When I was a kid, I thought it was crazy when dad would stop at a roadside spring on our Sunday drives and harvest some water cress.
But now that medical research has shown the importance of green leafy vegetables in our diet, I have to admit I foraged some water cress from a spring on my visit to Donald Park.
Growing up along the Mississippi River a half century ago, eagles were a rare site. Occasionally we would be driving along The Great River Road and my dad would point out eagles soaring high above the bluffs. Today it’s much easier to see eagles along the Mississippi. In late winter, as the ice is breaking up, they’re all around Prairie du Chien, my home town.
Crossing St. Feriole slough, eagles immediately came into view.
The day after my birthday just happens to be Take a Hike Day. So I decided to hike The Donald. Now, of course there’s a Donald we hear about on the news every day. Nuff said about him. This Donald is a county park, one of the gems of the Dane County Park system.
I hadn’t been to Donald Park before but it turns out to have all kinds of hiking trails. I set out on this frosty morning.
Tuesdays have been busy lately, but finally made it back to Governor Dodge State Park with my friend Tom, to tackle another trail on a Thursday.
Our next objective was the Pine Cliff Trail, on a frosty morning.
My friend Tom thought Trail Tuesday was a terrific idea. So last Tuesday we met at his house in Dodgeville and drove over to Governor Dodge State Park. Having driven by this area, even biked by it, I’ve seldom visited Governor Dodge. We were in for a pleasant surprise.
Governor Dodge has lots of trails. We started with the short trail down to Stephens Falls, which we had both visited previously. Right now, admittedly, an unimpressive waterfall. (more…)
I had a tentative breakfast appointment this morning with Mr. Sun at Gibralter Rock State Natural Area. Later I discovered Mr. Sun was waiting for me back home. Sigh. Nonetheless, the views were spectacular, as always, and the fresh air was invigorating.
Gibralter Rock is part of the Ice Age Trail, just north of Lodi in Columbia County.
Feeling the need to get out and get away on a fall Saturday, we were attracted to the Fall Family Fun Drive at Old World Wisconsin, a State of Wisconsin Historic Site. OWW is one of Wisconsin’s historic gems, historic homes and farms from the first generation European immigrants collected from around the state, then restored and preserved at this one location in southeastern Wisconsin. We’ve been there several times, one of my favorite memories is a base ball game we attended a decade or so ago, played according to 19th century rules and conventions (when they spelled it with two words).
Usually when we’ve visited OWW we do a lot of walking, or at least catch the tram that travels between sites. But OWW’s Fall Family Fun Drive allowed us to drive the gravel road between the settlements and keep our distance from the other folks.
Having completed the Badger Trail from Madison south to Freeport, and the Military Ridge Trail from Dodgeville to Madison in recent years, I had a plan for the Glacial Drumlin Trail. But it involved the Milwaukee Brewers and completing the link between Madison and Cottage Grove. That final link may not happen for awhile yet.
So when some friends invited me to go with them on, maybe, the last big bike ride of the year, I said YES. We ventured out from Cottage Grove on a gorgeous Friday morning.
Chasing the last hour of summer on the Badger Trail and the Sugar River Trail to start Trail Tuesday.
A simple goal at the beginning of May to walk the Ice Age Trail segments in Dane County has been accomplished. The Lodi Marsh sits at the northern end of the county.
The final segment of the trail begins across the road from the other Lodi Marsh segment.
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