Voyageurs National Park is the only National Park located in Minnesota and is unique because it is a water-based park. Leave your car at a Visitor’s Center and explore by boat, houseboat, canoe, or kayak.
For this trip we chose kayaks. We left on a beautiful, calm, summer day. Make sure you obtain navigational maps of the area. Very important! And a 
compass too! After a few hours of paddling we found our own private island to camp for the weekend. Our own private slice of paradise. We also had the bonus of a great fishing spot!
Our second day the wind started to pick up. We weren’t too concerned since we weren’t leaving for another day and wind usually dies down in the morning. All night long the winds seemed to get louder and stronger. It
was looking like we weren’t going anywhere soon. The lake changed from serene to turbulent. After 26 hours in a tent we decided to try to make a break for the car, we were going to seek shelter behind islands. The last 3 mile stretch to the car was straight into 30-40 mph winds. We were stopped in our tracks! We had to set up our tent in a make shift campsite. We were lucky that we always pack a spare change of 
WARM clothes and by chance we happened to pack an extra meal. We were trying to get out to make it home in time to meet family and head back to work. We learned it is more important to arrive SAFE. ALWAYS be prepared for the worst! We wish we would have packed this! Do you have an “always be prepared” story to share?
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