Halloween Walk 2019

Despite the cold and wet weather, thousands of Leaf Peepers and Trick-or-Treaters flocked to High Cliff State Park for the 2019 Halloween Walk. Our daughter Ams brought a school friend along, and we arrived on Friday evening. We set up camp and enjoyed a nice campfire to take the chill off. Before we knew it he night was over. 

An Eggscellent, Eggstraordinary, Egg Hunt in Camp

If you really want to know how gross and boring you are, ask your tween. You'll get an earful. Anyhow, being stuck with Mom and Dad in a place without WiFi - ugh! Right? Tweens one minute want to be babied, and the next minute want to be treated as adults. So I decided to do something just for fun to enjoy to the younger side of my tween Ams while there is still a little bit of it left - a surprise Easter egg hunt!

Halloween Walk 2017 Camping Weekend at High Cliff State Park

Unseasonably warm weather brought thousands of Leaf Peepers and Trick-or-Treaters to High Cliff State Park for the 2017 Halloween Walk. Our family arrived on a Friday evening. We set up camp on a Friday night while the sky glowed with a vibrant pink sunset, a wonderful background for the brightly colored maples. We enjoyed a nice campfire and a quiet night in camp. 

Family Fun in Camp at the Long Lake Recreation Area in the Northern Unit of Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine State Forest

Our family had a glorious fall weekend camping at the Long Lake Recreation Area (LLRA) in the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. We arrived to a warm, sunny afternoon which cooled quickly when night fell. Owls sung us to sleep and serenaded us again in the morning. 

Camping with Family at Copper Falls State Park

Camping with extended family provides a chance to get closer to nature and closer to one another. Copper Falls State Park in Northern Wisconsin offers a great place for families to enjoy gorgeous scenery, mountain bike trails,  a swim in Loon Lake, or a short paddle. At the concession stand families can enjoy delicious, cool icecream or a hamburger after hiking, and on Sundays and Wednesdays the concession stand offers giant, fluffy pancakes with sausage for breakfast. Copper Falls State Park is located near Mellen in Ashland County, Wisconsin just off State Highway 169.

How to Make Your First Camping Trip with a Playdate in Tow a Success

Found a new trick for getting the kids to bed early on a sleep-over. Take them cold weather camping! With the sun down by 5:30 pm and an overnight low that dipped below freezing, they stayed busy and active, asked to climb into the tent early, and were snuggled in and sleeping by 8:30 pm. All of that aside, here's how we made our first camping trip with our child's inexperienced friend a success.

Spooky Halloween Fun Camping at High Cliff State Park

Sometimes the stars align and present wonderful camping weather. This was one of those times. We enjoyed a wonderful, spooky, fun October weekend camping at High Cliff State Park. Highlights included trick-or-treating along the Halloween Walk, hiking the trails, and a visit with relatives to admire their award winning pumpkins and long gourds.

Camping at Lake Kegonsa State Park

Lake Kegonsa State Park on Door Creek Road in Stoughton, Wisconsin provides a nice venue for family camping near Interstates 90 and 94 with close proximity to Madison, Wisconsin. With around 5 miles (8km) of well-maintained hiking trails, campground and beach playgrounds, a beach and pet beach, and a boat launch, there is enough easy going fun to keep our family busy for a weekend.

Family Camping Trip to Peninsula State Park

Peninsula State Park is located in Door County in Fish Creek, Wisconsin along scenic State Highway 42. Known as a hotspot for paddle sports, boating, bicycling, and outdoor theatrical productions at the Northern Sky Theatre, Peninsula State Park is Wisconsin's most popular stop for car camping. The park gets extremely busy, and we planned to arrive on a Sunday and leave on Thursday before the busy weekend began.

Camping at Hartman Creek State Park

Why do we return to camp again and again at Hartman Creek State Park? The park provides a great launch point for hiking the Hartman Creek Segment of the Ice Age Trail and canoeing on the Waupaca Chain O' Lakes. The park also has some nice trails for mountain bikes. The park is located west of Waupaca on Hartman Creek Road, south of State Highway 54 and north of State Highway 22. Due to our hectic work schedules and to much to do, we had only one night to camp and enjoy the fresh air.

Camping at the Pike Lake Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest

The Pike Lake Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, is located on Wisconsin State Highway 60 between Slinger and Hartland, Wisconsin. The park offers a beach, bike trails, camping, and plenty of hiking trails including the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. After another 5-day work week within this lengthy holiday-free span between New Year's Day and Memorial day, we packed up and headed out. We stopped in Hartland on our way into the park for a Cousins sub.

Hiking and Camping at Governor Dodge State Park, December 2015

On a crisp, cold December day we headed to Governor Dodge State Park in Iowa County on Wisconsin State Highway 23 to test our gear for cooler weather. We've typically avoided camping when daytime highs fall below freezing. With  a dusting of snow on the ground, and the day's high at 25°F (-4°C), we set up our 3 season tent, immediately noticing the stiffness of the fabric. Dressed with long underwear, a fleece mid-layer, and a parka, I kept warm for the most part with the exception of my feet and hands. My hands felt coldest after exposing them for cooking. 

Halloween Camping Fun at High Cliff State Park

On a cold, wet October Friday night we arrived at High Cliff State Park in the Village of Sherwood, Wisconsin for a weekend Halloween celebration. We reviewed our plan for staying as dry as one can when setting up camp on a dark, rainy night, and due to the steady rain it looked like setup and to sleep early for us. But not so fast.

Hiking the Hartman Creek Segment of the IAT and Canoeing the Waupaca Chain O' Lakes while Camping at Hartman Creek State Park

Hartman Creek State Park is the perfect launch point for hiking the Hartman Creek Segment of the Ice Age Trail and canoeing on the Waupaca Chain O' Lakes. The park is located west of Waupaca on Hartman Creek Road, south of State Highway 54 and north of State Highway 22. Arriving just after dark on a Friday evening, we set up camp looking forward to a weekend of outdoor fun.

Camping at Roche-A-Cri State Park

In the mood for someplace we'd never visited before, we packed up the car and headed out to camp at Roche-A-Cri state park. The name Roche-A-Cri derives from French words meaning crevice in the rock. The park contains about 5 miles (8 km) of hiking trails, campgrounds, an observation deck atop the 300 foot outcropping at the center of the park, and a creek that can be fished. The campground contains vault toilets only and no showers. This park is small, and entirely accessible by foot from the campground. The campsites are wooded but fairly close together, and our walk-in campsite appeared to be the best in the park, number 34. This walk-in site put us further off the road offering a tad more privacy, although the neighbors on all sides were easily visible and well heard, particularly their music.

Camping, Hiking, and Paddling at Wyalusing State Park

After enjoying a work-free, blog-free July 4th hiatus from life complete with hotel rooms, a parade, fireworks, a water ski show, a stroll on the Bearskin Trail, restaurants, and a day paddle in the National Highland American Legion State Forest we felt ready to escape the crowds and get back into the outdoors. We decided to check out the little canoe trail at Wyalusing State Park. After a quick web search we learned walk-in campsites were available. We loaded up the car and off we went, with the Mississippi River on our minds and Subway sandwiches in our bellies.

Backpacking Shakedown Trip at Buckhorn State Park

To prepare for our upcoming Smokey Mountain backpacking trip, our family spent Mother's Day weekend doing our shakedown. We hiked just under a mile to our campsite on Castle Rock Lake. If you're new to the sport or looking to  shakedown gear, Buckhorn State Park is a great spot for a trial backpacking experience. Not far from the car for an easy bailout should things go wrong, but far enough in to enjoy a little more peace and solitude than the campground provides.

Car Camping, Paddling, and Hiking the Meadow Valley and Cave Trails at Governor Dodge State Park

Need a relaxing environment to test out your camping gear in preparation before embarking on summer wilderness adventures? April car camping offers moderate weather and spring's first blossoms without the summer crowds. Looking forward to the weekend, we rushed to head out Friday night after work, getting camp set up just before dark. Governor Dodge State Park is located in Iowa County near Dodgeville on Wisconsin State Highway 23.

April Hike, Paddle and Camp Out at Devil's Lake State Park

Anticipating a break in the April showers, we rushed home Friday night to head out for our first spring camping trip. Hard to say what we enjoyed the most. I loved my sunrise solo hike around Devil's Lake on and off the Ice Age Trail. This is one of the prettiest hikes in Wisconsin, but these trails tend to be jam-packed with tourists. Best times to go are early mornings, weekdays, and off-season.

Camping at High Cliff State Park

High Cliff State Park in the Village of Sherwood, Wisconsin is a popular spot for a picnic, hike, or jog near the Fox Cities. With beautiful limestone cliffs alongside Lake Winnebago, High Cliff State Park features about 16 miles (25.7 km) trails including an 8.5 mile (13.7 km) horse and bicycle trail. It also features a marina, beach, lookout tower with a 30 mile (48.3 km) view, great views of the lake from the cliff top, Indian burial mounds, a statue of Chief Red Bird, and a general store museum that doubles as a nature center (with limited summer hours).