"Hey! Where's the Pool? I don't see a pool!"

This place doesn't have a pool. They don't need one. They have a beautiful, crystal clear lake where we can swim, tube, fish and ski. The lake also has a gradual incline of several feet providing a safer place for children.

"Well, how can we run around when there are so darn many trees in the way?"

This place has a lot of trees to ensure more privacy between the camp sites and also to provide a home for all of the wildlife and many species of birds that inhabit this place. There are plenty of places to run and play. They have beach volleyball and a large softball field. We can hike and ride our bikes too. The playground for younger kids has swings and a slide. If you were older you would probably want to "hang around" down at the big log cabin and play video games or just meet new friends. Of course there is always that sandy beach area too. When you get older you'll enjoy swimming out to the big platform that you saw on the way in.

"This is where we are sleeping? Where is the hotel? What is that big duck and those baby ones doing out there? Huh? Where did that bridge go that we drove over here on?" Hey...those people over there have some kids my age."

WE HAVE ARRIVED!.

We are at "Camper's Paradise" in Nevis, Minnesota. Camper's is located approximately 200 miles northwest of Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. and 100 miles east from Fargo, ND. "Camper's Paradise" is on a 55 acre island. You reach this campground by causeway....a raised roadway built up over the lake. It is located on Lake Belle Taine which is six miles long and one mile wide and connects by river to many other lakes as part of the famous "Mantrap Chain."

We first discovered this campground over twenty-five years ago when our first child was only two years old. Friends had recommended it knowing how much we disliked the "tourist trap" campgrounds with the swimming pools overfilled with people, the "dress-up" restaurants with bars, souvenir shops, and campsites so close together that we could lean through the door of our tent into the neighbor's to give them a goodnight kiss had we chosen.

I have my own ideas of beautiful when it comes to being outdoors. We have also taught our children of the beauty in nature itself. If you see beauty in narrow, gravel roads, surrounded by trees and a lake so clear you can actually see 14 feet down to those sunfish near the bottom,...sitting around an actual campfire roasting marshmallows,...watching as a mother duck leads her babies on shore on or near your site to request a piece of bread left from the evening meal,... and hearing the sounds of the loons as they send their lonesome calls to one another during the night, this is the place for you. It is a place where you can enjoy both beauty and privacy.

"Camper's Paradise" is rustic. If you want to camp at a manicured campground, such as KOA (we call them "Kamping on Asphalt," this place is not for you.

You can buy your firewood here or bring your own. Pump your own water too. Kids love this! They even have the old fashioned "out houses" if you're truly in a hurry. They have no telephones and a great majority of the sites have no electricity. .

We used to share a large family tent but once our kids got older they wanted their own. We were never worried about their safety at "Camper's." It is a pretty simple life here. Since so many families come to the same sites year after year, they pretty much get to know everyone and realize who the new campers are. I don't think anyone can get over that "bridge" without several people at "Camper's" knowing about it.

We have taught our children the love of fishing and have caught crappie, northern, sunfish and bass over the many years we've fished here. We've even snagged some of those famous MN. walleye. There really is nothing like eating freshly caught fish, beer-batter, deep fried, in the open air. It has been said muskie have also been taken out of this lake but not being "big game" fishermen, we've never seen one. We are just happy with the abundance of crappie and sunfish we catch and we find that 'impatient' children prefer these too as they are so easily caught.

The owners, Chris and Jean Swaggert are tough on preserving their island. Many of their family members take leave of their regular jobs and come for the entire summer to work and enjoy this place. Our family, among many that camp here have a lot of respect for this place and treat it as though it were our own too. Heaven help those caught destroying property or cutting down trees.

Rules are rules and not meant to be broken. I'm not saying there is never any partying going on at "Camper's" as we all know better. The rules to respect your fellow campers are definitely in force after 11:00 at night and before 8:00 in the morning though. I'm not talking about those groups of friends sitting around the campfire, talking, having a few beers, and watching the lightning bugs make their entrance. It's those overly enthusiastic, raw language, beer throwing, firecracker shooting, music blaring at two in the morning that may be asked to leave if things don't "settle down."

Tents, camping/travel trailers, and buses are all welcome at "Camper's." They have a restroom/shower area with attached laundry room. The laundry area is very small and has only one washing machine and one dryer. You are sure to wait in line after a night of heavy rains. Those sleeping bags alone take a long time to dry. There is a laundromat in the town not to far from there though and if you have more than one load, I would recommend taking it to town to do all at once.

There are three log cabins with two double beds, bedding, dishes, refrigerator, a stove with an oven and a boat. Extra beds are available for a higher rate. We've never stayed in one and they always seem full. I would definitely inquire about them though as they sometimes have cancellations.

The large campsites are approximately 100 feet apart. If you rent for a week the seventh day is free.

"Camper's" rents fishing boats. They also handle fishing licenses, gas for both outboard motors and cars, bait, tackle, pop, candy bars, ice cream treats and ice. They rent bicycles, canoes, six h.p. motors and a pontoon boat. Motorbikes and ATV's are not allowed to preserve the quiet of this peaceful island.

The twenty seven mile paved Heartland bicycle trail is only 1-1/2 miles away. "Itasca State Park" and the "beginning of the Mississippi River" are about an hour away and if you've never been there, you might want to go for a day trip while camping. You can actually "walk across the Mississippi River" while you're there.

Can you think of a better way to get to know your children without all of the hassles of jobs, school, computers, telephones, and the many activities that tend to separate the families of today, than to take them camping? Try this beautiful island for a couple of days or longer. Pack some books and games. Plan a one-on-one parent and child hike. Our children are now grown but it seems the older they get the more they would like to once again be part of those precious memories we all shared at "Camper's Paradise."

Camper's Paradise is open Memorial Day to Labor Day.