Wisconsin State Parks Quest 2021
Welcome to my blog
This is a picture of my wife, Sue and I (Dave) on our quest. We are both retired. Sue was a family practice physician and I was a teacher at the Technical College in Eau Claire (CVTC). We have traveled and camped all our lives. The concept of the quest is simple. To camp or stay overnight in each of the Wisconsin State Park Campgrounds. Since there are thirty-seven parks that fit the criteria, this may be a five year goal. We live in Altoona (near Eau Claire) so even logistics will be a challenge. The State Parks with campgrounds go from Madeline Island in Lake Superior to near the border of Illinois. They go from the Minnesota border to Rock Island which takes two ferry rides and is located in Lake Michigan.
The first part of the goal is to live long enough. I am 71 years old as I begin this journey. I am optimistic but health may present a challenge. Since this is the first year the details are a bit shaky. How many different campgrounds can we manage this year? When it comes to longer distances do we try for 2, 3 or even more sites in a row? Since winter camping is out, how early in the Spring do we start and how late in the Fall dare we go? Can I even reserve sites and go there during a pandemic? Since we are retired we do have more flexibility in selecting a date and reserving on a weekday probably increases our chances.
So what can you expect from this blog? I will give some details and observations about each State Park but you can expect a lot of totally irrelevant stories, details of our past adventures, questionable observations, and commentary on anything that may pop into my head. How can I get away with this? I expect that only about ten people will ever read this. First my wife (& editor of my life….oops, I mean this blog) to see what I said about her. Close friends may get half way through, plus a few others whose behavior and thought patterns may be questioned. I expect my children may read it after I die just to reminisce. The limited audience takes away any pressure to be witty, extremely thoughtful and even honest.
Merrick State Park (May 3, 2021)
The quest begins. Will it be successful or am I just tilting at windmills? Excuse me while I sing: “To dream the impossible dream. To fight….” & the rest). Have I started on a minor unattainable goal which is just a hope? Will I quit due to inconveniences like too hot, too cold, too far to drive, too much of a commitment, tent camping is difficult, possible death or health concerns, and add in others as you wish. We head out on an overcast day with my wife, companion, sidekick. “To run where the brave dare not go….” – alright, that’s enough. We start heading to Alma to climb Buena Vista city park. It’s a great little park with a terrific view over the Mississippi River. The locks are down below as you overlook a portion of the city. One of the great surprises of Wisconsin are the many hidden gems whether state parks, local parks, state forests, recreational trails and more.
We are heading back to Alma when my wife spots a sign for Danzinger Vineyards. It is a beautiful setting up a valley where she does the required testing and buys a bottle. Next we did a trail further North out of Pepin where we took the Five Mill Bluff Prairie Loop. Doing the loop was close to three miles which started with a long steep incline. I struggled to catch my breath. I am a slow walker which one friend referred to as “lumbering”. Which is a worse description: lumbering or trudging? As I take my time, I wonder at what point my wife will come back to see if my heart has decided, “that’s it – I quit!”
Merrick State Park (continued)
Merrick Park is on the far Western part of Wisconsin with the closest larger city being LaCrosse. It is off the main flow of the Mississippi River but boats can still pull up there. It is closest to Fountain City and is listed as having 67 sites. Like most state parks it is well laid out with basic sites and amenities you really need: drinking water, toilets, picnic table, fire ring and as an extra: showers. Being along the river the park is long and not as wide. The South campground area is for tents and seems swampy. My wife speculates about mosquitos during the hot months. Being early in the year the campground is not crowded. The ranger station is not open yet so no one actually checks you in., I count seven sites being used and we are the only ones in a tent. The other six are all recreational vehicles. They may look at our small tent and sleeping on a thin pad and wonder why we chose to torture ourselves.
After fifty plus years of camping I am still learning. You need to study the available camp sites for electricity, location, size and flatness of site, toilet and water location and more. However Merrick is very close to a very a busy railroad tracks. The tracks are also close to a crossing so they blow their whistle three times as a warning. The whistle is very loud, and in addition the train going by is loud and feels like it is ten feet away. Plus these are busy tracks. I am tired in the morning.
Perrot State Park (May 4, 2021)
We break camp and move down the road only 20 miles to Perrot (not Parrot) State Park, It is somewhat similar to Merrick being located on the Mississippi River with access by boat, canoe or kayak. It has 95 sites which are spread out to give some privacy, but close enough so there are a good number of sites for summer campers. It is a long park with all the camping on one end (Trempealeau Bay) and then stretching along to the other end which is just about to Trempealeau City.
Perrot State Park (continued)
Perrot Park has some good trails right inside the park. We did (conquered) Perrot Ridge where you climb up getting a great view of the river and then wind back down again. We added a section of the River View Trail to reach about three miles total. I did much better than yesterday’s loop trail. It could be it was less steep and longer going up at the beginning. I prefer to believe that after one day of hiking I am already in better shape.
At the end of the day we go outside of the park to Sullivans to eat. Yes, it is the standard Wisconsin supper club. If anyone is outside the midwest you may not be familiar with the quintessential supper club. They are usually independent restaurants found in many locations with steak, seafood, a wood interior, large dining area with bar, and in the old days a salad bar. This seems to start a trend of eating breakfast and lunch at the park and getting in the car to head out for supper. Back to camp and I burn through all of the wood as it has noticeably cooled off. Waking up the next morning it is in the 30s. By 6:30 we have broken camp and are heading back to Altoona. Two parks down and only 35 left to go.
Observations:
+ When it is cold and you are getting up there in age and increasingly stiff, it is tough just pulling on jeans in the morning. I
believe when I was young I could accomplish this when still in my sleeping bag.
+ It is tough getting out of the tent to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. It is tougher going two or more times.
+ You can get a cramp in your legs just trying to get socks and shoes on (testimonial).
Amnicon Falls State Park (June 21, 2021)
We are officially into summer and in a big way. June had a record breaking six days in a row over 90 degrees and a number of other “hot” days. We are headed up to Lake Superior to visit Amnicon Falls State Park. It is not suppose to get into the 70’s and as we drive up it is 60 degrees. There seems to be a cold temperature theme so far to our camping. The drive is over two hours to a couple of highly rated campgrounds for attraction and beauty.
We checked in, bought firewood for a cool night, and headed out for a hike. Technically is a “walk” and a “hike” different? It is a picturesque park. The distance of the major trail along the Amnicon River is less than two miles but fantastic with many rapids and falls. The trail for the most part runs right along the ridge or edge so most of the time there are great views. It is a place to amble along or just sit and soak it all in. Younger people would enjoy the rock scrambling. Those days are over for me as my mind tells me “don’t slip or trip and blow out a knee.” I think I could hurt myself just getting out of the vehicle.
One of the neat things is the Horton Bridge over the river. Specially designed (& rebuilt) it is a pleasure to walk half way over and look down at the river beneath. There were a fair number of visitors for a Monday, but it seems like a great place for a day visit from a nearby town. My good friend Larry Kripps and I have traveled for decades. He prefers to see zero people when hiking and camping. You see the news on overcrowded parks and some even limit the numbers to advanced reservations. It is sometimes rewarding to not share space or trails, but it is important that people visit, support and appreciate these natural areas.
Amnicon Falls State Park (continued)
This is one of the more primitive state parks with no electricity, flush toilets or showers. They have “pit toilets”, but these are well maintained, and have cement floors. Real crude toilets were when we hiked around Mt. Rainier in Washington. The toilets were away from camp 20 to 50 yards. These were a seat on a wooden box. Luxury was when they put up a short fence so people walking up the trail did not see you contemplating nature while sitting down. In the afternoon at Amnicon we took a hike on a snowshoe trail for 2.5 miles. Kudos to Boy Scout Troop 220 who maintained trails, built small bridges, built fire pits and more. There were a few separate Eagle projects also. Good job. I’m proud that my oldest son, A.J. also went on and received his Eagle recognition from the Altoona Boy Scouts.
Observations:
+ Highways can be very noisy. We could easily hear the cars and trucks nearby.
+ Even in mid-June it was not overly busy. I’m thinking there are no major populations centers nearby and it is Monday.
+ Campfires are really cool. Just sitting by the fire on a terrific summer night is relaxing and a bonding experience with others. Does this come from our primitive past?
Pattison State Park (June 22, 2021)
Pattison State Park (continued)
Pattison is the best park yet (only #4 however). It has Manitou Falls which is the highest and largest falls in Wisconsin and fourth largest East of the Mississippi. It is spectacular. As usual the park service does a great job with excellent trails to the best overlooks. It is really something to stand there watching all that water cascade over the edge and pound on the bottom rocks. We also took a longer hike to Little Manitou Falls which is also a terrific spot overlooking the twin falls. I enjoyed those as much as the larger falls. Taking the longer way back we covered 7.5 miles which is a major trek for us. The path to Little Manitou Falls looked new with a small stone gravel pathway, plus a new major bridge structure. Really impressive. The original trail was along the river. I’m sure natives thousands of years ago used it. Back at camp we put up the tent and it was time to relax with reading, and maybe solitaire or cribbage. Sue had downloaded the map of the park and all the trails to her phone. Tonight I will send back pictures with comments to friends and family. Technology is amazing when it is used for good and it works.
We saw a small bar and restaurant just outside the park and will probably try that for supper. This follows our standard method of eating breakfast and lunch in the park and heading out to eat. This morning I had freeze dried biscuits and gravy in a pouch for breakfast and it was really pretty good. I remember eating freeze dried food more than 50 years ago when I was just starting out with my camping journey. I’m amazed I’m still alive.
Observations:
+ Primitive is fine. A hot shower after a day of hiking is more fine.
+ Hikes are great exercise and restores the soul. A spectacle of nature really moves the hike to a higher level. State parks often tend to raise the bar.
+ Small world syndrome: we are walking on a path and Sue runs into another Kiwanis member from her club in Eau Claire.
Wimped out!
Sue is on a fishing cruise in Alaska so I signed up for Straight Lake State Park located about 1 1/2 hours away in Northwest Wisconsin. I went to our cottage an hour North with all my gear. This is the newest and more primitive of the 37 parks with 10 sites that you must backpack into. There is one pit toilet and the site has a table and fire pit. At 3:00 it started raining hard and continued to 6:30. I would have to drive over, hike in the wet, and set up the tent about at dark. No. I watched a movie at the cottage instead.
Going to the “Dark Side”.
Our camping morals and values have been seriously compromised. We have no shame. We have bought a recreational vehicle or camper. My excuse is that I turn 72 years old this year. I have gone all these years (decades) tent camping and now we have moved to the very lap of luxury. Well, actually just moved up to more comfort. We bought a 10 year old Starcraft hybrid which is about 20 feet long. There are no sliders (sides coming out the side) but both ends come down (manually) to give a queen bed on both ends. I am somewhat uncomfortable pulling something this big and heavy with Sue’s 6 cylinder Kia. Sue insists it is within the weight limits of the car. We will try to stick to highways and keep the speed reasonable.
Wissota Lake State Park (July 12, 2021)
Wissota Lake State Park is the closest to our home, yet we have never camped or visited there. The park is on a large man-made lake: Wissota. It is a larger park with over 1,000 acres and 141 camp sites. There are eight hiking trails that we can enjoy. We get there early and set up the camper. Being rookies (virgins) we have selected a drive through site to protect me from backing into something or anything. We got instructions from the former owner but we are still not comfortable with the options and complexities. First you fill the water tanks, then pull into your spot. After detaching the vehicle you level it with the hand operated crank downs, plug in the electricity, lower the two ends for beds, get the refrigerator going, and check everything else. It all looks OK and is working. For now it would be easier putting up the tent and blowing up the pads or mattresses.
Wissota Lake State Park (Continued)
With the camper we can put the bikes inside. We get them out and go a few miles outside the park to the Old Abe State Recreational Trail heading North. It is smooth, flat and well maintained. Being a beautiful summer day we cruise along for a total of 20 miles. Wissota Lake Park is close to Chippewa Falls City so we head into town for a new (open less than a week) restaurant. It is a Vietnamese restaurant which is a hole-in-the-wall with tables down a narrow alley, but the food is fine and we are filled.
Wissota Lake Park’s best feature is a very large, great lake. If you are into boating, pontooning, fishing, canoeing, paddle boarding or kayaking this park is a good choice. It would be a good park for younger kids with the beach, lake, hiking, and even nearby biking. The campsites are good and relatively secluded from each other. Since we are not as much into water sports and did not bring any of the above listed water toys, the recreation at Wissota Lake Park was not ideal for us. One advantage is that we are very close to home. We break camp, and are home in a half an hour with time to go to the pickleball courts.
Brunet Island State Park (July 29, 2021)
This is an excellent camping area. Located just outside Cornell City it is on the Chippewa River. There is a channel on one side and several bays jutting in. It would be a great place to kayak or canoe. We however biked out of the camp area and rode the Old Abe recreational trail South for 10 miles. It is in very good shape with many miles through a deep forest. The park is also heavily forested with large, old growth trees. The night before there was a heavy rain so everything is green with that fresh smell of forest and ferns. There are a number of trails cutting through the island with none of them too long. In addition, a nice beach at the end of the island connecting to a larger park area.
Brunet Island State Park (Continued)
The only negative is the camp grounds themselves are crowded with no real barriers to separate you and the neighbors. I’m at a picnic table about 10 yards away from one of those monster recreational vehicles. On the other side of this vehicle there may be an attached two car garage which I can not see.
Observations:
+ Brunet Island is a park I could easily visit again. It is just a neat camping area with many positives.
+ It is a difficult place to back in to. I hope they can replace their electrical pole for the camper (just kidding)
Willow River State Park (August 4 2021)
Heading to our 7th destination: Willow River State Park. We basically head West from Eau Claire on Interstate 94 almost to Hudson, WI. This is a popular park with great natural benefits. I’m sure it gets lots of people from the Twin Cities. It has three separate campgrounds which are numbered 100, 200 and 300. Perhaps in the future the DNR will come up with clever names for the different ones. Even parking ramps have some options. Hey kids, we are camping in the zebra camping area tonight! Next time we will camp in elephant.
We are at #300 which is the opposite of Brunet Island. Each site is fairly secluded. I can hardly see our neighbors although someone across the road has invited every kid in the neighborhood, at least by the noise they make. That is better than older teens and young adults staying up to all hours around the campfire drinking and talking loudly. How old do I sound now? Willow River has 150 family sites which is needed being close to a large population center and having a great water falls on one end of the park. It is not only spectacular but you can get down to the river and to the falls themselves on both sides. With a beautiful day there were dozens of people already climbing rocks, swimming, enjoying a picnic, sunbathing and just enjoying the outdoors.
Thoughts on being so close to the Minnesota State border:
Four men were traveling in a car who were from the states of Washington, Idaho, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The man from Washington rolls down the window and throws out a bushel of apples. What are you doing they all say? He explains that Washington has so many apples they do anything to get rid of them. Later the man from Idaho throws out a sack of potatoes and explains that they have so many potatoes in Idaho that they need to dispose of them any way they can. They are just a nuisance! A few miles later the man from Wisconsin rolls down the window and throws out the man from Minnesota. (note: down South they probably use Illinois)
Anyway Willow River State Park is another gem of a state park. I recommend you put it on your list of wonderful state parks to visit and stay for awhile.
Interstate State Park (August 5, 2021)
We pack up and move 30 miles or so up the road to Interstate State Park. This was the first state park in Wisconsin and you can certainly see why. It is a beautiful park curved out by the glacier and subsequent melting. The St, Croix River and gorge was also carved out by the melting floods. Due to this the walk we went on was fairly tough. It is all up and down with the hard lava rocks forming steps in many places. Of course these were uneven. The views were fantastic however as you repeatedly came out to overlooks. You could see a long ways up and down the river gorge.
Interstate State Park (continued)
Yes – in the picture above I’m carrying hiking sticks. You live long enough and you will have your own. We did Summit Rock, Echo Canyon and River Bluff trails. Totally the distance was not long being less than three miles but our legs were feeling the effects of step up, step down, step up, repeat. The excellent views were down to the St Croix River and the Dalles of the St. Croix. Way up above the gorge were pot holes. These are large holes where the water from the melting glacier caused rocks to circle and grind impressively. The rocks might be up to bowling ball size. Interstate is another superb park with great trails and the view over the gorge is very memorable.
Out to dinner and back to the camper. For more than a hour there was distant thunder and lightning and we hoped to escape the downpour. No luck. The deluge hit and just poured. We were looking for leaks in the solid metal middle of the camper and also the fold down canvas beds. Fortunately nothing major or even minor. My wife kept thinking, at least we are not in a tent. Interstate Park is in the category of Willow River. When we get done with our quest I could certainly see coming back for more than one night. It is relatively close and just outstanding in every way as a camping and just visiting area.
Governor Dodge State Park (September 12, 2021)
We have now moved into another month in our quest. August finished out with a minor class reunion (1967 H.S. grad) in central Oregon with three amigos. Then a great Labor Day at the cottage. My son invited a number of friends, some who were not vaccinated. Since Sue and I are senior citizens we told him “no”. So two young men get their shots right before coming up. Motivation is a funny thing.
We decided to stretch our camping and try for three different parks around Madison. The idea is that our son, an accountant with a large firm could join us on Sunday for hiking. The timing was off due to his work of 12 to 14 hours a day including weekends. It was OK with work coming first and it was not all that nice of a day anyway. Governor Dodge State Park is about an hour West of Madison right near the city of Dodgeville. Is that where the name came from or was there a Governor named Dodge? I should look it up…but. We drove down and filled up with water at the dumping station. We noticed after a period of time that the fresh water going in was coming out a tube underneath. This should not happen. Sue eventually found the lever/control and shut it off. Due to others waiting we drove over to our site still unsure if we have water for the toilet.
It was overcast and there is a light rain off and on (spitting) so we did not go crazy on activities. We went into town to get gas which was close to empty, With the weight of the camper 180 miles is the absolute limit. There was the Pine Cliff Trail which went though dense woods to what someone called the “big rock”. Sue’s knee has been gimpy lately but she scrambled up a section to get on top. It was very good up there with the lake bending all around the peak we reached. Getting back we probably put in two to two and a half miles. We then made a mistake and watched the first Packer football game of the season against the New Orlean Saints. It was depressing how poorly both the offense and defense played. We are long term, die hard fans so Sue figures they got rid of every mistake for the season in their first game. I’m banking more on a weak division they can still win against Vikings, Bears and Lions. Before the game I would use the word “dominate” the division. Now I hope they can slide by.
Governor Dodge State Park (continued)
We quit in the 3rd quarter and went to do the short Stephens Falls hike. In the Spring after a major rain it may be a sight, but in mid-September it is more between a minor rapids and a major dribble. From there it was into Dodgeville for dinner but many places were closed. I believe it is a combination of Sunday night, September, the pandemic and not enough help. Culvers filled in nicely with a $3.00 shake special that day.
Governor Dodge State Park is absolutely huge covering over 5,000 acres. It has 269 individual camp sites plus more group sites, backpacker sites and even horse camping sites. I would say it has no outstanding natural features. It does have a good lake and sandstone cliffs. The glaciers for some reason missed this area leaving it more flattened. The strength of the park is its trails: hiking, biking and horseback riding. Looking at the park map there are trails going everywhere. As with most state parks they are well laid out, very well maintained and will go to the very best locations for beauty or interest.
Monday: September 13 The weather was supposed to get really stormy in the morning and unfortunately they are correct. The United States and the world is being devastated with fires, storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes and more. Ultimately it seems Mother (or Father) Nature will win. At 5:30 I woke up to the thunder in the far distance and the rain was close behind. It is now almost noon and still thunder and rain coming down pretty good. Was it the movie “Fantasia” where thunder and lightning was depicted as the Gods bowling? So I write, read, eat and take an umbrella to the bathroom.
Blue Mound State Park (September 13, 2021)
This park is close by Gov Dodge so we are at Blue Mound State Park in the early afternoon. I immediately like the park. The camping spaces are far apart and there is a dense woods in between. You are hardly aware of your neighbors. While Dodge is immense, Blue Mound is much smaller, with only 77 regular sites and many without electricity. Though diminished it does have a number of trails and even a pool. The key area is on top of a ridge which is listed as the highest elevation in southern Wisconsin. On both ends of the ridge are large observation towers. Climbing these gives us a great view over the surrounding countryside. Unfortunately it is very overcast (but no rain) and somewhat hazy diminishing a lot of the view. On a sunny day it would be spectacular.
Blue Mound State Park (continued)
We clean up and head into the town of Blue Mound which is under 1,000 population. There are limited choices as we grab a burger and appetizers at a local bar. At 7:00 on a Monday it is ourselves and one other patron nursing a drink. Back to the camper for reading and relaxing. The next morning it is a bit more clear and we head out on the Military Ridge Wis Bike Trail. It was built by the military decades ago and is nicely grown up. The only problem was a good wind as we did a total of 22 miles. It’s out 11 and then back. The legs are hurting but good exercise. You can feel Fall coming., Despite lots of moisture some bushes and trees were starting to turn. Some of the leaves of early quitters (trees) were beginning to float down as they gave up on summer. My very favorite type of day is a Fall day, sunny, a bit warm and most trees are at their peak of color. All is right with the world.
Lake Kegonsa State Park (September 14, 2021)
We drove about an hour to the last state park on this excursion. With Fall the parks are becoming more quiet with many sites unoccupied. It seems like less tents also (no proof). While Dodge was a huge park Kegonsa is a small park on a very large lake. Since we biked this morning and then moved it is already midafternoon. There are limited trails but we took the most inviting which ran along the lake with the beach, fishing pier and boat put in. The beach was closed due to algae/bacteria and looks quite green, It may have been that way all summer. There was a huge parking lot for the beach and playground and we were the only car there – lonely.
Lake Kegonsa State Park (continued)
Our son has recently took an accounting job in Madison (Baker Tilly) and moved there so we drove up that night for supper. We ended up picking up Red Lobster and eating at his apartment as he mostly did his work with a short time to eat. Due to the tax due date he was pulling tremendous hours but he is willing and able to put them in. We were just glad to have some time with him. Back then to camp and sleep. Wednesday morning we will pack up and pull the camper back home.
Observations:
+ Three very fine parks in one trip. All with very good amenities but different in layout, extras and their strengths.
+ There are 37 state parks so next year we will have to look at more of these multiple parks in one excursion.
So we winterize the camper and we will take it up to the cottage for a long winter. It looks like our quest is finished for 2021.
Straight Lake State Parks (October 19, 2021) (No picture – keep reading)
No! I was wrong. Here I am at Straight Lake Park. Remember, I had tried earlier but got rained out, but it remained in the back of my mind. This Fall has been warm so I looked ahead and here I am on October 19! We started camping at Merrick and it was cold but in October it hit the 70’s today. There is a mosquito buzzing around my head. Although we have not had a hard freeze it is time for them to give up for the year. There are no pictures of Straight Lake Park. I’m not sure if I left my phone in the car, or because I got there late and did a small hike I just did not think to take any shots.
Straight Lake is the most primitive site by far. It is located up by the city of Luck. They should have a casino by that name. You go down a gravel road and stop at a relatively small parking lot with the one pit toilet. From there you grab one of their carts and haul everything to your site. I took the closest one which was about a 1,000 feet down the trail. I believe this is the newest park with camping in the entire state system.
On the positive side we are really out there. I’m thinking I am the only one camping here tonight. No RVs, no nearby people, very quiet except for the honking from the geese in the lake. The trail around part of Straight Lake does not seem much but it does connect to the Ice Age Trail. Right nearby is Rainbow Lake which was very beautiful with the very still water and Fall colors. I arrived a bit late so the sun is starting down and I need to get back to the campground and set things up.
Again it is primitive so a short distance off the trail is a fire pit and picnic table and that is it. The camping area is covered with leaves and I need to get quite a bit of wood for the fire. It is odd being out here all by myself with just my gas lantern. I’m missing Sue. You are totally alone and responsible for everything, On that note I brought a cup of noodles and apple crisp, both which need boiling water. I have a converter for the vehicle lighter and a small coffee pot to heat up the necessary water. It does not create enough current to heat the water to boiling. Plan B: peanut butter sandwich and skinny pop popcorn. I will live.
This less developed park brings up some thoughts. There are 10 tent sites with no electricity, pit toilet and limited water. It is more hard core, with a limited number of people interested in this type of camping. I’m lucky to be here now. By this time last year there was a large snowfall and the temperatures was way down. Over the coming years does the DNR slowly develop this park. Will they make it easier to get in, better parking, flush toilets, showers, and eventually sites for vehicle campers (electricity some day)? There are people who want this level of camping now. Camping in October has its drawbacks. I have one gas lantern going and the campfire. It is pitch dark by 7:30. However I see the full moon rising so there will be some light. I go into the tent but how long I read is a guess. There is lots of lighting in our RV camper and you can recharge the cell phone.
I feel a serious cold coming on so I just need a great night of sleep. By 9:00 p.m. I am in the tent and reading. I soon find out how noisy geese are. The lake is probably 20 to 30 yards away and they are flapping their wings, which sounds like several people flipping their rugs to clean them. Then the really loud honking starts. I keep looking at my phone and it is going past midnight. It is also getting colder. I finally get to sleep but at some time (3:00?) the wind comes up and is strong. At 4:00 I go back to the vehicle to sleep. You turn on the car, get some heat going and then turn it off and try to sleep. At 6:30, in the dark, I take the flashlight and go back to break camp. Yep – a wonderful night’s sleep to help break my cold. I drive back home and get into bed. It was a difficult final night to 2021 camping but I can chalk up one more state campground with an overnight stay.
Really the end, this time!
So that is the end (actually!) of the first season in seeking my quest. As said often in the Game of Thrones, “Winter is coming.” Overall we have done way beyond my expectations. I had figured 5 to 8 parks never imagining ten in six months. The parks overall are gems. Terrific places to get away from home and experience the outdoors with all its beauty, waterfalls, lakes, rivers, forests, trails, cliffs, overlooks, towers, great views, exercise, eating out, fire pits, visiting with others, and more. I owe a lot to my wife Sue. I am an idea person, but you need the organizer behind that to get all the details. If she didn’t do it herself, we did it together, or she pushed me to move forward. The quest was just to camp in each park for one night, but the real reward was all the great experiences we had and the terrific places we stayed at. Without the quest we would have not even started on this adventure which so far has been fantastic. We will start planning for next year and begin reserving spots soon.
Tent vs Camper: We have experienced both so here is a comparison
Tent:
+ You feel like you are really out there. You are a real outdoors person dropping out of a tree with a large blade between your teeth, attacking fierce wildlife to feed your family
+ Flexibility: no need for electricity, large camp sites, or even a completely level spot. Smaller camp sites are fine.
+ Some state parks still only have tent camping
+ We store all our camping gear in the attic in a fairly small space. The camper takes space, winterizing and upkeep.
+ Some camping stuff like bags, mattresses, cook stove, gas lantern are still fine 50+ years later.
+ Tents just seem more inviting to neighbors. You are less able to hide inside.
+ Cost: when I started it was a small 2-person tent, a K-Mart sleeping bag and a few cooking essentials
+ Ease: with a little practice you can put a tent up fairly fast. We have even done when it is sprinkling. Major rain; wait in the car.
+ Space needed for everything: about enough for your car.
+ Reputation/image: You came across as a wilderness, tough individual vs the oversized camper (what! the channels are limited!)
+ Youth: tenting seems like more a young person’s game. A good place to get started in the outdoors.
+ Ease of getting started: even if you have nothing with a little effort friends and family can probably supply most things. True campers often have multiple tents, sleeping bags, etc
+ Really getting out there: Can you get there? Tents plus some equipment can get you there. When we did the Wonderland trail around Mr. Rainier it was REI equipment with small, light tents, bags & pads, with limited food, clothes and everything else.
Recreational vehicle or camper:
+ Compatibility: My wife wants to read late into the night, I try to make it to the TV weather forecast.
+ Deluge: start with thinking of building an ark. Need I say more. (50+ years ago you did not touch the tent during a rainstorm or it started leaking.
+ Space: when you are young being 3 inches apart in a tent the possibilities are invigorating. Now I take the back end with the pop up bed and Sue takes the front. We do sit closer at the couch and table.
+ Comforts: toilet, shower, stove, microwave, TV, refrigerator, freezer, privacy, heat, air conditioning, and more
+ Cost: It is cheaper at the state parks camping then a hotel/motel but it needs new tires, we pay to get it winterized, plus other wallet flatteners.
+ Setup & take down: With practice my wife and I have become very efficient. It goes relatively fast now.
+ Extra items: We put the bikes inside, cold food, storage for tools, clothes, games, and much more.
+ Weather: Too hot, too cold, windy – no problem. Too sunny – put out the awning.
+ Noise: remember Sue at one end and I’m at the other.
+ Time factor: it you are staying 5 days or a week all the camper advantages are even better
+ Relatively comfortable sleeping pad. Getting out of a sleeping bag, unzipping tent and crawling out in the middle of the night at least two times is a pain
+ Family usage: my daughter Martina has used it with her boyfriend and sees the future of us keeping it
+ Extra space: at the cottage we can use it when a large number of people come up overnight. A tent would work, but not everyone is excited about that option.
Wisconsin State Parks Quest 2022
We are starting again in 2022. Does that mean last year was greatly rewarding, we are just stubborn, or that setting a goal/mission will win over all objections? First: I am still alive. A echo stress test showed my heart is not at the top notch level, but good enough to keep pumping. I blame my wife for the problems: for decades every time she walked in a room, my heart skipped a beat. It caught up to me.
Buckhorn State Park (May 23, 2022)
We head to our first destination of the year: Buckhorn State Park. First we realize we left the camper cushions and mattresses up at the cottage where we store the camper for winter. We are slow out of the gate as we need them first. Then it is down the interstate to New Lisbon, turn off and eight miles to the Park. Still being May and a week before Memorial Day the park is quiet with few other campers. Buckhorn is a restorative prairie. At one time it was a prairie but with development it changed to a large forest. As oak wilt attacked the trees, the park staff have worked to restore it back to the prairie or barrens. We hiked 3.3 miles up to a small tower (if 16 steps constitutes a tower?) with limited views. There is a lot of water between the two rivers: the Wisconsin and the Yellow. We took our bikes and used them to go past a pretty small pond and a swampy area. The ever popular (wrong), ever abundant mosquitos came out in this area. A glimpse of the future for this summer.
We went out for supper at one of those resort restaurants: 1/3 bar, 1/3 dining and 1/3 outside seating. It is basic and solid food but we see the prices have shot up. Part of this I attribute to old age where everything was much cheaper; gas is $4.49 gal. Back to camp where I started a fire in the fire pit. It’s May and it has been a terrible Spring. It was nice during the day in the mid 60’s (average high in the 70’s) but dropped off to the 40’s. The camper has a heater system but the former owner never used it and we are honestly not sure about turning it on. Perhaps they never camped out in May or October. We used a small portable electric heater and it really helped, but it still got cold overnight. Breakfast of oatmeal and we will move on.
Buckhorn State Park (continued)
OOPS – here is another learning experience. The plug in heater is next to the stove and worked fine last night. When we plugged in the small coffee maker we tripped the circuit box. No electricity. We dug out the manuals and started reading. The directions do not include where the actual box is located. We spent 5 to 10 minutes looking through the camper eventually finding it in a small cabinet near the floor. The breaker is tripped but won’t go back in so it might be a fuse. Of course we do not have any. Fortunately the rest of the camper is working – we think. The refrigerator light is blinking. It’s not working. You can switch to propane tanks but have never done that. We move on to the next camp site (30 miles) and try it again. It seems to be working as the fridge is on again. It’s not like we have a lot of items anyway. These little adventures of travel keep you sharp.;
Roche-A-Chi State Park (May 24, 2022)
This park is a bit more primitive again. There is no one in the check in office this early in the season. It has pit toilets. There is running water but no showers of course. We showered at Buckhorn so it is OK. The campsites are nice being further apart and the forest is dense with large trees. We are away from the Buckhorn prairie. The park is smaller (604 acres) with the main activity being hiking. Being it’s May every campsite around us is still empty. We got one of only six electric sites. We went out to do a hike along a 300 foot rock outcropping. The park has developed a great stairway up to the top with 303 steps! It is a climb with Sue and I stopping numerous times to catch our breath. The view is great on top looking out miles and miles. It seems the park has a decision to make in the future. Large trees and bushes are eliminating a lot of the view. They could cut it back for the view, just let it grow until the view disappears or add on to the tower with a higher landing. Totally we hiked 2.2 miles but the legs and knees are hurting a bit from the stairs – both the up and the down parts.
Roche-A-Cri State Park (continued)
I took a rest at camp and went out again for 1.4 miles on the Acorn and Chickadee trails. The latter was named by a person who was amazed at the number of that certain bird along the trail. There is also the Eagle Ridge Trail. Both names seem better than naming them the Turkey Vulture trail. In addition there is a section of the trail with a tall rock face with rock carvings. It is interesting to think that many decades ago human beings were here and their artistic abilities were carved into rock facings.
Back at camp and start a fire which always comforts me. I’m still amazed at the lack of people. We saw a few on the trails but have not seen a vehicle go by us for several hours. At Roche-A-Cri it started lightly raining at dusk. So did I “wimp” out? We have reservations tomorrow at Rocky Arbor which is near WI Dells. It showed rain the entire next day so it may well be a huge lumberjack breakfast and the discount mall. I cancelled out the next day as much as I could and drove back to Altoona in a good steady rain the next morning. I was a little disturbed at not finishing this piece of the puzzle, but my wife (very wise) advised against a long day in the camper, not really doing anything, and we can come back another time.
Peninsula State Park (June 6, 2022)
We drive across the state for four hours to Peninsula State Park. For out-of-staters you hold your left hand in front of you with 4 fingers together and thumb sticking out. The thumb is the state of Wisconsin jutting out into Lake Michigan and a long ways out on it is Peninsula State Park. I believe technically it is not in Lake Michigan but along Green Bay Waters. Peninsula is an old (over 100 years) state park and large, covering over 2,000 acres. All the way across from Altoona it was raining. So far it has been a poor Spring with lots of cool to cold rainy days. If not rain it is windy. We have a cottage further up North where the lake is spring fed. I’m not sure the water will warm up to “jump-right-in” temperature this summer. With the rainy afternoon we decided to drive into the nearest town: Fish Creek. It is very much a tourist town with gift shops and restaurants and is only a couple of miles away. Small world syndrome again: we run into several friends from Eau Claire who are part of a group over on this side to bike. You rarely see them in town but travel 4 hours and there they are. Fish Creek is so close the longer commute was getting out of the park itself. The town is looking to make money while the season lasts. A number of restaurants were closed or limited hours on this Monday due to lack of help.
Peninsula State Park (continued)
We set up camp as the weather slowly cleared and headed out on a 2.8 mile long hike. It started with the Hemlock trail with a poison climb and on to the sunset trail. The best part was Swen’s lookout over the Green Bay Lake with an expanse of water viewing a few small islands. Back to camp and to Ephraim for supper. On the way back from supper we went back through the park golf course (really?) to the Eagle’s Tower. It is a huge structure looking out over the bay. We hit it right at sunset enjoying the view and taking great (hopefully) shots. As impressive as the tower is (100+ steps) the walk down for handicapped (challenged) surpassed it. It was a gigantic structure heading off into the woods and then looping back to the parking lot. This was not some simple walkway, but large enough to easily drive a golf cart up eventually soaring to the top of the tower. Getting up in the morning we went to Julies for breakfast. Why – Sue had to use her I pad and needed WiFi. We cannot totally abandon technology. Then back for a 10 mile bike ride. The trails are very nice but already somewhat crowded. We can’t imagine it on a weekend in July.
Observations:
+ It is interesting the different levels of support for the parks. I’m sure it has to do with their popularity and budget. Roche-A-Cri was barely open and handed out one page maps with rules on back. Peninsula has a colored multi-page brochure with numerous maps, information, and even pictures of the staff. It has multiple campgrounds (over 400 sites) miles of roads, and even a golf course. There are miles of bike trails and even a professional group of theatre performers with their own space.
+ Camping can be wonderfully cheap. A camp site for a tent with no electricity is a great bargain, especially in less popular parks with lesser facilities. On the other hand towing a trailer takes gas. We filled up twice for $119.
Potawatomi State Park (June 7, 2022)
Moving on we drove about 40 minutes to Potawatomi State Park. This is a very nice park with over 100 camp sites which are well laid out. Since it is already past noon we did one hike on Tower Trail for 3.6 miles. Part of the trail is also the Ice Age Trail. This takes you to a bluff at the highest point of the park but is still only 150 feet above the water. While Potawatomi has over two miles of rocky shore line it has no swimming beach. It covers 1,200 acres and is right outside Sturgeon Bay. We then got on the old bikes and made it out to the Sherwood Point Lighthouse. It is a neat structure and good for a break. Just a note that some of these parks are open or available year around. Potawatomi has groomed cross-country ski trails and also accommodates snowshoeing and even winter mountain biking. Going out for supper we got together with old friends who were our next door neighbors, but now live over here. Carrie gave piano lessons to all three of our children while Don was the middle school band director. It’s great getting back in touch with old friends and catch up. We had bought firewood thinking we would use it up when we got back. It was already dark and we were tired. Whomever gets this site next is a winner.
Governor Thompson State Park (June 8, 2022)
Again we move on. This single night at a park may seem like a hassle, but we have gotten very good at setting up and breaking things down. While we have missed some things in the parks we have focused on what we think are the best trails, best views and best spots to get to. We go back around Green Bay and up North to Governor Thompson State Park. We found out two days before I had put in for site #5. It has no electricity! We called the state parks number and switched to #19. Solved! We got there before noon and the site was still filled. The time is 3:00 to move in and be out by 3:00. It has not been a problem before, so we just went to parking overflow and biked from there for about 10 miles. There are great roads in the park. Since it was still early we went to the office and switched to an even better site: #25. I’ve got to give them credit. The state employees and rangers working for the parks are terrific individuals. As we went around Green Bay, it rained heavily and we thought it would be a long term camper residency. As we went North it keep clearing and now at 2:00 I’m more worried about a sunburn.
We set up in site 25, eat a snack, and head out biking. 1/3 of a mile through a grassy path and we reach a road out of the park. Working back up to the main road, we go along it and back to camp. The camp road itself is in great shape so we total just over 10 miles. It was a sunny, pleasant day so after an adequate lunch we both took naps. I even zipped open part of the canvas side on my end of the sleeping area. After 4:00 I was more ambitious and headed out on two trails down by the lake. They were extremely wide and well maintained so it was an easy 2.5 mile hike. I wondered about such a wide trail until I came on an extremely old open shed with either snowmobile or X country skiing grooming equipment – Ah ha – that explains it.
Several hours earlier one of the park rangers stopped us to say a mother bear and two cubs had crossed the road up ahead. During my walk I spent half the time wondering what I would do by myself, out in the woods with a chance encounter. I repeatedly sang the YMCA Camp Manitou song, “the other day I saw a bear”. Back to the camper, clean up, change and get ready to head out to supper. We went up the road to the Dock Side restaurant. While there it started to rain and then just as we are about to leave it turned to an absolute downpour! It was gushing off the roof and the gravel parking lot was closer to a shallow pool. Since Sue had rubber flip flops I let her get the car – it only made sense.
Governor Thompson State Park (continued)
So we are back. That’s when I was reminded that I had zipped down a portion of the shade by my mattress. I had to sleep at a different angle that night. Also wet mattresses do not dry out rapidly. We put the space heater on and started a game of cribbage. I believe (maybe) I’m about to double skunk her when the lights go very low in the camper. I pull the outside plug and check the box outside is see if the breakers trip. That’s when we find out the electricity for the entire park went out. We have lanterns and flashlights. Time to go to bed. Up in the morning and the power is back on. Three hours to home and to dry out the mattress.
Big Bay State Park (July 11, 2022)
July and we are heading toward two parks. The first is Big Bay State Park. We drive hours up to Bayfield City on Lake Superior, catch the ferry across to Madeline Island. It is the largest of the Apostle Islands but still has slightly over 200 residents in the Winter. The weather is unstable. The forecast keeps changing from 90% rain to no rain, and rain at 1:00 and then it says rain starting at 4:00. We get into the camp and set up our tent just in case. That’s right: back to the old tent and no camper. It’s partly due to the distance over lesser roads and partly due to the challenge of taking a camper out on the ferry.
There was a sprinkle at noon and we eat lunch and went to the small town at the landing of the ferry. There is a very limited commercial area but we shopped the 2 or 3 stores. Back at 2:00 and everything had totally cleared through and the temperature was great. Originally we looked to take our bikes but with the unstable forecast left them back home. We could rent if we wanted. We were going to bike but it turned out to be good. It would have been mostly a “woods” ride as Sue called it going out and coming back. We can do that at home. We hike the Bay View Trail to the Point Trail and come back on the Woods trail. Overall the trail was spectacular with the first two (Bay View & Point) running along the shoreline with super views of Lake Superior. Off in the distance was land but we were not sure if that was the land of Wisconsin or another Apostle Island. Michigan or Wisconsin? There was one rock ledge jutting fairly far out into the lake with a group of young people on it. This might have been the “point” of the point trail. It was obviously the place for the brave (foolhardy) to jump in accompanied by whoops and hollering. I did not see any senior citizens out there. I do not jump from heights so we took pictures instead and moved on. We figure 3 to 4 miles total but we were still tired.
Big Bay State Park (continued)
We then cleaned up hitting the showers which were great. However the turn-on button had a short timer: about 15 seconds. Push – on, push – on, push – on, repeat, repeat, …… Then it was into town to eat. The first place was closed – Monday. On to the “pub” for a decent meal. Of course we then had to find an ice cream shop. The chocolate chip cookie dough was very rich vanilla. It was non-fattening – I think(?) Back to the park where we rest outside. It was a restless sleep. Our frugal sleeping mattresses (Walmart) slowly leaked but made it to morning. I sometimes have problems with my inner thigh cramping up and that was a definite possibility. Nothing like laying in a tent massaging your leg, pulling back on your toes, slowly sinking in your mattress while trying not to wake your partner.
Big Bay and Madeline is not all paradise (what place it?). There are mosquitos – OK. You hardly notice them at the cottage. Deer flies and horse flies can be more irritating and hurt a bit but you can kill them for satisfaction. Madeline has the black, bitting flies that hurt and are too fast to give you the minimal satisfaction of taking their lives. There is a group of individuals who supports all God’s creatures, but if I had a fly swatter the entire species would be history on this planet. In the morning we roll out (really crawl out) and backtrack on our journey. Back to the landing and once again the ferry to the main land. I’m getting soft. The camper has started to take away my history of super-manliness. (Is that a worry?)
Copper Falls State Park (July 12, 2022)
This is a lesson on expectations for me. I never heard of Copper Falls Park. It is in the middle of no where with Mellon (less than 700 population) the only town around. Again a hidden gem! We drive up and find out we had signed up for an electrical site which is not needed because we are tenting. We explain at the window and the ranger offers two other sites immediately. We have always been impressed with the state park staff. They are unfailingly friendly, efficient, customer-oriented and can answer all questions. Again it is predicting rain. The ranger at the office window says: we just ignore forecasts. We decide to set up later and head out because it is looking pretty good at the moment. Rain is predicted later. We set out on a great hike on the Doughboys Nature Trail. We start at the Copper Falls with a truly great view of the falls divided in two. The excellent trail (part disabled access) went up to another fabulous view at the Brownstone Falls where two rivers merge. It is difficult to describe how beautiful (cool) these falls are. There were two bridges giving views of the Bad Rivers. Altogether 2.8 miles of very enjoyable hiking – a real pleasure.
Copper Fall State Park (continued)
It was still sunny so we went to Loon Lake to sit, relax and enjoy. There actually was a pair of delightful Loons that would quickly slip under the water for long swims. We actually met and talked for a long time to a local from Mellon who comes out to the lake on most days, even in the winter. In his 70’s he was an old hippy, philosopher whose goal was to find his place in life and on earth and just enjoy what’s left. Each person has to find their own path.
We put up the tent with rain coming. We have put up tents in the rain and it is a challenge we do not need to meet again. Then it is 25 miles to Ashland. Since we are early into town we spend a couple of hours at the Ashland library where they had a WiFi system so we could catch up on things, A large breakfast meal at the Chequamegon (sp?) Family Restaurant and back to the tent. It is lightly raining so we head inside to read. Let’s be honest; the tent is not as comfortable as the camper. The air mattresses very slowly lost air and I need to prop myself up with two pillows. In the night I need to attend to basic functions. You quietly (as possible) unzip the zipper. As I’m halfway crawling out the entrance my right thigh cramps up. It is still drizzling and I’m half in and half out while straightening my leg and pulling my toes back and trying not to wake Sue. I am not trying that again. I end up sleeping in the vehicle by 4:30 a.m. with some clothes pulled over me for warmth. It is part of the camping experience. Mostly great with a few challenges to deal with.
Devil’s Lake State Park (August 22, 2022)
There are many adventures in camping, but not all of them are good. There can be some bumps in the road – literally. We are heading to Devil’s Lake State Park. Only a few miles out of the camp we hit a bump which dislodged the main power cord (7 prong) from the car to camper. As it drags it quickly wears through and shreds the inside of the cord setting off the automatic camper brakes. Fortunately we can pull off the road. We disconnect the power cord but one brake light still stayed on. Meanwhile we are googling and calling RV repair places but with little luck. Disconnecting the spare battery causes the brake light to go off. We limp into Devil’s Lake with no lights and no camper brakes. One shop could not make it out but was going to contact a friend. After several return calls we realize we are on our own. We thought we might stick around if someone called back. Later that afternoon we said, forget it and hiked up to “Balance Rock”. It is not a far walk but a tough climb. The CCC (more later) built steps with rock with minor switchbacks. It was very tough for an old goat (forgot the goat part) guy like me, but luckily I had my hiking poles. Coming down was just as slow as the rock steps were somewhat uneven with some long steps down being more difficult. It was a challenging but rewarding hike on the trail and some good exercise.
A bit weird. I am the eye run coordinator for our local Altoona Lions club. This means that when a person dies up in the Eau Claire area they may remove the corneas. For two months of the year they call me and I try to get “the eyes” from Eau Claire down to the city of Tomah. I am on call at this time. Sure enough, half way up the trail my phone rings. There is a pick up at the hospital in Eau Claire. Fortunately I have a number of volunteers and I start calling. One of the volunteers agrees to do the “eye run” and I get back to hiking. What a world. As I’m out hiking on a Wisconsin trail I am coordinating a run so maybe a day later a person will have sight for the first time or again in their life.
Devil’s Lake State Park (continued)
The next morning I tried to splice the torn wires back together. Fortunately, camping right next door was a man who worked at Mercury Marine for years and helped immensely in putting the wires back together, rewrapping them and taping it all. We tried it out and “voila” – it all worked great. Plan “B” was pretty shaky which would be a fair drive with no lights or camper brakes to get it fixed someplace. One benefit of camping is that people always seem so welcoming and nice. I have stopped by for many conversations and people were always open. Is this because people who camp are just more kind, or that the camping situation makes them more relaxed and the better side comes out? Is there any research on this? After making sure we could move on I texted the kids saying we have to sell our house and we will now live in the camper at Devil’s Lake Park.
We went for another hike the next morning. We started at the same place hiking the Grotto Trail and then branched out going up on the Pot Hole Trail. It was not as bad as balancing rock but still took its toll on us. At the top we hiked along to a rock formation called the “Devil’s Door” with a narrow passage way with huge fallen rocks overhead. It was impressive looking. Back slowly we made it to camp to clean up and move along. I was somewhat disappointed in the Devil’s Lake camping. I know this will irritate some people because it is the most popular campground in the state. There are tremendous positives and some real problems. The camp sites are among the poorest so far. It is basically a huge open field with a scattering of a few trees. I could easily see 30+ camp sites from our camper. It is an extremely popular park so when I went up the road and back down to the beach I bet there were over 500 people swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, in the souvenir shop, buying lunch, buying ice cream and at picnic tables. It felt too crowded for my camping culture. On the plus side, it is a fantastic lake and amenities on both ends. The trails are challenging and have terrific views of Devil’s Lake down below. They are hard climbs but worth it to see the specialty of nature. It is popular due to this beautiful nature and also close to Madison and the Dells.
Observations:
+ It is amazing how many different tents, campers and motor homes there are. When you can view so many all around you, the diversity jumps out at you. At the bottom of the pecking order are backpacking tents which are small and light weight. On the other hand there are huge motor homes where a large part of the sides come out for more room. We have gone to RV shows and these live-in travel homes truly are unbelievable with their size and luxury.
+ What a great thing the CCC was. In both state and national parks you realize how much excellent building was done by the CCC on facilities. The depression was a terrible thing but many decades later we still benefit greatly from all the fantastic work. How can we set up the same system today (minus the depression)?
Mirror Lake State Park (August 23, 2022)
With the power cord and everything else working with the camper we moved onto Mirror Lake State Park. It was within 1/2 hours drive and in many ways the “mirror” (pun intended) opposite of Devils Lake Park. The camp sites are all separated and no real crowds. When hiking you hardly met anyone, The park was super kept up. When setting up the camper a couple of volunteers stopped by to ask if we wanted our fire pit cleaned out. Thanks, but we are fine. We rested a bit and then went for a hike. We enjoyed the Echo Rock Trail which was wide and well maintained. There was a neat small circle around a larger rock mound with live music across a short water gap to the Ishnala Supper Club. Then down to the boat launch where Sue bought an ice cream treat. After all, one must keep up their strength. All together we did close to three miles adding up to five miles for the day in both parks. That’s plenty good as my legs get tired and my heart says “that’s fine for now, Dave.”
Mirror Lake Park (continued)
We have a tradition of going into a nearby town to eat. These have been any place from a better supper club to a bar serving the most basic food. We broke tradition with a “hobo” meal. This was cut up brats left over, potatoes, onions and cheese wrapped in aluminum foil and put over (or actually in) a hot fire. Peel back the foil and it was a tasty meal that hit the spot. Sue is on the Altoona City Council and needed WiFi to download the agenda to prepare, so we went into town to a Culvers. Since we were using their WiFi we felt guilty and had to consume at least a thousand calories. Back to the site for the night.
We got up in Mirror Lake and did a hike to the beach and beyond for a loop. Again Mirror Lake does not mirror Devils Lake. The beach is small, and the water has blooms and geese. I heard a Dad say to his young wading son, “Just don’t put that foot in your mouth.” Only one family there versus perhaps hundreds at Devils. No canoes, no kayaks, no food, ice cream or souvenir stores. We continued through the woods just to get more exercise hitting a little over two miles. Mirror Lake State Park is one of those parks which is worthwhile visiting, hiking in and just relaxing. It is not a premiere state park but still a good place to get away and enjoy the outdoors.
Rocky Arbor State Park (August 24, 2022)
We packed up and headed to Rocky Arbor Park. We are getting really good at closing down the camper, hooking it on and moving on. This park is even lower (or higher, depending on what you desire) than Mirror Lake Park. It is not totally primitive with showers. There is no real lake, or river and one hike. We took that trail in the afternoon. It is called the Rocky Arbor Loop Trail going on top of a steep ridge. Reaching the end you go down stairs, walk for a section and come back up stairs. That was the best part as you are able to look up at a long ridge with rocky formations. It was neat to see the different rocky areas and strata. It was hot and we headed to the showers where we read: “due to hot water heater breaking there is no hot water. Our cottage is on Round Lake and it is spring fed and cold in Spring and Fall. Both the lake and this shower was “refreshing”. We headed to the discount mall in the Dells. Sue explained she is already working on gifts for Christmas for the kids. I only saw packages. To pay for this trip we went to the HoChunk casino right outside town where blackjack was $10 a hand so we stayed on the machines. People seem to always talk about how they win or someone is lucky – we lost. However we do play the quarter minimum machines and take it easy.
Rocky Arbor State Park (continued)
Back to camp. Sue had terrible cards in cribbage (what a whiner). At 9:00 the predicted rain started and could be an all nighter. Again we are lucky! Three absolutely perfect days to camp. Sunny and reaching in the 80’s and comfortable at night. We could easily lose a day to bad weather but do not talk smart (trash) to Mother Nature. We have four more days in September. Perhaps I should see if the camper furnace actually works. I did not get a great night’s sleep. It rained hard for quite a bit of the night and the camper is not very quiet when it is pounding down. It is a hard shell in the middle and we sleep in the fold down ends which are canvas. Also Rocky Arbor is close to the interstate and you can easily hear it. Back to Altoona the next morning and back to our normal lives.
Harrington Beach State Park (September 12, 2022)
We are unofficially into Fall (after Labor Day) with our longest trip yet with the most overnights (4). We are going all the way across the state and down towards Milwaukee to Harrington Beach State Park and then working our way back up North. We set out around 8:00 and took Highway 29 over to Green Bay. Down 43 to the state park by the town of Belgium. Long drive – stupid sore butt. The first two parks we visit are on Lake Michigan. Looking at the weather it repeatedly said a high chance of rain all day, Monday. I was getting set to set up the camper and head to the library but so much for weather predictions: half way down from Green Bay it turned sunny. It was not hot temperature-wise but with a strong sun, shorts and a T-shirt would work.
The park office was closed (I assume for the season) and I’d guess the campgrounds were half full at best. No complaints as some lesser parks actually close on Labor Day. On the other hand many state parks are open all year for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. My wife looked for a stand with camp maps and found none. This was our only complaint as she loves to look through brochures and figure out where we are camping, and the location of trails.
After setting up camp we decided to bike. However I had my old bike (not the E-bike) and I’m a good candidate for a heart stent so any hills took my breath away. I only managed 6.7 miles total and rested at the camper. We then went out for a pleasant hike from the parking lot. First we went along Lake Michigan on a comfortable trail. We often forget or do not realize the long term history of areas. New to us means that things are new. There is a quarry where decades ago limestone was blasted and dug out to be transported to a long pier and then loaded on ships. The buildings have disappeared where people lived, shopped at a company store, and earned tokens for goods after 10 hour days. We did walk from the beach around the quarry which totaled 1.4 miles. It was a pleasant day and a very good trail. It’s back to camp, a shower and we head to Belgium – that is the nearby town of Belgium for some basic bar food. It was tasty enough and the only real choice on a Monday night in September.
Harrington Beach State Park (continued)
Harrington Beach has interesting diversity. In the campground area there are few trees and most are dead. Still we had a private location as the brushes and shrubs are dense and quite high. They are beautiful in their own way with purple and yellow flowers plus berries. This effectively hides you from other camp sites. There is suppose to be rain tonight and the 50’s for temps so blankets are brought from storage. I turned down a nearby trail and found myself only a few feet from a gorgeous red cardinal. I watched it as it pooped and flew away. There is a message there someplace.
The next morning we packed up the bikes inside the SUV and went to Belgium for the Interurban Trail which goes for miles. It is well maintained but not that interesting in this particular section with electric lines along the entire length. We did 17.6 flat miles, but my legs were still tired. There were no climbs so my heart was fine. It is always a plus just being by large water. To walk along the water in the sand and watch the waves coming in is a definite positive.
Kohler-Andrae State Park (September 13, 2022)
We put the bikes in the camper again and head on to the Kohler-Andrae State Park. It is just up the road a half hour or so and easy to get to. As we are just about to pull in Sue mentions that when I signed up for the site I did not put in for the electrical hookups (again). Fortunately this entrance is staffed and the campgrounds are not filled. We are able to switch and get the upgrade needed.
I think I will call this the K-A park from now on. You can see why it is so popular. It is a great wooded park with a long stretch on Lake Michigan with dunes to climb. It is also close enough to the Milwaukee area that it would not be overwhelming to come up and visit. It has 135 family campsites with the majority being filled even in mid-September. Sue and I go on a hike across the dunes on the Dunes Cordwalk. We are soon down to the lake and walk along it until the trail goes back up on the dunes. The cordwalk is up and down, and up and down so is somewhat strenuous. Cordwalk is for walking on sand. They are slats of wood which are not solid but strung together with rope connecting everything. We decide to take off our shoes and walk back in the surf to the parking lot. It is a perfect afternoon about 70 degrees with the sun starting to miss that intense summer beatdown. It is replaced by a more mellow feeling that Fall is close. Altogether we went 1.4 miles but we are ready to use the zero gravity chair back at camp.
Again we are able to take advantage (I mean meet) with friends over in this area. The Flashers (Mark & Karen) are free and we mention going out to eat. Instead they invite up over to their house and grill out a huge meal for us. What are friends worth if you can’t take advantage of them. They actually have a cottage up North on a nearby lake, but we don’t match our schedules as much as we could and get together.
Kohler-Andrea State Park (continued)
September 14 We woke up and faced a depressing situation. Neither of our phones were working for roaming or data. We had decided to pack up and do some biking on a trail out of town but could not pull up information on the location or even the trail head. I could look up the location of the Verizon store in Sheboygan but could not call up GPS or data on the location. We went to a McDonalds to use their WiFi to pull up needed information on our I pads. With the phone number I called Verizon to ask for help and offered to come over. The young lady said turn off the airplane mode and back on – that did it! WOW! When I was a kid we had one landline and a rotary dial phone. We drove the camper to the parking lot and did 11.4 miles on the Old Plank Road trail. It often seems unfair when biking. We did half the distance out directly into the wind and coming back it seemed to die or switched directions.
High Cliff State Park (September 14)
On to High Cliff State Park which is a great name. Some camps are instant hits as you drive through. High Cliff surrounds you with a mature, older forest with a canopy of trees. The sites are somewhat secluded. We rested, had lunch and headed out on the Red Bird Trail. It is a well maintained and the mountain bikes could cruise along them. There was one open area with large rocks where you could see Lake Winnebago. It was very picturesque and would have been a better spot to relax and eat lunch if we had known.
We then went off on the Indian Mound Loop Trail which may sound questionable but was really kinda cool. The native Americans buried their dead (when weather permitted – spring) hundreds of years ago. These grass mounds were not individuals graves but were along the trail with multiple bodies in each. Were they better than our cemeteries with individual stones sprouting up everywhere? I’m not sure.
I then went over to shower and the shower god heard my plea. I took the middle stall and pushed the button. A good stream and luke warm water. I cleaned up a bit faster then normal of course. But the water did NOT turn off. I’m standing there, naked yanking on the button trying to turn it off. I finally gave up and contacted a park worker that the shower was still going. Next morning I noticed a small sign on that door, “closed for maintenance”. The shower button god was out to get me.
High Cliff State Park (continued)
We then went out for dinner at Waverly’s Supper Club. Sue had contacted old friends over here about getting together. Mona had even stood up in our wedding about a century ago. Again it was a super bonus to spend some time catching up on travels, health concerns, family and the general state of the country and world. After only a few years the pandemic has joined the conversation. Are you vaccinated? Did you get Covid? Are you getting boosted? Are friends and family OK?
We are developing another pattern. Get up at the current park and either hike or bike and then move on. This somewhat makes sense. You technically can not get into your reserved spot until 3:00. In almost every case when we show up early it is empty and we can move right in. We visited the observation tower which gives a great view of Lake Winnebago and down to the marina below. We thought that is another unique feature of the park. Leave your boat there or bring it in to the State Park. Finally we hiked a mile on the Lime Kiln Trail. It was impressive to see the large ovens and stack which would turn big blocks to ash to be used to manufacture such things as cement up to 100 years ago.
Observations:
+ In the middle of the night there was a loud, sharp crack on the top of the camper. We are parked under a walnut tree. Reminder: do not park the camper under a palm tree.
+ Fall is hitting here. I noticed it when it comes to trees and bushes the innovators and early adopters (marketing terms) are starting to go. Some trees are turning and a few are even dropping leaves. We will eventually reach the middle and late majority with the laggards (Oak trees) keeping some leaves until Spring.
Hartman Creek State Park (September 15, 2022)
We drove more than a hour West and North up to Hartman Creek State Park which is close to Waupaca. It is another gift of a park with majestic trees with deep, somewhat secluded camp sites. Again there are so many options with four main lakes. You can hike, fish, swim, use the playgrounds, picnic, bike, kayak. canoe, paddle board, boat, ride horses and of course camping. Many parks stay open for cross country skiing and snowshoeing and you can even snowmobile here. We are really efficient at setting up the camp and site so after lunch we took a rest. Then, up and at ’em: Hartman Creek Park covers 1,500 acres with a huge number of trails. There are hiking and biking trails everywhere and then add in the State Ice Age Trail going right through the middle and your walking sticks (and body) can really get a workout.
Hartman Creek State Park (continued)
We stuck with the lakes going across a passage way on the Dike Trail to circle Hartman Lake which is the largest of the four. As is typical this is a crushed stone, hard packed trail which is plenty wide. We then circled Allen Lake and back to the campground for a total of 3.1 miles. Again a great afternoon to be outside enjoying woods and water. Instead of going to town we made our own “hobo” dinner. That is potatoes, onions, and brats cut up with cheese. Wrap it up good in aluminum foil and put over the fire. The trick is to cook, but not burn. Mission is accomplished and we get ready for bed as the fire burns out.
Observation:
+ It is a scientific miracle! How can they make toilet paper so thin? I’ve heard of 2 ply and maybe 1 ply but 1/3 ply? If I put it across my eyes on a sunny day it would still be too bright. Google “flimsy” and a picture of state toilet paper is shown. Does some college student needs an original research topic? Does the state of Wisconsin save money with regular TP which is used as usual or where an individual uses three times as much as normal. Send me the results, please. It may have something to do with composting which is understandable for pit toilets.
Council Grounds State Park (October 10, 2022)
This is it! We are driving to Council Grounds State Park on the edge of Merrill. It is bitter sweet. The camping season is coming to an end. This is the 15th state park this year starting on May 23rd and it will be done here. We have visited many just super parks. Hiked some wonderful trails. Met some fine people. Took in some terrific sights. Biked on top-notch trails and roads. On the other hand fifteen different sites is enough. It is the peak of Fall where one day it is soft and hazy and the next you are taking plants inside, digging out snow shovels, and seeing if the snowblower works. I’m already up to my raking tricks. You wait until it looks like most leaves are down and rake. Then you rake again. Then you rake again.
It is one of those fantastic, ideal Fall days. Mellow daylight filters through the trees where most of the leaves have turned. You can sit at the picnic table and watch them slowly drift (flutter?) down to join their brothers and sisters on the forest floor. Am I actually getting poetic in my old age?
We set up the camper. There are 19 electrical sites located in the inner circle, and quite a few were taken on a Monday in October. The outer circle, just for tents, had one occupant. We ate lunch (sandwiches) and headed out for a walk. First to the boat landing, then back to the beach and along the Wisconsin River. Again it was just gorgeous as we looked across the river to stunning changing trees on the other side. All together it was the Big Pines Nature Tail, the Red Trail and the Green Trail for a total of 3.3 miles. It was so outstanding we slowed our pace to an amble.
Council Grounds State Park (continued)
Getting back to the camper I cleaned up. Yes, they had showers and they were still working for about another week and then the sign said they were being shut down for the season. This was welcome as I had anticipated only pit toilets. One advantage of traveling around the state is contacting and visiting old friends. We were invited over to a former colleague of Sues for dinner. Wine, salmon on the grill, upside down blueberry and pineapple cake and great conversation! A wonderful evening.
Back to the camper. We still have not tried the camper built in heater (furnace) and we just used the smaller, portable heater. The temps getting into the 40’s called for extra blankets. I’ll just say I was OK over night. I notice that as I age the circulation goes down. My core gets cold and it takes longer to get comfortable. Also the fingers and feet go numb much faster. How much of this is old age and how much is my heart slowly deterioting? Will we become snowbirds in our future? Go to the next summer to find out another possible explanation besides age.
Wrapping up the second year:
Looking ahead to 2023 and hopefully (maybe) the finish. In June we have longer parks trip starting with Big Foot, and then New Glarus Woods, Yellowstone and Mill Bluff. In July it is back to tent camping with Rock Island, and Newport. Early August brings Nelson Dewey, Wyalusing, and Wildcat Mountain. If all goes well we finish the last park, number 37: Tower Hill!
There have been ups, downs and challenges in the first two years and 27 state parks. Mostly it has been incredibly positive. The goal was just to camp overnight in every Wisconsin State Park that allows it. The journey has surpassed the goal or mission. Wisconsin has a fantastic array of state parks. Many have been around for decades and they are located in some of the very special places in the entire state. Also with time they have improved the individual parks. They have added recreational options and amenities that make it less of a hardship and more of a pleasure to get out to nature. Today nature is playing an April Fools joke as we get inches of snow and plenty of wind. It will melt and we will uncover the camper, get it checked out and head out in June as the end of the quest closes in. There is too much with ten nights left in ten parks to say the end is in sight, but you can feel that it is feasible and very doable at this point.
Wisconsin State Parks Quest 2023
Oh Boy! We are at it again! We made it through another Wisconsin winter and we are back on the trail/journey/quest. As a reminder we plan and hope to camp in every Wisconsin State Park with camping for a night. In two years we have completed 27 and have the final ten reserved. I am somewhat amazed we are still at it. The end is in sight, if still at a challenging distance ahead. Of course the future is the future. We have communicated with all our friends and family (and more than a few acquaintances) about our mission. We need to complete this!
Big Foot State Park (June 19)
I still had some energy (from where?) and biked for 4.2 miles mostly in camp but the legs were losing strength. Back to read and eventually into the city. Sue did research on restaurants in Geneva and it seemed $$$+ or Culvers. Rather than drive around we stayed near eating at the Geneva Inn which has a grand view. Sue’s salmon salad was very good at $300. I exaggerate. I was still hot when we got back but it cooled off nicely leading to a pleasant night’s sleep. We called back to our son, Mateo who had begun his first day of his summer job at a local meat shop: Rumps. He was not thrilled with the grunt work like cleaning dishes. He should be moved right up to CEO. Still once he gets to know the really good crew there I think he will fit right in.
Big Foot State Park (continued)
Up for a beautiful morning and we decide to bike from Big Foot. It was out the park and up and down rolling hills for seven miles to White River Bike Trail. It’s a really nice lime stone trail running mostly through woods. However at some point we had to head back to the city of Geneva and we were on back roads. Fortunately there was little traffic. Totally 17.6 miles. It was Sue’s first time out this year and as always she was a strong athlete setting the pace.
Observations:
*Looking at the map you might think Big Foot State Park was right on Lake Geneva, but it’s not. You can see in the picture above you cross a
relatively busy road to the beach which was crowded with people and boats anchored with people.
*This is the only state park which is entirely inside a city – Lake Geneva. It makes visiting the city and its restaurants easy.
*Lake Geneva is old money getting a huge influx from Chicago when the Chicago fire happened. If I had $5 million perhaps I would buy a cottage on the lake.
New Glarus Woods State Park (June 20)
We hit the road in the afternoon to the next park. It is backroads for 1 1/2 hours to New Glarus Woods State Park. It is a smaller, more primitive state park. There is no one at the entrance except for weekends. In our section we had 18 sites and I saw two other campers; 1 tent and 1 RV. There was no electricity to hook on to and pit toilets. Of course that means no showers either. We knew this was coming so had prepared.
After sitting for 2 hours on the drive I went out for a short walk of 1 1/2 miles. It was rolling and my legs were tired from biking that morning. I was fine on the flat but trudged up the slopes. I was passed by a turtle, a snail and an inch worm. A brief rest and we drove up to the city of Verona to eat Italian: Avantis. On Tuesday they have an interesting special. A crock dish of lasagna for $17 or all-you-eat lasagna for $19.99. I did ask about the doggie bag policy and then took the first option. It was fine, plus we are not sure if we have a refrigerator back at camp anyway. Our son, A.J. drove down from Madison as it was close to half way for both of us. Again it was just super seeing him again. It was a great Father’s Day gift until the bill was handed to me – oh, well. I’m so proud of our son and all of our kids. We are so happy and excited to get together when we have been apart for too long.
Back at the camp it is lanterns and flashlight with no electricity. We will see how well the refrigerator works on the propane. Fortunately it has cooled off at night and it was comfortable in the dark.
New Glarus Woods State Park (continued)
The next morning we stayed at New Glarus taking a bike trip on the Sugar River Trail. There was a tremendous long downhill from the camp and fairly steep to the city and then the trail. My legs were somewhat tired so I was obsessing about the climb back the entire time. Nevertheless it was a good trail through woods and farmland. We stopped where the Sugar Trail was crossed by a trestle which was the Badger Trail. Totally we did 17.1 miles. Actually the climb back up was manageable. Too often we worry over things in the future which is wasted concern.
We prepared to move on. New Glarus was an interesting state park but not for the lap-of-luxury group. No electricity, no lake, no river, no special natural phenomenon, no ridges, or towers and pit toilets. A good place to go to for campers who live nearby, but limited especially for kids.
Yellowstone Lake State Park (June 21)
Yellowstone Lake State Park (continued)
Sue is exhausted. Between heat, biking, hiking, a poor nights sleep last night and dinner she is out by 8:00. She will probably wake up at some way-too-early morning time. We love camping with so many positives, but there are some drawbacks, like lack of privacy. I’m outside reading and right over the bushes is a man loudly on the phone expressing something about the school board, a wrestler, the end of school and more. I’m not against listening in to such an anti-privacy person but I don’t want to waste my thoughts on his situation. Later a man close by is throwing up very loudly. It’s gross. Giving the benefit of the doubt (alcohol?) it may be food poisoning. I hope it’s not the nearby restaurant we went to. Around 2:00 a.m. a car horn goes off with one loud honk. Three minutes later it two loud honks. I went outside to make sure it was not our car. It can prove interesting staying perhaps 20 yards away from someone with no real barriers. Don’t get me wrong. Most of the time the neighbors stay to themselves and more than a few times they are very friendly and even helpful.
Mill Bluff State Park (June 22)
All our years of going South down the interstate past Camp Douglas there was no realization there is a state park very close by. You can easily see the bluff which is the major walk way inside the park. This trip of four different parks has had its ups and downs with facilities. #1 Big Foot with Lake Geneva, electricity, showers and a large park inside the city. #2 New Glarus with no amenities: no electricity, showers, flush toilets, natural wonders #3 Yellowstone Lake with a huge number of sites, electricity, showers, nice lake and beach and finally #4 Mill Bluff which is in between. There is a very good swimming area and beach, and electricity. It has pit toilets and really one major attraction or trail – a challenging hike to a bluff inside the park. Interestingly the drinkable water is accessible by hand pump.
Although small it is a nice park and we managed by manuvering to get the camper backed into a fairly small site. Another hot day (close to 90) so we set up and got the air conditioning going. At around 2:00 we set out biking taking back country roads to the Omaha Trail. The trail goes through the town of “Hustler”. What’s the basis for that? I looked for a city sign so I could take a selfie next to it. No luck. I was getting tired and went a little over 10 miles. Sue (I must report) continued a couple of miles further to a tunnel which was literally and figurately cool.
Mill Bluff State Park (continued)
We got up before 7:00 and soon after hit the one major trail up to the nearby bluff. It’s not long with 223 stone steps. There are mesas, bluffs and then pinnacles. If I live a few thousand more years I might be able to climb the “Mill Pinnacle.” It was a challenging, but not overwhelming climb with a very good view out over the countryside and other nearby bluffs. The highway was down below. It is well worth the effort. If your camping heaven is a nice, quiet break in the middle of no-where, Mill Bluff is NOT it. It may be the noisiest camp yet. To the East is Interstate 90/94 with semis all night. To the West across the pond a very short distance is old Hwy 12 which is still pretty busy. Next to the old highway are train tracks with trains shooting through. There are a couple of crossings relatively near so the train whistles go off. If a cemetery was near by it would be empty (hint: wake the dead). Still Mill Bluff is a very nice park and seemed to appeal to younger kids. If you are nearby, want to tent it, and save money it is a great choice. For the kids they can clean up in the pond. You just have to convince them that pit toilets are not one of the lower levels of hell.
It’s back home and since it is almost all interstate we are cruising. Back before noon is good, but there is always cleaning out the camper and car and putting all the items back. Finally the camper is backed into its spot waiting until the next adventure in August. So four more camps and overnights knocked off on the quest. We now have 31 in three years and six left. The next two in July may be our toughest so continue to read – please.
Rock Island State Park (July 11)
We start on our next long and a bit unusual journey as we head to Rock Island State Park located out in Lake Michigan. It is a long drive from Altoona so we broke it up by staying with our former next door neighbors: Don and Carrie Crane. They have a house on the Green Bay Bay (is that right?). They are wonderful hosts with a magic house both indoors with their decorating and the outdoor landscaping. Great conversation as we catch up on each other lives. Suddenly it’s 10:30 and past my bedtime with a long day tomorrow. Up in the morning and Don prepares a super breakfast. Thanks.
Since we are camping out I have been watching the weather like crazy for more than a week. An all day rain would be a nightmare of walking, putting up the tent and eating in the rain. We head up the peninsula further to the end of Door County reaching the ferry at Northport. We then take a ferry to Washington Island. We drive off and immediately head to the far side to catch the next passenger ferry to Rock Island. This ferry only runs on the hour from 10 o’clock to 4 and we want to get out there and explore. We are back again to tent camping, so we need to get the backpacks and sort out the tent, sleeping pads, sleeping bags, food, cooking utensils and stove, lanterns, flashlights, snacks food and more. You can use carts on the ferry but we are just using backpacks since it is one night. We get off at a very impressive boat building (huge) and hike about 1/2 mile to set up camp. I forgot how much a heavy backpack can take it out of your legs and back. We have not done this since hiking around Mt. Rainier a long time ago (9 years).
Rock Island is 912 acres and has 40 campsites each with a table and fire pit. There are mostly pit toilets and one flush. The native Americans were first here and then a small European fishing village was established. In 1910 Chester Thordarson bought much of the island ($5,735) and built many really impressive buildings. Into the future Rock Island becomes a state park. After set up we begin our hike with just water bottles and snacks. It’s a splendid hike with repeated views of Lake Michigan mixed in with deep woods. We mostly did the Thordarson Loop Trail until I got really tired and we cut back on the Fernwood Trail. Still the distance was 5.9 miles in almost 2 1/2 hours. It’s been a long time since I hiked that distance. The side of the island we were camped on had a rocky beach but as we hiked to the other side it had lots of people enjoying the sandy beaches over there.
For supper it is dehydrated beef stew. We brought a mini camp stove and it heats water very rapidly. Pour boiling water in the pouch, stir, seal and wait 10 minutes. It is not bad for food that has been laying around for a few years, We watch the sun go down and actually found enough dead branches for a relatively short fire. It’s not terribly cold but just enough that a warming fire is welcome. A bit of reading with lanterns and into the tent early.
Just to prove that the hike was too long for my old body my leg cramps up once more. Mother Nature being a tease forces me to get out of the tent in the middle of night. I know I need to keep my left leg straight but for the last little bit I go into a sprinter’s position to push up…..and I’m down. It really hurts and I am trying to find the right position to half sit while holding my toes back. The muscle finally relaxes but I still need to get up to attend to the call of nature. I crawl back into the tent keeping my left leg (the thigh cramped) entirely straight. It was not the best nights sleep. Up in the morning and better. I crawl out and with the hot water we make instant oatmeal, coffee and hot chocolate. We pack up everything and leave this excellent camping spot.
Rock Island State Park (continued)
We’re not done with the Rock. Leaving our main packs by the dock we hike up to the first lighthouse to be built on Lake Michigan and first in Wisconsin. I’m worried about my legs and the hike but they do alright. It’s about 2 1/2 miles round trip but due to the time factor we skip the 25 minute guided tour. Legs were sore and I’m a bit out of breath (more later) but coming back was my fastest and steadiest yet. We really “humped” it and just made it back to the 11:15 ferry. Sue and I only had our backpacks but most travelers stayed longer and they had a large amount of bins and bags.. I was encouraged about the hardiness of these people. Rock Island is more primitive yet I would guess more then 30 of the 40 sites were filled on a weekday and there seemed to be a lot of younger (middle and high school) aged youth. Good to see the next generation getting out in the wilderness. Once back on Washington Island, we stop to climb up the observation tower and a quick stop at the lavender farm. Since there was a line just to get into the retail store, we head for the ferry. Again, luck is with us as we drive up we are the last car on. Leaving Washington Island we go into Sister Bay for lunch. For a small town it was unbelievably busy. Mid-July is their prime season and make money while the sun shines.
My health: My heart is not at 100%. In particular the opening of my aortic valve has gone from moderate narrowing to severe this past year. In short a key valve is just not pumping enough blood; a lot less than 100%. Due to this when it comes to exercise I get out of breath easily with a dull ache in my upper chest. It has not stopped me, but especially when hiking up a hill I need to stop and rest. In about a minute I feel my heart go back to normal and I continue on. On this Friday (2 days) I will go in for a heart catheterization. They call it a “procedure” but I call it surgery when they cut into your groin and go up to your heart. I have a bad (severe) valve which needs to be replaced to get my lifestyle back closer to where I want to be. (You may refer back to the opening paragraphs in this blog where I state I must live to complete this quest). Disclosure: they did the “surgery” and put in one stent where I had 100% blockage. More later on the valve.
Newport State Park (July 12)
We head almost directly across the peninsula to the next state park: Newport. It is close to the tip of the peninsula and then goes for eleven miles along the Lake Michigan shoreline on the southern side. Unfortunately as we are just driving up it starts to sprinkle. We walk in for about a mile with full backpacks in the rain. We then wait awhile but the weather report says it will continue to at least seven o’clock so we then set up the tent in a flat area under trees and crawl in. It’s going to be reading for a number of hours. When we car camp we use a bigger dome tent which not only has more space, but even I can actually stand up in. Backpacking in we bring our smaller, ultra light weight tent we used around Mt. Ranier. Amazingly Sue’s phone rings and it is Carter Hill, my high school friend who is out in Washington State. He shares that his worst camping adventure ever was in Door County. Before dark we crawl out, get the camp stove going and boil water. We pour it into dehydrated dinner pouches. Supper was alright but neither of us was real hungry. They do have metal lock boxes for animals. This is a plus/minus. It’s good to have a safe place for food, but I assume it’s to protect from bears. Out west they sometimes had tall metal poles with curved hooks coming out. There was a pole to get backpacks (food) at least 10 feet off the ground.
Newport State Park (continued)
Newport may be our most primitive state park. The nearest site to walk in is a mile. No electricity of course and pit toilets. However there is no toilet paper or sanitizer. I guess one option would be leaves. Being old time campers we were prepared. There were only two small benches which gave me new appreciation of picnic tables. It’s nice to have a place to sit, put your stuff out and even play games. However it was back to the tent a short time after supper. Newport is Wisconsin’s first “dark sky park” but not tonight as it is still cloudy. I have developed a new technique for getting out of the tent without cramping. Keep the left leg straight, crawl all the way out in the dirt ,and stand up using your right leg only.
I am up early the next morning and walk down to Lake Michigan where there is a very picturesque bay. You could walk for miles along the different trails but we don’t have the time or the leg strength. We pack up all the gear and head back to the car and the 4+ hour drive back home. Breakfast at a gas/convenience store. I feel a bit bad for Newport and my description. If the weather was better and we had more time I’m sure we would be grateful for the trails and Lake Michigan views. It was an interesting trip. While there is a different feel to tent camping and hauling everything it does become more difficult personally as your individual shadow on earth becomes longer. The sun of my life is going down.
Nelson-Dewey State Park (August 7)
We are on our last major journey and going to three more parks in a row. We start with Nelson-Dewey which is in the South West corner of the state. I believe the closest major city is Dubuque, Iowa. It’s about a four hour drive with most of it being on state roads. We did take one wrong turn when the road ahead had major work being done. It was better to turn around (when we found a section of road wide enough for vehicle and trailer). Back a few miles and we are on our way to the park.
Nelson-Dewey is a smaller park of 756 acres. There is five hiking trails (none real long) and 41 camp sites. Set in deep woods, we do have electric hookup, flush toilets, and showers. Resting for lunch we try and figure out the day. The longest trail is only .6 miles but biking is available out of the park on less traveled roads. However there is no side on the roads for any protection which makes me nervous. We headed out on the longest trail, Mound Point. It was great. A number of times you would come out of the woods to an overlook. Way below was the Mississippi River with different bays and off shoots. The views were spectacular. We did the Prairie View and Cedar Point trails also which also had very worthwhile views. When we made it back to camp we had done two miles exactly. It was hot (80’s) and a bit humid, but with short Wisconsin summers you just have to get out and enjoy all the days you can.
Resting a bit, reading, and shower it was into nearby Cassville for supper. We tried the Anker Inn which was a standard bar and solid tables in an attached dinning room. Monday night is mac & cheese night. There is a separate menu with 13 different varies of the dish from taco to philly steak. Sue had the garlic, parmesan, chicken mac & cheese which she said was very good. Got to love those Wisconsin restaurants. I got a side dish of baked potato, with a 50 cents change for the extra: butter – in Wisconsin! Got to love/hate Wisconsin restaurants. Back to camp for a small campfire.
Nelson-Dewey State Park (continued)
Even my wife mentioned how many times she had to push the shower off/on button. I counted 10 seconds for the water to turn off. Who decides these things? Is there a DNR session at a convention or a back Ranger room meeting: “I set our showers at 10 seconds.” Ranger #2: “20 seconds for our campground” Is there research? If a person steps out of the shower at 5 seconds do you waste 5 seconds or 15 seconds of more water? Is there a theory that the average camper will only push the button so many times before patience or their finger gets tired. Am I getting into shower procedures too much? Nelson- Dewey is a very nice park with limited, but a couple great hikes. We could not find any nearby bike trails and the roads scared us off. No river, no lake but good facilities. I give it a B- grade. An acceptable park for campers who live in the area. I’m not sure how far I would travel to N-D State Park if not for the quest.
Observations:
*Still early in August but it feels like camping is slowing down a bit. N-D Park is way less than half fiull and just more quiet. I know: it’s an out-of-the-way park on a Monday. Get real, Dave.
*Many state parks have very bright options for different campers. Here they have carts for campsites further back in the woods to really “get away”. Others have family campsites for multiple tents and there are separate sites with buildings for long term, organized groups, and others for horse back camping. Smart!
Wyalusing State Park (August 8)
This park has moved into my top five state parks. It is just huge at 2,674 acres with an amazing 250 separate campsites in two separate areas. It is located where the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers come together. Going to Point Lookout gives you an excellent view of the rivers merging and miles of landscape. On top you can even see the bluffs on the other side which is Iowa. In addition to spectacular views they had eleven different hiking trails, great toilets, showers, roads to bike, pavilions, boat landing, playgrounds, picnic spots, educational programs, and even a concession area run by the park volunteers. We did not hike, but rather biked 10.5 miles inside the park. There is even a totally separate indoor group camp with buildings for sleeping, eating, recreation and more. The host of the campground told me the camp is 100% filled every major weekend, including that group camp – wow!
Again the staff and hosts were just terrific. When we looked at our spot we realized it was facing in a different direction and would be an absolute pain to back our camper into. At the office they managed to switch spots to one that was more manageable. Many camps have “hosts” which are campers who volunteer to be at the camp and help out campers coming in and clean sites up and more. I’m not sure the benefits for these “hosts” but they are a valuable asset. Since our hosts were in the campsite next door we got to talk. They are from Illinois and usually work the month of October before traveling South. They were called in to help out in August. He explained that full-time staff is down and hard to hire more and without hosts and other volunteers (Friends Group) they would be hurting for certain at Wyalusing Park.
Wyalusing State Park (Continued)
Darn! Someone just pulled in at 5:00 right next door, about 10 yards from our picnic table with no barrier in-between. This is going to set back my walking around camp naked. Interestingly their camper is also a hybrid where both sides fold down to queen sized beds. Normally we go into town to eat but Sue is on the Altoona City Planning Committee plus City Council. There is a meeting tonight starting at 5:30. We had checked out one of the “hot spot” instruments so she can wifi from the camper. It’s slick how well it works. In this case it was for her civic duty but, I can see how someone would complain that people go out in the wilderness taking devices so they can have meetings or stream. Can’t people just leave civilization?
Observations:
* Wyalusing even has a tennis court but with no fencing the balls are going to go into the woods. I recommend they think about the fastest growing sport in the U.S. – pickleball. New nets and new lines and it will be used more and balls don’t go as far. In addition they can say they were the first State Park with a pickleball court.
The next morning we drove up to the Green Cloud lookout point. There was again a great little park with a terrific view out over the valley below and the rivers. There was a memorial to the last passenger pigeon shot in Wisconsin. From billions to extinct. I just happen to be wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Earth saying “There is no planet B”. Is the monument a greater message to humans? Back to camp and pack up.
Wildcat Mountain State Park (August 9)
We decided to drive past the state park a few miles to a trail head for the Sparta Elroy State Trail. This trail was the first (or one of) to convert from a railroad track to a recreational trail in the United States. It is also unique for the tunnels that you walk through that are still in good shape and obviously historical. I had done the trail a number of years before but it was a pleasure to get out on a memorable and well maintained biking trail. We went several miles before getting to the first tunnel. The end looked closer than it was so walking it took a while. It was about 1,700 feet long. Both of us had flashlights or it would have been very difficult. Back on the bikes and onto the long tunnel of 3,400+ feet. Well over 1/2 mile. You could not see any light from the other end so it was total darkness. Since it was afternoon we turned around at the entrance and headed back. The tunnels were fascinating with huge doors outside and water dripping inside. The railroad had men at each end to open the doors as the train approached in the winter or it would freeze up inside. They worked 12 hour shifts opening the doors up to 50 times a day – impressive! Total it was fun and good exercise biking on a fabulous trail for a total of 18.1 miles.
We put the bikes in the camper and headed up to Wildcat mountain and I do mean UP! It was a real strain on the transmission hauling up the weight of the vehicle and camper to the top. It was steep and windy. We hope the brakes hold the next morning. After setting up camp we see we did not have a lot of food so headed back down the steep road to Ontario City to eat at the only place open: Wildcat Inn. They were running a good steak special so what-the-heck? Back up and a restless sleep. I keep dreaming of the brakes going out and SUV & camper careening down the 10 mph curves at 50 and gaining speed. It’s exciting in the movies but in real life??
Wildcat Mountain State Park (continued)
Getting up in the morning we feel that we should at least do one trail. We walked out to look out point which was only 1/2 miles out and back. It was a wonderful panoramic view out over the valley and landscape. We walk back and break camp down and head back to Altoona. Wildcat is an interesting (weird?) park. You travel up to a smaller campground where you can see a lot of other campsites and neighbors. There are good facilities (shower and toilets) but no major natural wonders except you are on a (Wisconsin) mountain. A dictionary I have says a mountain is “a large hill or raised part of land with steep sides that rise from the earth’s surface.” Mountain it is then. It does have 24 horse campground sites. There are five listed human hiking trails and seven horse trails. Still I am sure there are people who love Wildcat Mountain and can’t wait to get back there. With camping everyone has their own needs, desires, and wants that they believe are important and special to them. Amazingly we have completed 36 overnight state park stays. There is one left! Tower Hill is a small state park which will finish our quest of State Parks.
Still Kicking!
So on August 17 I went in for heart surgery. It is called TAVR where they go up both sides of your groin and replace the old valve. The aortic valve stenosis had gone from moderate to severe. I had a little less energy and would have to stop when exercising and catch my breath. It took a little more than a hour and was a SUCCESS! I woke up in the hospital and stayed two days. The prime worry is that I would bust open one of the arteries and bleed out. In addition they were watching for a possible pacemaker. I am now wearing 3 leads on my chest for the next 30 days for continuous monitoring. Hospitals are not a vacation. The first day you have to lay almost totally flat and not even cross your legs. I am a side sleeper so my back is still sore. The tests before and during my stay just kept coming: Echocardiogram, chest X rays, blood work, ECG, CT scans, blood pressure checks all the time, hookup to chest (I’m still pulling off hidden patches), and listening to the heart. I thought about putting in more letters just to fake you out about other tests. They put me on a heart healthy and low sodium diet. Someone told me you know you are on that diet if all food tastes bad or bland at best. The major thing is that it was a success and I have an artificial value which will improve my quality of life and hopefully lengthen my life also.
(Note: On September 28 I went in for the last meeting/consult. Everything is great! I feel better, have more energy and do not have to stop frequently to catch my breath. FANTASTIC!)
Tower Hill State Park (September 7)
Tower Hill State Park is close to the City of Spring Green. You may know it better as very close to the House on the Rock and the house of Frank Loyd Wright: Taliesin. As we are driving down from Altoona the screen in front of us periodically flashes, “Battery Discharge Warning.” This mean more power is going out of the battery than is being supplied. If the battery gets too low the car stops. Quick research and a call suggests it may be the alternator. We pull into Steve’s Auto in Reedsburg. The mechanic hooks up his instrument and says everything is working fine. Isn’t that typical? The vehicle is struggling until you take it to the shop and then it’s perfect. We drive on and the warning sign has disappeared and everything is fine.
We went by the state park to the town of Lone Rock where we went biking on the Pine River State Trail. The first few miles had a highway on the right and power lines on the left: exciting. Fortunately they both served off and we were on a packed gravel trail through woods, open fields and swampy areas. We kept going for more than two hours covering 22.2 miles. My breathing (heart) was very good but the legs started to tire. So we returned to Lone Rock, loaded up and set off to Tower Hills which is a relatively small park with a few trails and eleven campsites which are tent only. We set up the tent with a little difficulty due to our lack of practice and headed into Spring Green. Being hungry we went directly to the Wisconsin Riverside restaurant where we had a good meal. Actually they had a complete salad bar which I always enjoy but they have become more limited since the Pandemic.
Tower Hill State Park (continued)
Back to camp where we light our last fire of the season. We are all by ourselves with no one else there, until an oversized conversion van pulls up just as it turns dark. Still there is the irony of beginning the quest on May 3, 2021 and we were the only tent in the campground. Here at Tower Hill on September 7, 2023 and again we are the only tent. We had several lanterns we could read outside and eventually inside the tent. So what is it with me and tents? I’m having trouble getting to sleep because my feet are numb. Numbness = circulation = heart? With cold fingers in the winter you rub them together vigorously, but moving around my tired legs too much and they may cramp up. Also the cheap air mattress is already partly down. At 12:30 I move to the car and crank the seat way back for a mediocre night’s sleep at best.
Up in the morning by 6:30, hot chocolate and a roll. I know Sue will sleep in longer so I actual restart the camp fire. We pack everything up and then head out on the park’s trails. There is not a lot in this smaller park so we do most of them covering 1.2 miles total. One thing unique and neat is the shot dropping tower. In 1831 Whitney had a tower built with a 120 foot shaft. Lead was melted and dropped down the shaft forming a round ball when it landed in the water below. The shot was removed through a 90 foot tunnel to the river below. Six men could drop up to 5,000 pounds a day! This amazing business went on for about 30 years. We get back to camp and head back to Altoona discussing Tower Hill and our entire three year camping adventure.
Conclusions and final thoughts on our Wisconsin Parks quest
** There is the cliche that it’s the journey not the destination, but in this case it is true. While we never lost track of the final goal, looking back it was visiting 37 parks, camping, hiking, biking, great scenery, interesting natural phenomenom, discovering new things, meeting others and doing all this as husband and wife team was the real reward!
** The Wisconsin park system is terrific overall! There are better parks and ones that are lesser, but on the whole we in Wisconsin have a great system, with many opportunities all over the state. We can take tremendous pride in the system that has been built and improved over decades. In addition, the staff are great. Some parks are short (no one there all the time) and hosts and volunteers are essential to success. Maintaining a park (especially hundreds of acres) including maintaining camp sites, running the office, keeping everyone safe, doing the best for the park environment, taking care of trails, play areas, swim areas, towers, picnic areas, dealing with visitors, and much more is a herculean task. They are friendly, knowledgeable and always willing to help.
** When I started, I really thought the majority of camping would be by myself and take five years. Sue totally came on board doing most of the planning, being a total partner in all aspects, and we finished in three years. It’s much, much, much more enjoyable with someone you love. I would not have hiked, biked or explored as much as we did if I was all on my own.
** Just getting out in the wildersness is valuable for the soul. We did not push it to the max (think Mt. Rainier’s Wonderland Trail or Bright Angel trail in the Grand Canyon or Angels Landing in Zion ) but we did hike and bike on many terrific trails. It was enough for our older bodies. The mind and spirit is still strong.
** As you get old it is OK to bend, but not break or give up. The camper really did make the entire experience easier, more enjoyable and more rewarding. My tenting days may be finished.
** The quest has become another topic of conversation with friends and family. As we share our experiences over three years they ask questions or relate their own adventures often in travel, camping or even a Wisconsin State Park.
That is it! I doubt if we are the first individuals to complete all 37 Wisconsin State Parks with camping. That does not diminish the accomplishment. I encourage you to think about what quest will motivate you and fulfill your life. Plan it out and go for it!
