helping him milk cows, or at least, visiting him on the farm.
     I've had the wonderful experience of being a grandfather for nearly sixteen years and I'll have to say I have loved the experience. I've tried to bring real value to the role. Now it's time for the next level. Introducing Grandpa Adventures!

I've been returning to some of my favorite camping spots on the St Croix to test how easily we can access them in an inflatable.

     I'm planning 'right-sized' adventures for grandkids who are 'adventure-capable.' I'm still developing criteria, but in general, I want to give them a chance to do something they probably wouldn't get to do with their parents. 

We will always be looking for - and commenting on, and photographing - beauty in the natural world, like these flowers near the campsite above.

   


     I'd like to give older children the opportunity to camp, paddle and bike on overnight adventures. Younger kids can do shorter trips without camping, with the same objectives.

An overnight experience at some of my favorite places, like the site we call 'Benson Bluffs' on the Wisconsin side of the St. Croix, would be great for older kids.

I have been riding some of my favorite St. Croix back roads like Rustic Road, here, near Grantsburg, to find a safe place for combining a bike adventure with kayaking. This trip, for older kids, would include a ten mile paddle, an overnight, and a ten mile bike ride.

      Grandpa Adventures have already begun. See Kyler's Great Egret experience below.