Nick's Adventures

I have asked my son to write a guest blog for me, but I understand that it is just not his thing. That is a shame though, because all of his travel adventures would fit right in with my theme.

Nick went to Washington, DC, with his eighth grade band (ok, Val did that too). Then he went to Germany with his high school German class (ok, Val did that too). Where he pretty much lost me, though, where I have lost track of his travels, is all of his boy scout High Adventures (no, Val never got into scouting, either boys or girls. Well, that’s not exactly true but I really cannot go there).

Let’s see. Nick went canoeing in the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota at least twice. He also either once or twice hiked on Isle Royale, that wonderful island in northern Lake Superior. With the boy scouts, he also canoed the Manitowish Waters Rumble and the Somo River Hell.

Not only did he go on all these High Adventures, nearly once a month he camped out somewhere around town with some of the other scouts. If you ever had outdoor plans one of those weekends, you were better off canceling. If it was winter it would be twenty below and if it was summer there would be rain.

One time, I can’t remember where they were at, but a major thunderstorm came through where the boys were camping. They missed the worst of it, but the next day they ended up in an area that was devastated, trees down everywhere. No power lines down, though, because they were in a wilderness where there were no power lines. Also no cell phone reception. (I had stopped worrying about my son and his tenting buddies many years before.)

Anyway, being the good citizens they are, they got out there shovels and saws and cleaned up some of the debris.

There was also some story about helping out a group of girls who were camping near them one time. It was cold and raining – hard to believe – and the boys had their shelter up and were cozy as toast. They invited the damp, miserable girls over for hot chocolate, or some hot beverage.

The reason I am interjecting all of Nick’s stories at this point is that I have coming up a few travels which I took Val on and not Nick. I didn’t want anyone to think I was neglecting my first born. He was certainly born with my wanderlust genes and he knows how to use them.

Josh, Chris and Nick getting their Eagle Scout in June 2004