Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel.com and Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest, Tom Watson, author and freelance photojournalist.

Tom is the author of: 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Twin Cities: and The Best in Tent Camping: Minnesota:(Both published by Menasha Ridge Publishing)

Tom also is the author of How To Think Like A Survivor: A Guide For Wilderness Emergencies (coming out summer of '05, published by Creative Publishing, International)

Good day Tom and thanks for agreeing to participate in our interview.

Norm:

When did your passion for hiking and camping begin and what kept you going?

Tom:

Good day to you and thank you for this opportunity. My dad was pretty active in the outdoors. After leaving the Navy he opened a hobby shop that carried a lot of sporting goods. I was able, as a boy growing up in eastern Missouri, a chance to try out all sorts of equipment - lures, rifles, bows and arrows. Also, since my dad enjoyed camping, we took advantage of the myriad places in Missouri to primitive camp. My cousins lived there, too, and they were avid campers as well. So, since I was about seven, I spent a good portion of every summer outdoors.

By the time I was thinking of college - back in the late 6O's, my folks were divorced and I had been living with my mom during the school years. I wanted to maintain some outdoor exposure so I decided to go into Forestry at the University of Minnesota, on the St. Paul campus. All those factors and my growing love of the natural sciences still keep me going to this day.

Norm:

As many of our readers are interested in romantic getaways, could you describe eight of the most romantic and unique camping areas in Minnesota? Why are they romantic?

Tom:

That calls upon my interpretation of both "romantic" and "unique" campsites. I am foremost a primitive camper, minimum facilities, minimum impact.

To me a romantic site is private, remote and amid better than average scenery or natural attractions.

* Based on that I could list almost any campsite in the BWCA Wilderness as well as any in Voyageurs National Park - most of which are water accessible only. As far as drive-up sites, and those with a bit of walk-in access (my favorites), I have to list the following:

* Lake Maria State Park - isolated walk-in sites scattered along a hill under a full canopy of oaks and maples - fabulous fall colors! Great hiking trail, too!

* Great River Bluffs State Park - this part overlooks the Mississippi River offering these incredible vistas. The overlooks are at the end of short trails through a dense overstory of maples, very peaceful and the vistas are breathtaking - some with very romantic perches upon which you and a significant other could sit cozily for hours.

* Lake Elmo Regional Park Preserve. It's so close to downtown St. Paul yet it offers remote, walk-in campsites and several miles of cross-country trails. The campsites are along a walk-in corridor about 100 yards from the parking area and each one is situated in deep foliage so the privacy level is quite good, too. These are basic sites without a lot of amenities close by. These are good sites for lounging around or taking several hikes.

* Crescent Lake Campground- This is just outside the BWCA area, in the Superior National Forest. It's the best laid-out campground I've seen - based on my likes. Each site is either up on a knoll or cut deep into the woods for very private and serene settings.

* Split Rock Lighthouse State Park - One of the few really good campgrounds on the North Shore of Lake Superior only if its not so tightly laid out as all the others are. There are walk-in sites stretching for about