hiking – Page 5 – Neaton Adventures

Judge C.R. Magney State Park-Grand Marais-Minnesota

July 3, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Devil's Kettle, exploring, Grand Marais, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Judge C.R. Magney State Park, Judge Magney State Park, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks1 Comment

We hiked Judge C.R. Magney State Park on June 24th, 2023.

Our hike began at the trailhead parking lot. The trail immediately led us across the Brule River.

The rocky unpaved trail ran parallel to the Brule River.

The trail continued to have a slight incline as we hiked up the cliffs. Small overlooks allowed us to view the river rushing below.

We reached another set of wooden stairs. Someone wrote on the staircase that there were 192 steps to the bottom. The view on the way down was astonishing.

We reached the bottom of the stairs and we heard the rushing of the Brule River going over the Upper Falls. Unfortunately, the staircase to view the falls was out of order/broken. I snapped a few photos through the trees and then we hiked up another set up stairs to view the Devil’s Kettle Falls.

There is a mystery that surrounds Devil’s Kettle Falls. One section of the river flows down a beautiful waterfall. The other part of the river flows into a huge pothole called Devil’s Kettle. Where the water goes after it enters the pothole has been a mystery for years. Scientists believe the water reappears further down the river, however, any item that has been dropped inside the Devil’s Kettle has never reappeared.

We spent a moment taking in the breathtaking sight.

We went back up the 192 steps and down the trail back to our starting point.

Our hiking adventure was 2.1 miles.

Grand Portage State Park-Grand Portage-Minnesota

July 2, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, Grand Portage, Grand Portage State Park, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks1 Comment

We hiked Grand Portage State Park on June 24th, 2023.

Grand Portage is near the Canadian border. It is so close to the border that the welcome to Minnesota State sign was visible from the parking lot.

We took in the views of the Pigeon River and Canada.

A very nice wide paved trail took us directly towards the High Falls. A large bunny hopped past us.

The park has two observation decks to view the highest waterfall in Minnesota, High Falls.

Our hiking adventure was 1.4 miles.

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park-Two Harbors-Minnesota

July 1, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, Gitchi-Gami State Trail, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Split Rock Lighthouse, Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, Two Harbors5 Comments

We hiked Split Rock Lighthouse State Park on June 23rd, 2023.

Our hike began at the trail center. Immediately we had amazing views of the historic lighthouse and Lake Superior. The air by the lake was cool and a light fog danced on top of the water.

Many other visitors were enjoying the view with us. People were kayaking, kids were playing on the rocks, a bride and groom were getting their photos taken and others were just sitting taking in the impressive view.

As we began to hike away from the lighthouse, we had the trail to ourselves.

We made our way to Bob’s Stairs.

At the bottom, we found a small beach. Not much swimming happens in Lake Superior though, being the water temperature is usually below 55 degrees even on hot days.

Beautiful wildflowers lined the trail.

The trail led us across a bridge where a giant tree made itself a home.

The different overlooks of Lake Superior on the trail were breathtaking.

We diverted from the main trail we were on for a few minutes to take in the bay and cross under Highway 61. The second photo is the view from the other side of the highway. I was amazed how completely different the view was from what we have seen so far on the trail.

Back under Highway 61 and through the tunnel we went.

We hiked a small part of the Gitchi-Gami State Trail. The Gitchi-Gami State Trail is a wide paved trail that is over 34 miles long!

We reached the part of the trail where we exited the Gitchi-Gami State Trail and began the Day Hill Trail. There were two different trails at this point; one that went straight up the cliff and the other was a regular non paved trail. Up the cliff we went. And let me tell you, we were not disappointed in our decision. The view was AMAZING!

We found a stone fireplace at the top of the cliff. The sign nearby explained it was a mystery as to who built the fireplace. They think it was built in the early 1900’s. I included a photo of the sign as there is another explanation of the fireplace.

We followed the trail back down the cliff and began our hike back to our starting point. We took in a few more views of the lighthouse which was almost out of sight due to the fog.

Today’s hiking adventure was 6.6 miles.

Lake Harriet/Bde Maka Ska-Minneapolis-Minnesota

June 13, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Bde Maka Ska, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Lake Harriet, Minneapolis, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks9 Comments

This evening’s hiking adventure began at Lake Harriet.

Minneapolis has many wonderful lakes with wide paved trails for bikers, walkers, rollerbladers, etc. to enjoy. The best part is almost all of the lakes connect to each other through a wonderful trail system.

Many sailboats call Lake Harriet home.

Normally, I take lots of trail photos. Tonight I chose not to due to all the people enjoying their evening outing. Instead, I focused on the wildlife and lake shots.

Downtown Minneapolis can be seen in the distance.

We found a Gnome and a fairy door along the trail.

This beautiful turtle was laying eggs near the trail.

A cardinal landed in the tree not far from us.

A few sailboats were out enjoying the lake.

Our next destination was Bde Maka Ska.

This lake has been a favorite of mine for years. They have many beaches, a sand volleyball court, and many different places to sit and enjoy the great outdoors. Downtown Minneapolis can be seen from many different locations around the lake.

Ducks and geese were enjoying the warm evening too. They didn’t seem bothered by the sailboat in the near distance.

We took the William Berry Parkway back to Lake Harriet.

Today’s hiking adventure was 7 miles.

Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center-Hastings-Minnesota

June 4, 2023June 4, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Carpenter St. Croix Valley Center, exploring, Hastings, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, St. Croix River8 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure was at the Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center.

Today I adventured out for a solo hike. Mother Nature has a way of healing the soul and I needed a bit of that today. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the squirrels were playing. I began my adventure on the Savanna Trail.

From the Savanna trail, I entered the South River Bluff Trail. The trail descended down the bluff towards the St. Croix River.

The river began to appear through the trees. I could hear all the boats’ motors roaring in the distance.

The right side of the trail was lined with stones. Some are covered in a dark green moss.

The trail led to a dock on the St. Croix River. Many boats passed by in the distance. The wake from the boats made the dock sway back and forth.

I must have been the first person on the trail this morning. I was walking into so many spiderwebs. Spiderwebs are so itchy!

The trail began to go straight up the bluffs. Many different ferns were basking in the heat.

The trail led me back to the Savanna Trail.

Next stop was the Ravine Lookout. A beautiful wooden deck stretched down the side of the hill. It was a bit buggy at the bottom, so I didn’t stay long.

The North Loop Trail was next.

The next part of the trail was my favorite. The tall pine trees looked amazing and they smelled wonderfully.

The Red Cedar Trail was next.

The Red Cedar Trail led back to the North Loop Trail.

The trail led to the front of the park. I crossed the road to take a photo of the park sign. A beautiful Polyphemus Moth was hanging on to a stem. I couldn’t believe how huge it was. After a bit of research I learned they only live for 4 days. I am thankful I was able to see it in its short life. It remained very still for me to take its photo.

Vibrant purple lupine lined the field by the front of the park.

I crossed the street and headed back inside the park. I took the trail next to a small pond. The pond was full of tadpoles!

I wanted one more view of the river before leaving this amazing park. I took the trail to the River Overlook.

Today’s hiking adventure was 5.5 miles.

Minnehaha Parkway (part 2)-Minneapolis-Minnesota

May 31, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minneapolis, Minnehaha Creek, Minnehaha Parkway, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks3 Comments

We continued our hike on the Minnehaha Parkway May 30th, 2023.

We started our hiking adventure this evening where we left off last week, off of Portland Avenue. Another beautiful night to be out, a bit hot and humid but hey, it’s almost summer.

The Minnehaha Creek and Parkway cuts through a large part of South Minneapolis’ neighborhoods. This means there are many different entry points to access the parkway. There are also many different bridges to cross over the creek. Of course, we had to take in all the different views.

The trail continues under Highway 35W.

Under Nicollet Avenue was next. I find hiking under the highways and roads I use all the time so interesting.

Below one of the bridges was a small dirt island where some ducks took up residence.

Vibrant wildflowers grew alongside the trail.

Along the trail are some giant ancient trees. The trunks on some of these trees are ginormous!

The next main road we went under was Lyndale Avenue.

We continued along the parkway trail towards Lake Harriet.

We reached Lake Harriet and decided to turn around and head back to our starting point.

On our way back, we decided to hike on the other side of the creek for a bit for a different view.

Earlier we had crossed under a long pedestrian bridge. We made sure to find a way to cross over it. It was cool to see the trail below that we had just hiked.

We noticed a pine tree still decorated in holiday ornaments. I have to assume that since only the bottom half was decorated, the gnomes must have done it.

Our hiking adventure was 5.5 miles.

Minnehaha Parkway-Minneapolis-Minnesota

May 25, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Lake Nokomis, Minneapolis, Minnehaha Falls, Minnehaha Parkway, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks1 Comment

We hiked the Minnehaha Parkway May 23rd, 2023.

We began our evening adventure on the Minnehaha Parkway by the Minnehaha Falls. Beautiful homes, trees, and flowers lined the parkway.

There were many different bridges to cross to view the creek below.

We continued along the paved trail.

At Portland Avenue, there is a giant bunny statue. This bunny is decorated by the neighborhood residents throughout the year. We turned around and began to hike back. We chose to hike the unpaved trails close to the creek.

Being so close to the creek, the mosquitos began to swarm around us looking to make us their evening meal.

We rushed back to the paved trail trying to save ourselves from the mosquitos. It was a beautiful evening, so we decided to make a loop around Lake Nokomis before heading back to our starting point.

The lake was packed! Everyone was out enjoying the almost summer evening at Lake Nokomis. People were walking, biking, swimming, and sailboating.

The sun was beginning to set.

Lake Nokomis is near the airport and downtown Minneapolis. The smoke from the Canadian wildfires cast a haze over the sky.

The next few photos are my favorite of the evening.

We took the sidewalk through the neighborhood back towards Minnehaha Falls. We passed a mushroom that looked fake due to its size. After a closer look, we determined the mushroom was real!

We took a moment to view the Minnehaha Falls before calling it a night.

Our evening hiking adventure was 8.6 miles.

Baker Park Reserve-Medina-Minnesota

May 20, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Baker Park Reserve, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Lake Katrina, Medina Minnesota, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Three Rivers Park District6 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure was at Baker Park Reserve.

My usual hiking partner, my cousin, was out of town today. I was very happy to have my mom join me on my hiking adventure.

The trails are nicely paved in Baker Park. Many people were out hiking, biking and rollerblading. We hiked the trail that loops around Lake Katrina.

The birds were singing to us throughout our entire hike. A Tree Swallow was perched on a birdhouse.

Signs of spring were still present. Wildflowers and baby leaves were popping up everywhere.

The sun shining through the trees created beautiful shadows along the trail.

The sun was beginning to get warm. The cool shade of the trees felt nice.

The water was so blue next to the vibrant greenery.

We found a sign that marked the 45th Parallel at Baker Park Reserve. Where we were standing marked the midpoint between the Equator and North Pole.

The sumac was so colorful against the blue sky.

We continued along the trail enjoying all the colors around us.

We took a rest at a bench with Lake Katrina in the distance.

Today’s hiking adventure was 6 miles.

River Bend Nature Center-Faribault-Minnesota

May 13, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, Faribault, Faribault Minnesota, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, River Bend Nature Center, Straight River, Teepee Tonka Park, Teepee Tonka Tunnel6 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began at River Bend Nature Center.

As we began our adventure, we couldn’t help but notice all the colors of Spring! From the green grass and leaves to the purple, white, pink and yellow wildflowers. The energy of the park was vibrant and alive.

Not too long after we started our hike, we had to stop and put on our rain gear. Dark clouds appeared overhead and the rain began to fall.

For some reason, both of our internal navigation systems were off today. Every trail we thought we were on took us to a different destination then we read on the map. This park had surprises for us.

One side of the park borders the Minnesota State Prison. There were giant metal fences on one side of the trail and beautiful park land on the other. We continued on the unpaved trail.

The trail led to a tunnel. It was called the Teepee Tonka Tunnel. The sign stated it was established in 1937 as an old root cellar. Of course, we had to go through it.

Once through the tunnel, colorful wildflowers lined the edges of the trail.

We stopped on the bridge that crosses over the Straight River. Trains crossed over the bridge in the distance. A lone goose sat on the bridge watching the rushing river below.

The trail continues on the other side of the bridge, however, the River Bend trail system ends. We decided to turn back and take the trail closest to the river. River trails never disappoint!

A single red Columbine grew alongside the trail.

We spotted another tunnel but decided against going into it. We stayed on the river trail until we reached Teepee Tonka Park.

We looped around the park and it brought us back to where the lone goose was hanging out on the train bridge. And yes, the goose was still there. We found a tall set of stairs and decided to see what lay atop of the hill. We spotted deer at the top. We could not locate any trails, so back down the steps we went.

The trail laid parallel to the train tracks. We momentarily diverted from the trail to the train tracks.

We then crossed under the train tracks.

We continued along the trail.

The Straight River is anything but that. We hiked alongside the river and then crossed over it again.

At this point I decided that this park is now one of my favorites. The variety of landscapes and trails are amazing! Even in the pouring rain, the beauty of this park spoke to me! Little did I know what else this park was about to show me.

Lots of mushrooms! We even found a turkey feather.

There were many trails to hike on, some wide and some narrow. The narrow trails led within the forest area. A little slippery at times due to the rain and incline of the trail.

We looped back across the bridge over the Straight River and under the train tracks. There were several trails to choose from. As always, we chose the trail closest to the river. Wow! The river current was strong.

We continued on the trail taking in all the views of the river.

We made our way back to the Nature Center. As we were leaving the park, we saw a sign for a waterfall. We parked at the nearest lot and hiked back to see the waterfall.

Today’s hiking adventure was 10 miles.

Hiking Essentials

May 8, 2023December 10, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Amazon Favorites, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Hiking essentials, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, OutdoorsLeave a comment

The following are my personal recommendations of items for average hikers like myself. They all make great gifts for the hiker in your life or for when you want to treat yourself! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting my hiking adventures!

TrailBuddy Trekking Poles are lightweight and collapsible. They come with interchangeable accessories for different weather and terrain. The poles easily attach to my backpack. The Trekking Poles come in different colors.

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The INOXTO Lightweight Hiking Backpack has lots of pockets to store all my needed items. It also comes with a waterproof rain cover. The best part is that the backpack has two straps. One connects around the waist and the other connects around my chest. It helps alleviate any pain from my shoulders and back that come with wearing a backpack.

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If you are looking for a smaller and lighter backpack, then I recommend the ZOMAKE Ultra Lightweight Backpack. Lots of fun colors to choose from.

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Another MUST have item is a water bottle. The Hydro Flask Bottle and the Thermoflask Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottle keep your water nice and cool on hot days. I always carry a 40 ounce bottle with me.

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Hot sweaty summer days can deplete our bodies of the good stuff. I found Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier to be the best at replenishing the body’s need for electrolytes and vitamins. Lime and Passion Fruit are my favorite flavors.

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This next item is a game changer! The mosquitos and flies can be horrible on the trails. Pop one of these nets over your cap and never look back. Just don’t wear around open flames.

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Bug spray is an important item, especially to keep the ticks off. I have found OFF Deep Woods Aerosol works the best under hot and sweaty conditions.

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This small First Aid Kit is perfect for your backpack. Mine has come in handy when I have scraped my leg climbing over a fallen tree on a trail. Safety first!

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Another must-have summer item is sunscreen. I really like the spray sunscreen from Alba Botanica. It’s biodegradable and cruelty free. Bonus, it also works well. I use it all over my body including my face.

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Neutrogena has a great sunscreen for your face. This sunscreen is lightweight and non-comedogenic.

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After a long hike I use Neutrogena Cleansing Face Wipes to clean all the bug spray, sunscreen and sweat off my face. If you are prone to breakouts, I highly recommend using these to clean up before your drive home. They are also plant-based compostable.

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A good pair of socks can go a long way on a hike, especially on a long hike. Darn Tough Socks stay put on your feet-no bunching up in your shoe or slipping off and no blisters. They are also guaranteed for life.

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Balega is another great brand of socks and are a great option if you’re wearing sneakers on paved trails-they’re super comfortable.

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A great pair of hiking boots can make or break your hiking adventures. Oboz Sypes Mid Leather B-Dry Hiking Boots will keep your feet happy along those trails.

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Don’t let the rain stop you from going on a hike. Throw on the Anyoo lightweight rain poncho and hike on! They have many colors to choose from. I like this poncho because it covers me and my backpack all in one.

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I found the perfect lightweight long tank top. Most tank tops end just past my stomach, not this tank. It hangs much lower than most tank tops for a comfortable feeling all while covering your lady parts and bum area.

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I never hike without a baseball cap connected to my backpack. On hot sunny days I wear it to keep the sun off my head and on rainy days I wear it to keep the rain off my glasses. Being a Minnesotan, I gotta rock a Twins cap.

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Sukeen Cooling Towels are great to wear around your neck or to drop over your hot sweaty head. They help cool you down instantly and they are reusable.

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Never be without a charged phone again with an Anker Portable Charger. I take lots of photos so I drain my battery quickly on long hikes.

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Snacks! The best part of hikes are the snacky snacks. Clif Bars are my favorite snack. They give me energy. I have found that many of the power bars on the market make me sleepy after eating them, not Clif Bars though. My favorite are the peanut butter ones!

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That’s it Fruit Bars make a tasty hiking snack too!

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Hopefully, you will never need this item however, I recommend having it just in case you run into a bear or another large animal that you need to run away from.

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Winter Hiking Items

MSR Revolution Explore All-Terrain Snowshoes have great traction on snow, ice, up and downhill. They are easy to put on and they stay on. I found them to be very lightweight!

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These are a must-have item for my backpack during the winter months. YakTrax are easy to put on and they stay on. No more slipping on icy trails.

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I will continue to update this list as I find other must have hiking essentials. Please share the list with other hiking enthusiasts.

Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park-Monticello-Minnesota

May 7, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park, Bertram Lake, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Long Lake, Minnesota, Monticello, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Spring Hike1 Comment

Today’s hiking adventure began at Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park.

After looking at the map, I can see why the park has “Chain of Lakes” in the title. Four lakes and a pond are surrounded by hiking trails.

We followed the trail down to Bertram Lake.

The unpaved trails were wide and well maintained.

We crossed over many different bridges throughout our hike. Little bits of green were popping out. Spring is here!

Long Lake offered beautiful views. The clouds mirrored themselves across the still lake. The lake was actually quite long, hence its name. There were several places along the trail to stop for different views.

New growth was everywhere!

Alongside the hiking trails, a single track bike trail weaved throughout the forest.

We continued on the trail.

Hiking through the pine tree grove is always a favorite. The smell is so relaxing.

I forgot to mention earlier, the trails are numbered 1-5. So far we had been hiking on trails 1 and 2. Trail 3 is a loop which circles the park’s prairie restoration area. They recently had a controlled burn of the prairie. The contrast of the green trail and the burnt prairie was striking.

Back on trail 2… The bright blue sky and the green grass was so nice to see.

Wildflowers added a wonderful splash of color along the trail.

A snake shed its skin right on the trail.

We found a bit of tree graffiti along the trail.

As we looped back to our starting point, the sky was mostly clear. I snapped a few more photos of Bertram Lake. The trees mirrored against the calm water.

Today’s hiking adventure was 8.3 miles.

Tamarack Nature Center-White Bear Township-Minnesota

April 30, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Ramsey County Parks, Tamarack Nature Center, White Bear Township1 Comment

Today’s hiking adventure began at Tamarack Nature Center.

This past week I placed all my winter hiking items into storage. Oh boy, did I regret putting them away this morning. It was 38 degrees and windy and rainy as we began our hike. I’m not sure Minnesota will see a spring this year. We may just jump straight into summer. Nevertheless, we persevered as true Minnesotans do. Tamarack Nature Center has several trails throughout the park. We began our hike on the Acorn Loop.

Throughout the park there were nice boardwalks. With the water level high due to all the snow and rain we have had this year, some of the boardwalks were almost level with the water.

Tamarack Lake can be seen in the distance. A few blue jays were seen flying around. Unfortunately, they didn’t want to be photographed.

We took the Turtle Pass Trail down to the dock on Tamarack Lake.

We continued on the Acorn Loop to the Dragonfly Loop. Baby leaves were popping out everywhere. We passed by a cute fairy house. Inside the house, there was a notebook where people could write down their wishes for the fairies to answer.

A bit further down the trail about 5 deer passed in front of us. They watched us just as closely as we watched them.

We continued on the Firefly Loop trail.

We passed through a beautiful green pine tree grove.

Several wild turkeys greeted us. One turkey just stood there as if I was the paparazzi, and they were enjoying having their picture being taken. They sure have beautiful feathers.

The Deer Pass Trail brought us to Fish Lake. The wetlands surrounding the lake were also full of water.

We finished our hike at Tamarack Nature Center and decided to hike towards Otter Lake. Unfortunately, the trails we found were underwater. We then hiked to Bald Eagle Lake to take in the view.

Today’s hiking adventure was 7.1 miles.

Patrick Eagan Park-Eagan-Minnesota

April 23, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Eagan, Eagan Minnesota, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, McCarthy Lake, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Patrick Eagan Park, Spring hiking2 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began at Patrick Eagan Park.

After a week of rain, it sure was nice to see the sun this morning. We found a zipline near the parking lot. Of course, we both had to take it for a ride. Now that our adrenaline was pumping, it was time for our hike.

The trail led us to McCarthy Lake.

Little bits of green foliage were beginning to pop.

The morning sun shining through the trees is one of my favorite sights.

Up and down the hills we went.

We found a giant birch tree.

Due to the heavy snow we had this winter, many branches and several whole trees were down.

The trail led us between Lake McCarthy and another unidentified lake or pond.

Back at our starting point we decided to ride the zipline one more time!

Today’s hiking adventure was 5 miles.

Fort Snelling State Park-St. Paul-Minnesota

April 15, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Mississippi River, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Coldwater Spring, exploring, Fort Snelling State Park, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnehaha Falls, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Mississippi River, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Spring1 Comment

Today’s hiking adventure began at Fort Snelling State Park.

We parked by the Thomas C. Savage Visitor Center and began our hike towards Pike Island. Let me backup a bit, this past winter Minnesota experienced its 3rd snowiest winter. This past week, the weather was in the high 80’s which meant the snow melted fast! As we neared the bridge to cross over to Pike Island we noticed…well…as you will see in the picture below, the bridge was surrounded by water. Since we didn’t have a canoe, we needed to change our hiking plans.

We decided to hike the paved trail towards Coldwater Spring. The weather was cool and rainy. It sure was nice to see little bits of spring beginning to pop out.

In the distance, we could hear running water. We exited the paved trail and began to explore the unpaved trails. A mini waterfall surrounded by colorful graffiti appeared.

As we entered Coldwater Spring, more signs of spring began to appear.

We continued to hike the unpaved trails towards Minnehaha Falls.

The Mississippi River was flowing fast. Areas that were normally dry were now flooded.

The trails led us up and down the cliffs. The heavy snow storm we had a week ago did lots of damage. Many trees were down, thick branches were snapped, and even the cliffs weren’t immune to the damage.

The trail close to the river was underwater, so back to the paved trail we went. The Ford Parkway Bridge can be seen in the distance. There is an island in the middle of the river. Currently it is under water, however, you can still see the tops of the trees.

We took the staircase back down to the trails closest to the river.

The water is close to the top of this bridge’s archway.

The trail crosses under the Steel Bridge also known as the Minnesota Veterans Home Bridge.

The closer we got to the Minnehaha Falls the louder the rushing water became.

Minnehaha Falls

As we looped back towards our starting point, more signs of spring began to appear.

We crossed over an old bridge and down an old staircase. The trail at the end of the stairs was flooded.

We hiked the paved trail back to our cars.

Today’s hiking adventure was 8.2 miles.

Spring Lake Park Reserve-Hastings-Minnesota

April 8, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Mississippi River, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Bison, exploring, Hastings Minnesota, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Mississippi River, Mississippi River Regional Trail, nature photography, Outdoors, Spring Lake Park Reserve3 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began at Spring Lake Park Reserve.

Finally, the weather felt like spring! With the sun shining and the temperature decent, we began our hike on the Mississippi River Greenway Trail towards Schaar’s Bluff.

The park has recently added bison to the land. We were excited to catch a glimpse of them as we hiked by. Unfortunately, the bison were grazing out of sight. We continued on the trail hoping to catch them on the return trip.

The first bridge we crossed offered a great view of the Mississippi River and the valley below.

The trail curves and bends around the bluffs.

The view of the Mississippi River from an overlook.

This tree had a huge burl. We had to stop and get a closer look. The tree was completely hollow inside.

We reached Schaar’s Bluff. Thankfully, their Gathering Center was open. After looking around the center, back outside we went to take in another view of the Mississippi River.

Our plan was to turn around and head back, however, the day was too perfect to end our hike so soon. We carried on to the Lock and Dam #2. The trail led us past someone’s personal art sculptures. I made sure to take pictures of the bison sculptures in case we missed the real ones.

The trail led to one of my favorite places in Hastings. The trail cuts in between the Mississippi River and Lake Rebecca Park.

An eagle was on the edge of the ice on the river as it looked for a snack on the open water.

Lots of giant nests along the river.

Lock and Dam #2 was closed. After a quick rest we decided to head back to our starting point. As we hiked past an open farm field, we saw at least 24 deer run across it. I’m not sure where they came from or where they were going but WOW! That was a lot of deer. We also saw an owl take off from the ground. As soon as the owl landed, it must have turned its invisibility cloak on because… poof, it was gone. We were happy to have had other animal sightings since we were unable to see the bison, although, we were still hoping to catch a glimpse of them.

We found them! The bison were out grazing in the far end of the East Paddock. There were about 6 of them.

Today’s hiking adventure was our longest hike to date at 19.5 miles.

Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge-Anahuac-Texas

March 30, 2023March 30, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Alligators, Anahuac, Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, nature photography, Outdoors, Texas, Turtles6 Comments

We explored Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge March 25th, 2023 while on vacation in Texas.

We parked at the Visitor Center and walked to their Butterfly Garden.

The garden was home to many beautiful flowers and lots of bees. The buzzing sound from the bees was impressively loud. As much as I love bees for their hard work keeping us alive, part of me wanted to run away. The red Castilleja was so vibrant.

This Pink Evening Primrose had a little almost invisible spider hanging out on one of the petals. We also saw lots of Crawdad mounds.

We walked back to the car to begin the drive through the wildlife refuge.

Shoveler Pond Auto Loop and Boardwalk is a 2.64 mile road with places to stop and look at the wildlife. I could hardly contain my excitement when I looked to my left and saw a giant alligator. Being a Minnesotan, we don’t have wild and free roaming alligators, so this was a real treat.

A little further down the road, not even 10 feet from where I am sitting in the car I spot another alligator! As much as I wanted to pat his head, I decided against it.

The water was a brilliant blue as we looked for more wildlife. Turtles and alligators were everywhere!

Bird lovers unite. This is the spot come March. We saw lots of different winged creatures throughout our drive.

They have a wonderful and long boardwalk. Alligators, crabs, turtles, ducks, and many other creatures were so close to us.

Once back in the car, we continued on the loop. More alligators, turtles and a family of Spoonbills.

After we closed the loop, we decided to drive around again this time stopping to explore a trail.

An Ibis was seen lurking in the near distance.

The wooden lined trail was a bit above the ground. This made me feel a little better since I knew alligators, snakes and other potential deadly creatures were laying around close by.

I highly recommend visiting Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge if you are ever in southern Texas.

Sax-Zim Bog-Meadowlands-Minnesota

March 22, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Birds, Bog, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Pine Marten, Sax-Zim Bog, Winter5 Comments

We explored Sax-Zim Bog on February 19th, 2023.

Sax-Zim Bog is open from mid Dec through mid March. Owls, hawks and many other winged creatures spend their winters at the bog. The Welcome Center has maps which I highly recommend picking one up or downloading one from their website. They also list different locations where these winged creatures have been recently seen. There are many locations to drive to throughout the bog to look for birds. Who knew birds were so fascinating???

We started our adventure on the trails closest to the Welcome Center.

Bird feeders are located along the trails. It was really cool to see so many birds up close as they ate from the feeders. I am still learning the names of birds, so please correct me if I am wrong as I try to name the birds we saw. The first birds that greeted us were an Evening Grosbeak and a Hairy Woodpecker.

The clouds drifted away and the bright blue sky appeared. We hiked the trail alongside the creek.

We reached the road and decided to head back to the Welcome Center. A Pine Grosbeak landed just a few feet in front of me on a branch.

The feeders we passed earlier now had many Pine Grosbeaks snacking on treats. I never realized Grosbeak came in so many different colors.

We hopped back in the car to begin exploring more of the bog area. Our main goal for our visit was to see the Great Gray Owl and the Snowy Owl. Driving around we looked up and down the trees trying to spot these owls. We stopped at times to hike the trails along the way. At the Yellow-Bellied Trailhead, many Black-Capped Chichadees were flying around the bird feeders.

As we turned down one of the roads, we saw about 8 cars all lined up alongside the road. People were standing in the road with their incredibly long camera lenses taking photos of something. My excitement was overflowing as we got out of the car. We thought for sure we were going to see an owl. Instead, we saw a small brown creature climbing along the branches. Another guest of the bog informed us of what we were looking at, the elusive Pine Marten.

On our next stop we were visited by an adorable red squirrel.

Even though we never saw an owl, I highly recommend visiting Sax-Zim Bog during the winter months. The staff take the bird feeders down at the end of March before the bears wake from their hibernation.

Our friend, the Black-Capped Chickadee waved goodbye as we left the bog.

Fish Lake Regional Park-Maple Grove-Minnesota

March 18, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, Fish Lake, Fish Lake Regional Park, Fish Lake Trails, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Maple Grove, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Rice Lake, Winter4 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began at Fish Lake Regional Park.

Burrr! This morning was so cold and the wind whipped through us as we began our hike. But, as true Minnesotans do, we persevered. With our Yaktrax on, we hiked the paved trail to Fish Lake.

Without a map present when we began our hike not knowing how long the trails were going to be, we decided to hike a bit on Fish Lake. We figured with spring approaching this may be our last chance to hike on ice.

The strong wind kept our hike on the lake short. Mini snow tornadoes blew past us. Back to the main trail we went.

After finding and looking over the two trail maps of the area, we decided to hike to Rice Lake.

We crossed over Highway 94 on our way to Rice Lake.

This winter Minnesota reached its 8th snowiest season on record. The wind caused snow drifts on parts of the trail. Need to rest? No worries, here is a bench for you to sit on.

Rice Lake turned out to be a beautiful lake to hike around.

I was so happy to catch a sun halo.

A few swans and a flock of geese were enjoying the open water.

The trail led us under Highway 94. We continued on the Medicine Lake Regional Trail.

The sun felt so nice on our cheeks. All the wonderful trees kept the wind at bay.

Today’s hiking adventure was 12.3 miles.

Battle Creek Regional Park-Maplewood-Minnesota

March 11, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Battle Creek, Battle Creek Regional Park, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Winter, Winter hiking2 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure was at Battle Creek Regional Park.

Snow. Snow. SNOW! Minnesota has gotten so much snow this winter. We shall rename our state Minnesnowta. Snow fell throughout our entire hike. It sure was beautiful though.

We started our hike through part of the dog park. Ski trails win during the winter months at most parks. Sometimes finding the winter hiking trails takes a bit of map reading, exploring unusual areas, and hoping for the best. Once on the other side of the dog park, we hiked for a bit on the paved trail.

The ice on the trail was definitely covered by the fresh snow. I fell once, then my cousin and I both fell at the same time. We had a good laugh and then put on our Yaktrax. The next photo cracks me up. This is my proof of my tumble.

The paved trail ended and we were then hiking on the side of the road. The park was on our right and we could see there was an unpaved trail up on the hill, but how do we get there? Well, we made our own trail. Up the hill we hiked, and we were not disappointed.

The unpaved trail looped us up and down the hills and through the forest. We jumped back on the paved trail once we reached Battle Creek. The fresh snow, the flowing creek, and the sandstone bluffs created a beautiful winter wonderland.

With the creek flowing next to us, we continued our adventure on the paved trail.

A bright red Cardinal graced our presence.

We continued on the paved trail until we reached our starting point.

Today’s hiking adventure was 6.4 miles.

St. Croix River Crossing Loop Trail-Stillwater-Minnesota

March 4, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, St. Croix River, St. Croix River Crossing Loop Trail, Stillwater, Winter2 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began in Stillwater. The St. Croix River Crossing Loop is one of my favorite loops.

The sun tried to join our adventure today; however, it was a pretty cloudy day. We started the trail by the Stillwater Lift Bridge.

The St. Croix River appeared frozen over for the most part. We only noticed a few open areas of water. The snow was piled high alongside the trail.

The St. Croix Crossing Bridge can be seen in the distance. A gentle fog covered the bridge.

The entire loop is on a wide paved trail which makes sharing the trail with runners, and bikers so nice especially in the warmer months.

Hiking over the St. Croix Crossing Bridge offers beautiful views of the surrounding land. Snowmobile tracks could be seen below us on the frozen river. A few individuals were even on the river ice fishing with their car parked nearby them. It has been rather warm as of late during the day, I’m not sure walking or driving a car on a river is the best idea, but to each their own.

The trail continues across the bridge and into Wisconsin.

There is a steep hill on the Wisconsin side one needs to go down to loop back into Minnesota. We decided to stop and put on our Yaktrax so we didn’t slip and slide down the hill.

At the bottom of the hill, the trail continues across the Stillwater Lift Bridge.

Today’s hiking adventure was 5.4 miles.

Hegman Lake-BWCA-Minnesota

February 20, 2023February 20, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, BWCA, exploring, Hegman Lake, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, nature photography, North Hegman Lake, Outdoors, Pictographs, South Hegman Lake, Winter2 Comments

On February 18th, 2023, we went snowshoeing on Hegman Lake.

Exploring northern Minnesota can be tricky due to the weather. Thankfully, we had a beautiful day to explore. We parked at South Hegman Lake Entry Point #77. A permit was needed to explore the area. We obtained a free permit at the parking lot. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a pen to complete the form. We searched the car and our backpacks and came up with nothing. Since the form was a carbon copy, I used my fingernail to complete the form and it worked! We placed the copy in the box and began our adventure to the lake.

We followed the trail down to the lake.

The view of South Hegman Lake was breathtaking.

Previous explorers left a nice trail to follow once on the lake. We had the whole lake to ourselves. I was a bit over taken with the beauty before my eyes and the silence of the land that tears began to flow from my eyes. As we walked in silence, we knew our souls were being replenished by Mother Earth’s glory.

At the north end of South Hegman Lake we briefly hiked over a small piece of land towards North Hegman Lake.

Giant boulders surrounded the lake. The melting snow from above the rocks created mini waterfalls.

Along the boulders we found the 500-1000 year old pictographs created by the Native Americans. The pictographs can only be seen from the water. One has to enter by canoe in the summer or ski/snowshoe during the winter to see the historic site.

We continued our snowshoeing adventure around North Hegman Lake and looped back to our starting point.

The lake was now full of people beginning their adventure to the pictographs. We were very thankful we began our adventure early to have the lake all to ourselves. My cousin shot this photo of me thanking the sky above for an amazing adventure!

Afton State Park-Hastings-Minnesota

February 5, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Afton State Park, Candlelight hike, exploring, Hastings, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Night hiking, Outdoors, Parks, Winter5 Comments

Last night’s hiking adventure was at Afton State Park.

We pulled into the park and there was a line of cars at the front office. One would have thought we were pulling into a nightclub. Since we already had a parking pass, we flew by all the cars in the VIP lane. I had to park in the overflow overflow parking lot. We were not surprised to see so many people wanting to experience a night hike. The moon was full, the trail was lit by candlelight and the temperature was decent. The sunset was gorgeous last night. The sky looked like it was on fire! By the time we began our adventure just a sliver of light was left in the sky.

The first part of the trail was smooth with a few icy spots.

There was a bonfire about a half mile into our adventure.

The next part of the hike was a little less smooth. The snow was soft and thick. One moment we are hiking on the snow, the next moment your foot falls through the soft snow causing you to trip. Everyone was making funny sound effects and laughing when slipping through the snow. At one point my right leg went deep into the snow and bam on my knees I went. We got lots of laughing in last night.

We decided to hike the trail twice due to it being a short loop. The moon was amazing!

I absolutely loved all the candles lighting our way.

I highly recommend taking in a candlelit night hike. Our hiking adventure was 4 miles.

Black Dog Trailhead-Burnsville-Minnesota

January 22, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Black Dog Trail, Burnsville, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota River, Minnesota River Greenway, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, WinterLeave a comment

Today’s hiking adventure began at Black Dog Trailhead.

We hiked the Minnesota River Greenway alongside the Minnesota River. The trail began just shy of the Highway 35 W bridge and follows the river to the Cedar/Highway 77 Bridge. A squirrel greeted us as we began our adventure.

The Minnesota River was partially frozen.

Besides a light dusting of snow at times, the paved trail was nice and clear of snow and ice.

Black Dog Lake Overlook

Across the river from us, we could see many people riding their fat tire bikes along the river bottom trail.

We hiked up to Cedar/Highway 77 Bridge and turned around back to our starting point.

The trail passes by the Xcel Energy Power Plant.

Several eagles perched in the trees above the river looking for a snack.

The Highway 35 W bridge can be seen in the distance.

Today’s hiking adventure was 8.5 miles.

Purgatory Creek Park-Eden Prairie-Minnesota

January 14, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Eden Prairie, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Purgatory Creek Park, Staring Lake, Winter, Winter hiking1 Comment

Today’s hiking adventure began at Purgatory Creek Park.

We hiked Purgatory Creek Park this past summer and loved it! So of course, we had to see how everything looked covered in snow. Wow! We were not disappointed. A happy face greeted us as soon as we hit the trail.

The paved trail was covered in ice. Thankfully, we had our Yaktrax in our bags so we slipped them on. It was our first time wearing our Yaktrax and we could not believe how amazingly they worked.

We veered off the main trail towards a narrow bridge which crossed over part of the lake. Most of the lake was frozen except near the bridge.

Back on the paved trail, it was interesting to see leaves still on the trees.

We took another detour off the main path. There was a narrow walkway that led to an overlook of the wildlife area.

We continued our hike towards Staring Lake.

We hiked on the frozen Staring Lake.

The trees looked so beautiful covered in snow. At times, a gentle breeze would blow the snow off the trees which would catch the sunlight creating a glittery winter wonderland all around us.

We hiked back to our starting point crossing over the partially frozen creek.

Today’s hiking adventure was 7.4 miles.

Big Rivers Regional Trail-Mendota Heights-Minnesota

January 7, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Mississippi River, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Big River Trail, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Lilydale Regional Park, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Robert Piram Regional Trail, Winter2 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began at the Big Rivers Regional Trailhead.

After a week of heavy snowstorms, it felt great to get outside while the sun was shining. The temperature was a bit cool at -1 as our adventure started.

Big Rivers Trailhead has an amazing year round view of the Minnesota River and the airport. Planes were flying low overhead coming and going from the airport.