We rented a camping cabin in Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park. This is not our first experience with camping cabins but it is our first time staying in a MN State Park camping cabin. Can I say they are adorable?
The “main room” has two built-in bunk beds with room to sleep 6 (single on top and double on bottom – both sides). It also has a small, built-in table with two benches and an overhead, electric light fixture that looks like a camping lantern. The furniture is made of pine logs and the entire cabin lined with knotty pine. There are many hooks and electrical outlets. A small screened- in porch is attached to the main cabin with a door between the two rooms. The door between is solid and lockable but the screen door to the outside only has a hook which locks from the inside.
As we unloaded our gear from the provided, pull-in cart we put our small cooler with our drinks on the porch. Then I noticed the freshly-made banana bread I brought along and last minute put the bread in the “drink cooler” to get it out of the heat.
Off we went, hiking with friends and had a campfire after that so we didn’t walk back to our cabin until later that evening, after dark. We had forgotten our flashlight so my husband used his iPhone’s flashlight feature. (My phone was charging inside the cabin…that’s modern camping!)
As we opened the screen door my husband said “look!” He shined the light in the corner and there were four raccoons backed against the wall…caught! They had successfully opened the screen door (did one hold it open for the others???) and all four raccoons entered the porch, somehow turned the handle on the cooler from the closed position to the open position, took off the cooler cover and proceeded to eat all two bags of banana bread! Immediately one of the bigger guys bravely walked right past us and out the door we held open, but the other three were still cowered in the corner. My husband had to shoo them out the door. I wish I had a photo but the picture is clear in our minds of the four guilty raccoons and two empty bags of banana bread. I hope they liked it!
I love the image of a raccoon politely holding the door and ushering the gang in!
I wish we would have had a hidden video camera to capture the event!
Having enjoyed your scrumptious banana bread (though mine was not obtained in such a sinister manner), I understand the raccoons’ determination to get some for themselves. 🙂
Ha! Thanks.
That’s quite the experience and you two were quite brave to confront these raccoons on your own.
This looks like a really sweet place to stay. Something to consider since I am not a tent camper and we don’t have a camper.
Did you report this to the park ranger so perhaps they can consider another option to secure the screen door?
We did report it to the Park Ranger but she didn’t seem too concerned. In all fairness, as fairly experienced campers, we know we should not leave food in coolers with accessibility… I was in a hurry to get going.
However, a simple hook lock on the outside of the screen porch door would suffice.
Glad those raccoons left without a fight!