travel – Neaton Adventures

Six Mile Marsh Prairie Trail-Minnetrista-Minnesota

November 16, 2024Posted in Adventure, Christi Neaton, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Big Stone Mini Golf and Sculpture Garden, Christi Neaton, Dakota Rail Regional Trail, exploring, Gale Woods Farm, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Nature, nature photography, Outdoors, Six Mile Marsh Prairie Trail, travel9 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began at Six Mile Marsh Prairie Trail.

The sun was shining brightly as we began our hike. We made our way to an old red barn that was built in 1937.

We looped around the marsh.

After completing the Six Mile Marsh Prairie Trail, we hiked along the Dakota Rail Regional Trail.

About a mile or so down the Dakota Rail Regional Trail we approached a sign for the Big Stone Mini Golf and Sculpture Garden. We decided to check it out, and I’m so happy we did! They had many fun sculptures and farm animals on the property.

We made our way back to the Dakota Rail Regional Trail to continue our hike. A sign for Gale Woods Farm appeared just off the trail. We decided to check it out since we were so close. They also had a beautiful red barn and farm animals.

The trail looped us around the property.

Whaletail Lake

Once back on the Dakota Rail Regional Trail, we hiked back to our starting point.

Today’s hiking adventure was 8.1 miles.

Interstate State Park-St. Croix Falls-Wisconsin

October 13, 2024Posted in Adventure, Christi Neaton, hiking, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Christi Neaton, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Interstate State Park, Nature, nature photography, Outdoors, St. Croix River, travel, Wisconsin, Wisconsin State ParksLeave a comment

Today’s hiking adventure was at Interstate State Park in Wisconsin.

Our adventure began at the Pothole Trail, which is part of the Ice Age Trail.

Raindrops were definitely falling on our heads today. We paid no mind to it though, since our eyes were too busy taking in all the fall colors. The St. Croix River offers spectacular views.

The Potholes

The short trail brought us back to our starting point.

We briefly hiked the road to get to the next set of trails. The views did not disappoint.

Summit Rock Trail

We continued hiking towards Echo Canyon Trail.

Lake O’ the Dalles began to appear. We followed the trail around the lake.

The sun kept trying to come out.

After we completed the loop around the lake, we hiked back towards the St. Croix River.

The giant rocks and boulders are so impressive to hike and climb on.

Today’s hiking adventure was 4.6 miles.

Mines of Spain-Dubuque-Iowa

July 18, 2024Posted in Adventure, hiking, Mississippi River, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Christi Neaton, Dubuque, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Hiking Iowa, Iowa, Mines of Spain, Nature, nature photography, Outdoors, travel1 Comment

We hiked Mines of Spain State Recreation Area June 29th, 2024.
Our adventure began on the Pine Chapel Foot Trail.

Pine Chapel is a tiny one room chapel.

The next trail we tried to hike was towards the Julien Dubuque Monument. Unfortunately, due to all the rain the trail was closed.

As we made our way back to our starting point, we passed an old Green House and an old Lead Mine of Julien Dubuque. The area around the mine was fenced in and is barely recognizable with all the plant overgrowth.

Due to the trails being flooded, we drove to the Horseshoe Bluff Foot Trail.

The bluffs begin to appear. I absolutely love the bluffs especially against the brilliant blue sky!

We followed the trail up to the different levels.

A small cave was located next to the overlook.

We looped back to our starting point to find our next destination.

Down the road a bit, we pulled over to hike the Julien Dubuque Foot Trail. The trail at ground level was flooded so we made our way to the second trail leading us to the Julien Dubuque Monument.

Up, up, up we went.

The Julien Dubuque Monument

The view was worth the climb. It always is. The overflowing Mighty Mississippi River rushed past us.

Today’s hiking adventure was 3.26 miles.

Willow River State Park-Hudson-Wisconsin

July 13, 2024Posted in Adventure, hiking, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Christi Neaton, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Little Falls Lake, Nature, nature photography, Outdoors, travel, Willow Falls, Willow River State Park, Wiscon, Wisconsin State Parks6 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure was at Willow River State Park.

We parked by Little Falls Lake Beach. As soon as we put on our hiking boots, the sky opened up and the rain poured. Thankfully, there was a large picnic shelter for us to ride out the thunderstorm. Almost an hour passed before we were able to begin our hike to Willow Falls.

The trails were a bit water logged at times.

The trail followed alongside Willow River.

Willow Falls

Across the river, a tall staircase awaited us. Of course, we had to see the overlook at the top. The climb is always worth it!

We went back down the steps and across the river towards the Pioneer Trail. The Pioneer Trail brought us up a slow incline towards the camping area.

The trail was muddy! It became a bit slippery at times. Thankfully, no one fell.

Hiking through pine trees is always a favorite. The smell is so relaxing and refreshing.

The wildflowers were gorgeous as we made our way through the prairie.

We stopped at Little Falls Lake to take in the view before ending our hike.

Today’s hiking adventure was 5 miles.

Ice Cave State Preserve-Decorah-Iowa

July 12, 2024Posted in Adventure, hiking, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Decorah, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Ice Cave State Preserve, Iowa, Nature, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, travel, Upper Iowa River1 Comment

We hiked Ice Cave Park, which is part of Iowa’s State Preserves System, June 27^th, 2024.

The main entrance to the park was closed so we hiked up the road towards the parking lot. As we hiked up the hill, we saw why the road was closed. Giant rocks fell from the bluffs taking over part of the road.

Mid-way along the road, a staircase appeared to our right. Of course we had to see what was at the top. A cave! The cave entrance was a bit too tight for comfort, so after a few photos we hiked on.

Once we arrived at the top of the hill, we noticed Dunning’s Spring Waterfall was just around the bend. The hike towards the waterfall was just as beautiful as the waterfall itself.

We followed the trail up the bluffs to an overlook of Decorah.

Wildflowers added a pop of color alongside the trail.

The trail led us to the beginning of the park’s entrance.

Taking a short break along The Upper Iowa River.

Our hiking adventure was 3 miles.

Minnehaha Falls-Minneapolis-Minnesota

May 11, 2024Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Mississippi River, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Coldwater Spring, exploring, Ford Dam, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnehaha Creek, Minnehaha Falls, Minnesota, Mississippi River, Nature, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, travel, Waterfalls1 Comment

Today’s hiking adventure began at Minnehaha Falls.

Spring is officially here! The tulips and crabapple trees are blooming all throughout the park.

All the rain Minnesota has received lately was definitely noticed as we passed the fast flowing Minnehaha Creek.

The Minnehaha Falls

We took the steps down to hike the trails below. But first, we had to take in all the different views of the falls.

The trail followed along the Minnehaha Creek.

I find it amazing how many times I can hike an area and still find something new. The following map was located on a large rock. It has been there since 1969. Well, today was the first time I noticed it.

Nature’s colors were so vivid today.

We found lots of names carved into the sandstone.

The trail led us to a wooden bridge. We watched as the Minnehaha Creek emptied into the Mississippi River.

The Mississippi River

We decided to hike a new path up the side of the bluff. The Veterans Home was at the top. They have a beautiful campus. We crossed over the Veterans Home bridge.

The Ford Dam on the Mississippi River

We hiked the paved trail towards Coldwater Spring which is located between Fort Snelling State Park and Minnehaha Falls Park.

We made our way back to Minnehaha Falls Park.

Down the long staircase we went to hike the trail along the other side of the Minnehaha Creek.

A different view of the Veterans Home Bridge we crossed earlier.

The trail led us back to the Minnehaha Falls.

Today’s hiking adventure was 5 miles.

Quarry Hill Park-Rochester-Minnesota

May 4, 2024Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Nature, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Quarry Hill Nature Center, Quarry Hill Park, Spring, travelLeave a comment

Today’s hiking adventure was at Quarry Hill Park.

We began our rainy day hike by the Quarry Hill Nature Center.

We hiked the paved trail past Harry L. Buck Children’s Pond.

There are a variety of trails to choose from at this park. Due to the rain it was a bit muddy and slick in places.

The fragrant wildflowers and blossoming trees captivated our senses.

Four deer appeared right next to where we were on the trail. With all the new growth it was hard to see them.

The trail had been nice and wide until we crossed over the creek.

We hiked the narrow trails through the forest area. Nature’s soundtrack was on point today. The birds were singing, the squirrels were playing, and the sounds of rain pitter pattering on the leaves was very therapeutic.

We arrived at the quarry. Due to all the rain, we were unable to hike down into the pit. A return trip later this summer is a must!

A trail led us around the quarry allowing us to take in all the different views.

Down the hill we went. It was a bit slippery in places.

Once back at the pond, we decided to end our hike due to being soaking wet and a bit chilly

Today’s hiking adventure was 3.1 miles.

Lone Rock Trail-Farmington-Minnesota

April 20, 2024Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Lone Rock Trail, Minnesota, Nature, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, travel, Vermillion HighlandsLeave a comment

Today’s hiking adventure was along the Lone Rock Trail which is part of the Vermillion Highlands Research Recreation and Wildlife Management Area.

Minnesota has been sunny and warm for the past two weeks. Spring has finally arrived or so you might think. It’s almost as if spring in Minnesota knows the moment you put your winter hiking gear away for the season then…bam! Freezing temperatures hit again. The temperature danced between 32-34 degrees during our hike and the wind whipped across our faces leaving our cheeks a rosy red.

We began our hike on the Farm Loop Trail which led us to the Lone Rock Trail. The grassy trail led us between farmland and Whitetail Woods Regional Park.

Signs of spring are beginning to appear, new growth on the trees and the vibrant green radiating from the grass.

The trail followed the rolling landscape.

A portion of the fields looked like a control burn recently happened.

A section of the trail was on a long dirt road. As we hiked down the road, three men were walking towards us in hunting gear and armed with guns. They informed us that it was turkey season. Thankfully, we didn’t look like turkeys so we weren’t too worried about getting shot at.

The trail veered off the dirt road and into a small forest area.

As we looped back to our starting point, we once again hiked between farm fields.

Today’s hiking adventure was 7 miles.

Bassett Creek Park-Crystal-Minnesota

March 30, 2024Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Bassett Creek, Bassett Creek Park, Briarwood Nature Area, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Nature, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, travel, Winter, Winter hiking5 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure was at Bassett Creek Park.

Minnesota was hit with a snow storm earlier this week. Today might be our last hike with snow coverage before it melts for the season.

We hiked along the nicely paved trails crossing over Bassett Creek.

The trail looped around Bassett Creek Pond.

Once on the east side of the pond, we left the park to cross over Highway 100.

Briarwood Nature Area, in the city of Golden Valley, greeted us on the other side of the highway.

We looped around Briarwood Nature Area, crossing over Bassett Creek again.

The clouds dissipated as we made our way back to Bassett Creek Park. We hiked up the snow covered hill on the west side of the park. At the top of the hill, the tall buildings in Downtown Minneapolis could be seen in the distance.

Two snowmen waved us on as we passed by.

As we made our way back to our starting point, we hiked a very muddy trail alongside Bassett Creek.

Today’s hiking adventure was 4.5 miles.

Snail Lake Regional Park-Shoreview-Minnesota

March 9, 2024Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, Grass Lake, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Nature, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Snail Lake, Snail Lake Regional Park, travel2 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure was at Snail Lake Regional Park.

The blustery wind whipped across Snail Lake.

We crossed the street to hike the paved trails towards Grass Lake.

The cloud cover over the wetland area created an ominous view.

Three helicopters flew above us.

The trail led us under the roadway as we made our way to Grass Lake.

According to the map, the paved trail doesn’t go all the way around Grass Lake. However, we did find a non paved trail to hike. We didn’t know if the non paved trail would take us all the way around the lake, but we gave it a shot.