I just returned from a 3-day camping trip to... the middle of Kansas. Yeah, I know. I had my doubts, too. Why Kansas? Well, the LDR DBF was going to be in Kansas City for Rockfest 2008 (no, I wasn't invited and that's 'cause he really likes me), so we figured it made sense to meet halfway between KC and Denver for a little rendezvous.

He suggested Wilson Lake State Park. For those of you who have ever been stranded in Hays, Kansas during a snowstorm; it's about 50 miles east of there, and then 8 miles north of I-70.

And it was WONDERFUL! I don't know what it's like during peak summer months, but on the first week of June, the lake was pretty much ours. We did "primitive" camping - that is - no water, electricity or plumbing, on our own private peninsula, for something like $6/day. We were right on the water, within walking distance to the "facilities." The dogs could run and play to their hearts' content and then go screaming off into the water to cool off. No fire restrictions, so we had a terrific campfire... although finding wood for it was a bit of a challenge (Kansas is not known for its lush forests).

The weather? Awesome. 80-85 degrees during the day; 50-60 degrees at night. A nice breeze (okay, often more like a gale force wind) kept us comfortable and more importantly kept the bugs away.

Wilson Lake calls itself the "Clearest Lake in Kansas" and yeah, I'll buy that. No, it's not the Caribbean, but at certain hours of the day, it was a lovely blue-green color. Fish jumped like crazy, so the Southern DBF had his fishing pole ready at all times.

So... if you're like me and don't care for mountain camping (I don't like to shiver), you might give Wilson Lake a try. You don't have to camp "primitive;" they also offer RV hookups and cute little cabins, for incredibly reasonable prices...