This is what happens when ticks ruin your weekend

Having just bought our Marmot Earlylight 2-person tent, we were excited to try it out. We drove an hour south to Hawn State Park in Sainte Genevieve on Memorial Day weekend. We took the scenic route, hiking approximately eight miles before heading to campsite.

Even though we were against it, we made several applications of DEET - but the ticks wouldn't relent. The sneaky little buggers made it through my heavy duty gaiters too. It just wasn't fun anymore.

Disappointed, we headed back to the trail head, ate our Spanish rice and bean wraps on one of the picnic sites and drove back home that same night. We had just enough energy to assemble the tent in the living room which was, thankfully, quite easy to do. Then we passed out for the night.

The next day, we opted for a leisurely kayak in Forest Park. A half hour later, a thunderstorm quickly moved in. Amidst strong winds and choppy waves, it took a lot of paddling effort to get back to the Boathouse. In Forest Park, you say? Imagine that.