Fall Camping on the St. Joe

Warm days, cold nights, beautiful fall colors, uncrowded campgrounds — and best of all, no stress. That’s why we love fall camping and why these little adventures feel so fulfilling.

Linda started planning about three weeks ago by checking reservations up the St. Joe at Huckleberry Campground. She found our favorite site open for a midweek visit and booked it right away.

Huckleberry is a great location for many reasons, but most importantly, the Wi‑Fi there lets Linda check on her mother twice a day while we camp and relax. Staying in touch matters, and it helps her transition back into caregiving as soon as we return home.

We arrived at the campsite and set up camp. As I bent down to plug into shore power, I noticed a small note tucked inside the box: “Hi Dean… Ben.” I laughed and slipped it into my pocket. Linda was already sitting in the sun, finished with her setup routine, so I showed her the note. She smiled and said Ben and Sherma Higgs had been up during the weekend, and Ben must have left it for us.

We were settling in when suddenly Ben and Sherma pulled in for a surprise hello. We visited for a while, and Ben showed us their new Can‑Am side‑by‑side — a very slick rig. They’re going to have a lot of fun exploring with that when they take it camping.

After the Higgs headed out, we returned to doing absolutely nothing. As evening settled in, Linda prepared a dinner of chicken tortilla soup. After we ate, we took a walk, and lo and behold, ran into another group from Coeur d’Alene — Jon and Nancy Mueller and Becky and Dave Olin. Linda knew Nancy and Becky from teaching, and I knew Jon because we grew up together in Coeur d’Alene.

The next morning Linda turned on the camper heater, and we eased into the day. She was already deep into a good book — The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett — completely absorbed. I took a little time to set up my fly rod and tie on a couple of flies. From there, the day was all about the river, the colors, and the warm sun.

A little after noon I headed down to fish. I spent about an hour and a half working the water, but the fish weren’t interested in anything I offered. Still, a day of fishing beats most everything, even when you don’t catch a thing.

For our evening meal we had spaghetti and meatballs, and I made a Dutch oven streusel cake for dessert. We ate, cleaned up the dishes, and then played a few hands of cards. By then I was exhausted, and we both headed for bed.

Rinse and repeat — that’s how our day went. We played cards, Linda read, and I fished. You really can’t ask for much more. There’s a simple pleasure in days that don’t need anything added to make them good.

We were a bit sad when it came time to pack up for home. Fall camping always feels too short, even when you stretch it out. We’re hoping to get out at least once more this season. You never know what will happen, and I believe that’s what keeps life such an adventure.

Linda's obsession.

DB/AI