Sleep Out on the Mississippi

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

On the second Friday of every month from April to October, Mud Island Riverpark hosts a Sleep Out on the Mississippi. Billed as a unique camping experience, the Sleep Out includes an activity (biking, kayaking, canoeing, pedal boating or a guided river walk), dinner, live entertainment, a campfire, a 12 x 12 tent already set up for you, and breakfast. On paper it sounds fantastic. On the website it even looks fantastic. However, the reality is a bit disappointing.

The Sleep Out begins at 5:00pm with your pre-selected activity. If, like me, you work full-time, getting the kids and the sleeping bags packed up and to Mud Island by 5:00pm is pretty difficult. We arrived at 6:30pm and squeezed in about 20 minutes of pedal boating after hauling our gear three blocks to the campsite. (Even though there is a road that leads all the way to the campsite, we were not allowed to unload there.)

Looking forward to grilling out around the campfire, we were somewhat disappointed by the pre-cooked burgers and hot dogs that were served luke-warm in the Gulf Port Restaurant. (Sleep Out materials suggest this only happens in case of rain, but there was no rain on our visit.) However, Satchel & Jiro didn’t know the difference and it was nice to sit outside and watch the sun set. After dinner, the kids had a blast running through the mini-Mississippi. I kept them company while Warren inflated our air mattress and got the tent in order. (The tents are 12 x 12 teepee style tents that come equipped with an electrical outlet and fan. No complaints there!)

Later we gathered around the campfire in anticipation of the live entertainment and marshmallow roasting. Warren and I were horrified to learn that the live entertainment was actually a karaoke machine. However, the ten teenagers who were sharing our camp were thrilled. The marshmallow roasting consisted of a bag of giant marshmallows for everyone to share and twelve inch bamboo skewers that were nowhere near long enough to reach into the fire, which had at least a twelve-inch safety barrier. The kids thought it was kind of funny watching the teens sing, but after several rounds of Queen, it got old.

In an attempt to salvage the evening and enjoy the near perfect weather, I suggested that we explore the mini-Mississippi by flashlight. Near the “Gulf of Mexico” is a section filled with reeds, lily pads, and lots and lots of frogs! The kids loved “hunting” the frogs and listening to their various songs. They even got to pet a few. From there we walked down towards “Memphis,” but the only wildlife we saw along the way were roaches. Lots and lots of roaches! We headed back to camp and then spent a good while exploring the northernmost tip of Mud Island, which is almost beachy (in the dark, anyway).

By the time we all crawled into our sleeping bags we were exhausted. (I was so happy to have an air mattress.) With the breeze coming in off of the river, mosquitoes were not an issue, and we stayed nice and cool. I could have easily slept until 9:30am when the Sleep Out officially ended, but we were all roused at 6:30am when several large trucks drove past and began setting up moon bounces and other inflatable wonders for the car show that was scheduled for later in the day.

We grabbed a couple of muffins, some fruit, and a mini box of Cocoa Krispies from the Gulf Port grill before packing up. The boys and I took a final stroll through the mini-Mississippi while Warren brazenly broke the rules to drive the car tentside to gather our belongings. I asked the kids if they had fun and was met with two resounding yeses. When asked what they liked best, I got a list: the frogs, the pedal boats, running around in the dark, and sleeping in a tent. I had to agree that those things were awfully fun.

The Sleep Out on the Mississippi has the potential to be a great event, but as is, most parents will leave feeling that the $40 per person price tag is a bit high. Warren and I agreed that for us to return, we would want to go with a group of friends, cook our own dinner, and ban the karaoke machine. And even have a few beers.