Minnesota – Page 4 – Neaton Adventures

Franz Jevne State Park-Birchdale-Minnesota

August 3, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, Franz Jevne State Park, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Rainy River2 Comments

We hiked Franz Jevne State Park on July 14th, 2023.

It was a beautiful day for a hike along the border of Minnesota and Canada. Our adventure began as we hiked towards the Rainy River. The Rainy River separates The United States and Canada.

We located a U.S. marker along the trail.

Our first glimpse of the river included a view of a small island.

The saying goes “the early bird gets the worm” well, then I say the first hiker on the trail in the morning gets a face full of invisible spider webs. No complaints though, only laughs. The views made up for any itchiness we had to encounter.

Every side trail we saw leading to the river… we took. Nature’s colors were so vibrant.

The birds offered a wonderful soundtrack to our hike.

It was a surreal feeling to know the river in front of us was the only thing separating the United States and Canada. The view was spectacular!

We followed the same trail back to our starting point.

Our hiking adventure was 1.5 miles.

Zippel Bay State Park-Williams-Minnesota

July 31, 2023July 31, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Lake of the Woods, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Zippel Bay State Park1 Comment

We hiked Zippel Bay State Park on July 13th, 2023.

We started our hike by taking in the view of Lake of the Woods.

The trail began on the beach. We almost went back to the car to switch out our boots for flip flops.

Thankfully, boots were the right choice as the trail led inland for a bit.

We diverted from the trail and back to the beach. The soft waves gently whispered over the rocks.

It was interesting to come upon a hut. With no one home, we moved along.

The beach was scattered with shells.

The Coast Guards Lights at the Levee.

A beautiful view greeted us at Zippel Bay.

We turned around and hiked back to our starting point.

Once back at our starting point, we cooled our feet off in the Lake of the Woods.

Our hiking adventure was 1.5 miles.

Hayes Lake State Park-Roseau-Minnesota

July 29, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, Hayes Lake, Hayes Lake State Park, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks5 Comments

We hiked Hayes Lake State Park on July 13th, 2023.

A beautiful wooden map of Hayes Lake State Park was on display noting all the different activities at the park. Someone put a lot of time, energy and love into making that sign.

Grefthen Bay was our first overlook of Hayes Lake.

We began our hike on the Pine Ridge Interpretive Trail. A few people were fishing on the dock. We popped down to take a closer view of the lake.

The trail brought us through marvelous pine tree groves. The smell was so amazingly refreshing to our senses.

We found giant puffballs growing alongside the pine trees.

We stopped at Beauty Bay to take in the view.

The trail continued to run parallel to Hayes Lake.

We hiked to the Hayes Lake Dam. Unfortunately, the lovely smell of pine lifted and a pungent, unpleasant smell permeated the air. We quickly left the area.

We began our hike back to our starting point. The trail became a road in order to make a loop.

We took in one more view of Hayes Lake from Grefthen Bay before ending our hike.

Our hiking adventure was 2 miles.

Lake Bronson State Park-Bronson-Minnesota

July 25, 2023July 26, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Lake Bronson, Lake Bronson State Park, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks3 Comments

We hiked Lake Bronson State Park on July 13th, 2023.

After taking in the view of Lake Bronson, we began our hike.

This park has wonderfully wide trails. I always enjoy walking alongside my cousin as we wander through nature.

When we rounded the corner, a bunny hopped out.

The trail led to a large prairie. I just love this next picture.

The wildflowers were growing everywhere! The sumac were a brilliant red as well as the berries we found. The bright colors of summer were alive at this park!

We saw a part of the South Branch Two Rivers. It flows through Lake Bronson.

We continued on the trail towards Lake Bronson.

A chipmunk ran onto the trail and paused long enough for me to photograph it.

Our hiking adventure was 4 miles.

Old Mill State Park-Argyle-Minnesota

July 24, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Argyle, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Old Mill State Park, Outdoors, Parks3 Comments

We hiked Old Mill State Park on July 13th, 2023.

Our hike began on the Agassiz Self-guided Trail. We noticed bear scat on the trail. Thankfully, we didn’t see any bears.

The nice wide trail brought us to an overlook of the Middle River.

The trail led us through a variety of different tree groves.

Colorful wildflowers lined the trail.

I tried to take a close up of the tower in the field. Unfortunately, the deer flies had other plans. They attacked and we ran!

Down the hill from the parking lot was a swimming pond.

We took in the views of what is left of the WPA Historic Dam.

My favorite part of Old Mill State Park was the very cool looking stone bridge crossing over Middle River.

Our hiking adventure was 2 miles.

Red River State Recreation Area-East Grand Forks-Minnesota

July 18, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, East Grand Forks, exploring, Grand Forks, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Red River of the North, Red River State Recreation Area1 Comment

We hiked Red River State Recreation Area on July 12th, 2023.

The entrance to Red River State Recreation Area threw us off a bit. Our directions had us turn into a mall/business parking lot. At the end of the parking lot was the entrance to the park. We parked and began our hiking adventure.

The Red River of the North was on our left and the campground was on our right. If you’re looking for a more urban campsite, this is the park. Lots of restaurants and shops are all within a few minutes walk from the park. The wide trail was nicely paved throughout our hike.

The trail led under the highway. North Dakota is just on the other side of the bridge.

We diverted from the trail several times to take in views of the Red River of the North.

The trail continued across the road from the river. A huge beautiful park lay on both sides of the trail. We couldn’t believe all the open recreation space. We later found out that the reason for all the open recreation space is due to the floods that happen every spring. Some years, the floods were devastating.

The trail led us through a neighborhood. We could not help but notice the large stone wall that divided the park and the neighborhood. As beautiful as the river is, it can also be so destructive.

The trail continued through a tunnel under the road as we made our way back to our starting point.

After we finished our hike through the Red River Recreation Area, we decided to take in the view from the bridge.

Grand Forks, North Dakota had a monument showing the different heights the flood waters had reached throughout the years.

We crossed the bridge back to Minnesota.

Today’s hiking adventure was 3.4 miles.

Buffalo River State Park-Glyndon-Minnesota

July 17, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Buffalo River, Buffalo River State Park, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks3 Comments

We hiked Buffalo River State Park on July 12th, 2023.

Our hike began by the swimming pond that was depleted of water. The view was a bit surreal.

We followed the trail to the right side of the swimming pond to take in views of Buffalo River from the nearby bridge.

We backtracked a bit and decided to follow the River View Trail which was to the left of the swimming pond.

The trail followed the winding river offering beautiful views.

We continued on the trail. Wide open prairie views began to appear.

The next few photos are my favorite views of the Buffalo River.

We said goodbye to the river and began to hike the Wide Sky Trail.

Different shades of purple wildflowers were growing in the prairie along the trail.

We were happy it was a cool summer day as this prairie hike could be rather toasty in the hot sun.

We began our hike back to our starting point on the Old Grade Trail.

Our hiking adventure was 2.1 miles.

Gooseberry Falls State Park-Two Harbors-Minnesota

July 9, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, Gooseberry Falls, Gooseberry Falls State Park, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Two Harbors2 Comments

We hiked Gooseberry Falls State Park on June 25th, 2023.

The trail began just past the Joseph N. Alexander Visitor Center. As we crossed the Highway 61 Catwalk, we took in the view of the Upper Falls.

We continued our hike on the Gitchi Gummi Trail.

The trail had a steady incline. A view of the Gooseberry River Valley began to appear through the trees.

The Gooseberry River was flowing by with Lake Superior in the near distance.

A sandbar appears to stop the Gooseberry River from flowing into Lake Superior.

The trail continued alongside the lake offering a different view of the Gooseberry River flowing into Lake Superior. The river is flowing under the sandbar. The photos below show the rich brown river penetrating the lake.

One final overlook of the lake before heading back through the forest.

As the trail looped us back to our starting point, we took a quick detour to take in the amazing view of the Gooseberry Middle Falls.

A beautiful Iris was growing alongside the trail.

Our hiking adventure was 2.4 miles.

Tettegouche State Park-Silver Bay-Minnesota

July 8, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Lake Superior, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Shovel Point Trail, Tettegouche State Park1 Comment

We hiked Tettegouche State Park on June 25th, 2023.

Tettegouche is the first state park we have visited that did not have a welcome sign at their front entrance. They do have a large Nature Center for visitors to rest, enjoy a coffee, shop and learn about the nature around them. We hiked the Shovel Point Trail alongside the magnificent Lake Superior.

The rain stopped shortly before we began our hike. Everywhere we looked the colors appeared to be richer and more vibrant. We approached our first overlook on the trail.

The beautiful wooden path the park put in place helped to preserve the land surrounding the trail. I can only imagine this is a well traveled trail.

Nature always seems to amaze me. I love how the tree continued to grow around the giant rock. Up, up, up, we went to the next overlook.

Are you brave enough to go to the edge of the cliff for the view? You better believe I am!

We reached the final overlook on the trail. The waves crashed into the rocky shoreline. The view was amazing.

We began our hike back to our starting point.

Our hiking adventure was 1.5 miles.

Temperance River State Park-Schroeder-Minnesota

July 5, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Temperance River, Temperance River State Park4 Comments

We hiked Temperance River State Park on June 24th, 2023.

We parked at the wayside rest area off of Highway 61 and began our hike on the paved trail.

The paved trail ended once we reached the river.

The Temperance River flows through a steep and rocky gorge. The views were amazing and in places, very dangerous.

The higher we went up, the better the views.

The water spun around inside these carved out cauldrons.

The cascading waterfalls were such a sight to see.

My adrenaline was pounding as I stood on the edges of the rocks watching and hearing the river rush by me.

As we continued on the trail, the sounds of the river faded. The river became almost silent.

The trail led us away from the river and into the forest.

A little bird landed right in front of us on the trail. It watched us just as closely as we watched it. We ended up having to walk around it as it would not move. As soon as we made our way around it, it flew off.

The trail looped us back around to our starting point.

Our hiking adventure was 2.5 miles.

Cascade River State Park-Lutsen-Minnesota

July 4, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Cascade River, Cascade River State Park, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Lutsen, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks2 Comments

We hiked Cascade River State Park on June 24th, 2023.

Our hike began at the Trail Center. Rushing water from the river could be heard in the near distance.

A short distance from the stairs, we saw the Cascade River crashing down through the rocks creating a cascading waterfall. The photos I took of the majestic beauty of these falls cannot be compared to seeing it with one’s own eyes and hearing the rush of the water hitting the rocks with one’s own ears.

We continued on the trail alongside the river.

We diverted from the main trail for a few minutes for another closer view of the river. When the opportunity presents itself to take a quick detour, you better believe we take it.

Up the 96 steps back to the main trail towards Lookout Mountain.

I absolutely love when the trail is made from Mother Nature’s dirt and tree roots. To me this sight signifies a great hike ahead.

We crossed over a bridge taking in views of the river.

Once on the other side of the river we began our incline towards Lookout Mountain.

Now, I know we don’t have actual mountains in Minnesota however, climbing a giant hill sure feels like climbing a mountain. But, the view! The view is always worth the climb. Every! Single! Time!

After soaking up this amazing view, we made our descent from the overlook. The trail was lined with wildflowers and ferns.

Pioneer Trail was a quiet trail. Tall trees towered over us. Forests are a magical peaceful place, and this trail reminded us of that.

We crossed back over the river towards our starting point.

Our hiking adventure was 3.5 miles.

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.