after the heat wave I suppose. We spent the week in Voyageurs National Park, on Crane Lake, camped on an island. Taught my granddaughters to kayak. Lots of empty campsites, I was surprised.

the traffic. It was always heavy (though not stop & go unless there was construction) all the to or from Little Falls. At LIttle Falls there is a split - if you stay on Hwy 10 you head toward Motley & the general direction of Park Rapids. Go right on Hwy 371(?) and you're on the way to Brainerd. More traffic always headed toward Brainerd which made the drive easier from that point on.

I understand the idea of a get away but I just don't find it relaxing to fight traffic for 3+ hours coming and going.

What would take say two hours I am sure was more like four or five today. Maybe more. Have observed traffic up and down for years now and this was really downright frightening today.

...and on the way out of town I got stuck in a traffic jam that went all the way to Monticello.