McMillan Marsh, Marshfield, WI

One of the first new places I have had a chance to explore, is the McMillan Marsh in Marshfield. I have had lots of time to explore this area and have been on the trail several times through the spring thus far. This is a nice easy trail to walk. It meanders throughout the protected marshlands just north of the city off of Mann Rd. It is also a designated bike route. The entire trail runs about 6 miles, however you can easily turn around at any point. 

This area is home to one of Wisconsin's endangered turtles, Blanding's Turtle. This link from the Wisconsin DNR describes them as extremely timid, which is why I do not have a picture to show you. I have seen many sunning themselves on logs in the marsh, however when I walk by with a noisy dog they immediately retreat into there shell or move into the water. It is also a Wisconsin DNR Wildlife Area noted for pheasant hunting, trapping, and other recreational activities. 

I would recommend this trail to anyone. It is easy walking, very scenic, and a great birding area (song and waterfowl). I have even seen a small weasel popping up holes and dancing around the trail. I did not have my camera out at that time either.

Arizona to Wisconsin

Wow! It has been more than a month since I last updated. It took us a few weeks to get home, get settled, get internet, etc. 

To recap, we left Arizona as soon as possible. Nate worked a 12 hour shift and I had everything cleaned and packed. We loaded up the car, filled up with gas, and headed north. I drove from Scottsdale to Winslow, AZ that night. We decided to spend the night in the quaint Route 66 town of Winslow. According to TripAdvisor, there were only 12 attractions, the most popular being "Standing on the Corner in Winslow, AZ". We made sure to stop and listen to an Eagles tune or two before we left Arizona behind.

As we headed northeastward, we continued out of Arizona and into New Mexico. We had to stop at the Petrified Forest National Park. We did several small hikes to look at the old petrified trees and were even fortunate to take part in a naturalist program. We were also able to observe the Painted Desert in the distance.

Right before the park entrance, Nate spied a very large bird on a power pole. It was so big that he turned around and pulled over to view it better. Golden Eagle! It stared right back at us and after two minutes it stretched its large wings and with several large motions, it was gone!

We continued into New Mexico, through the Navajo lands and turned north to enter Colorado via Durango. We have stopped in Durango before, but it is such a likable city we had to go back. We walked the main street area and visited a cafe for some warm beverages to sip while we perused the many outdoor gear stores, galleries, and homes posted for sale in the area. We had dinner at an Irish Pub and then continued on Hwy 160 east to Pagosa Springs and Alamosa. It would've been nice to check out Pagosa Springs, however we needed to push on to see some special people in Colorado :)

From Alamosa, east to I-25 we ran into some interesting weather. It was a bit chilly however the day started out sunny. As we crossed over several mountains,the weather grew cloudy and snowing. The trees were dusted with frost, the roads were a bit wet, and the clouds were very low. Here are some neat pictures I was able to capture while Nate was driving. 

There really isn't anything exciting along I-25 except the view of the mountains in the distance. We made it to the Denver area to meet our lunch dates!

After several days visiting family, it was time to push on and head home. We drove north to Fort Collins (too early for a brewery tour). We continued into Wyoming and saw many pronghorn on our way to Devil's Tower National Monument. We made it there just after the visitor closed, lucky for us they don't close the entire park. We hiked around the tower, saw many mule deer running around and prairie dogs poking their heads up from their complex system of tunnels in which they live.

We kept going still to the Black Hills, South Dakota. A night in Deadwood, SD sounded like a great place to end the day. We found Cadillac Jacks Gaming Casino and Resort for the night, since it was offseason we got a great rate! We got a few funny looks walking a dog through the casino to the elevator, but he was welcome. No worries!

The next day we woke in our resort hotel and set out for a tour of the Black Hills. It had been several years since either of us had been here, however our memories were sharp. We took the scenic drive through the Black Hills and stopped at Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park. We were hoping to do several cave tours, however the ranger at Jewel Cave called in so we were limited to one tour at Wind Cave.

Our guide for the tour in Wind Cave was great. He has been working there for many years and was park of several cave discovery excursions. Wind Cave is the 8th National Park to be declared and was signed by Teddy Roosevelt and is the first area to protest a cave. It's name comes from whistling wind coming from a hole in a rock. This led to the cave entrance and is handy when looking for a way out. Whichever way the wind is blowing, it the right way to go! Wind Cave is known for boxwork calite and cave popcorn, see below for pictures.

We ventured through Custer State Park and drove the pigtails highway out of the Black Hills. We observed Mount Rushmore from a distance, but neither of us felt like we needed to visit again. We stopped for a quick bite to eat and then it was on to the Badlands! 

Each time I visit the Badlands, I am in awe of how magnificent they truly area. I have visited three times now, I always wish I had more time to explore but always appreciate what is there. 

We drove from the Badlands straight to Grafton, through the night. I drove as long as I could and then Nate did the same. We rolled into Milwaukee about 7:00am, right in time for morning traffic! We hauled it a little north and slept the rest of the day.

Although our trip back is not as exciting as some of our other road trips, we were happy to see family and get home. We will be in Wisconsin for a few months now, but stayed tuned to my blog. 

We traveled to 27 National Parks and Monuments in 10 states over the course of 7 months. A new adventure awaits every day and I hope to continue to snap more pictures, explore new places, and visit old favorites. Hope to see you soon!

Desert Belle on Saguaro Lake

On Easter morning, I booked a cruise on the Desert Belle. It is a paddle wheel boat that takes you on a 90 minute narrated tour of Saguaro Lake. I briefly mentioned before, Saguaro Lake is the result of one of the dams on the Salt River.

We arrived near the lake, parked, and got a good spot to stand in line and wait to board the boat. The Desert Belle can hold 143 people who have a choice to sit in an air conditioned lower desk near windows or an upper desk seat under a canopy. There were few seats in the sun on the front of the boat, both top and bottom. We were lucky enough to get front, top seats!

The boat takes you on a ride on the large Saguaro Lake, through the canyons, past incredible views. The captain also narrates as he maneuvers the boat. He described the history of the Salt River becoming the lakes. President Teddy Roosevelt was the motivation behind this project. 

We saw magnificent sites of the Superstition Mountains, Four Peaks, and Saguaro Lake. The Superstitions are a rugged range helping Arizona out with the most mountain peaks in a state. The Four Peaks are iconic to the Phoenix area and are visible from the Valley. Our captain pointed out a light gray patch below the third peak with there is still an operating amethyst mine. All the rough rock is carried down 9 miles by man or horse. Closer to us, the lake was vibrant and full of life: waterfowl, turkey vultures, and even a eagle. There were many people recreating as well having a great Easter with family and friends.

The warm rush of wind on my face mixed with the humidity of the water felt like home. We haven't felt humidity since we left Wisconsin and it felt great! The warm sun, a cold beer, and sound of waves crashing against the boat topped off our day. As we neared shore, the captain pointed out some cliffs with people jumping off them. I looked at Nate and immediately knew that would be out next stop.

After we docked, we hiked over to the trail leading to the cliffs. It traversed around giant saguaros, barrel cacti, and ocotillos. The rock was a little rougher, welded tuff. It cuts up your skin a little better than most. We heard the faint laughs and splashes grow nearer and saw the platform for jumping!

Nate jumped off many times at various heights in several styles. I tried my best to capture them all, however I wasn't always ready. I jumped off too! I was a great feeling to be in warm water in a big lake. 

On our way out, we saw a younger couple picking up the trash and litter from other hikers and cliff jumpers. We found some bags and helped pick up anything we could on the trailway out. 

After drying out a bit, we headed up and watched the sunset over the mountains. What a fantastic day!

Tonto National Monument, Apache Trail, and Tortilla Flat

Tonto National Monument is located just northeast of Phoenix near Roosevelt Lake, roughly two hours drive. It was a beautiful drive along Hwy 87, or the Beeline Hwy. It continues to wind up into the mountains, however we headed east on 188 toward the NM. 

We have seen Roosevelt Lake before when we drove the Apache Trail, however we were not able to view it in it's enormity. Hwy 188 travels around the southwest side of the lake and is dotted with many campgrounds, trailheads, and boat ramps for recreational purposes. Roosevelt Lake is actually a reservoir, a dammed up Salt River. It is the largest reservoir entirely in the state of Arizona. Apache Lake, Canyon Lake, and Saguaro Lake are also reservoirs of the dammed up Salt River that eventually reaches the Greater Phoenix Area near Tempe (ASU).

Tonto National Monument is just across the street from the lake. Driving to the visitor center, you begin to climb in elevation. At the foot of the cliff where the dwellings are, the visitor center is nestled in a nook of rocks at the bottom. There is a small gift shop, a short educational video, and some ancient artifacts collected from the people once living there. The first people to settle in this area arrived between 100 and 600, yes a large time gap. These people stayed no later than 600. They were of the hunter-gatherer type and there is also evidence of them growing their own corn, beans, and cotton. 

Look carefully, there is an oriole in the ocotillo

Hedgehog cactus bloom

Pueblo groups began living here around 750 for around 400 years. They grew crops with an irrigation system and traded these good with Natives as far as the Great Lakes. Evidence suggests that drought and the lack of plants and animals forced these people to flee the area around 1100. Between 1100 and 1450, Natives struggled with growing population centers, environmental changes, and tensions between people and the area is now protected by the National Park Service. There are two cliff dwellings protected at Tonto but hundreds remain in the Tonto Basin. 

We hiked the steep trail to the lower cliff dwellings. I was surprised to find is monument is also dog friendly, the only stipulation was that Kobi was not welcome inside the dwelling and had to wait at the garbage can. Nate and I took turns investigating some of the last Salado cliff dwellings in the Southwest. There was a friendly volunteer that greeted us at the top. He was a wealth of knowledge: the people, the geology, the Tonto Basin. We spent our time walking from room to room inside the dwellings, careful not to lean on any walls. The walls were carefully constructed with adobe, the beams are ribs from a saguaro cactus, and the largest beams are sycamore trees. It very cool in the dwelling high up on the cliff side.

We hiked the way down and visited the spring on the way! This will be the ONLY time I say this about water in Arizona, it was fantastic!!! Kobi indulged as well and we carried along back to the Apache Trail. 

We followed the Apache Trail again, this time going the other way. The cacti were in bloom, the mountains are rugged, and the water call to you. We stopped at Apache Lake to wade in the water and for Kobi to do some swimming. It was a great little bay dotted with house boats and people camping on the shores. The water was cold and clear as it lapped on shore over some pebbles of granite. After we were cooled down we hopped back in the car and continued on the Apache Trail.

This time as we passed by Tortilla Flat, we stopped. We grabbed a bite to eat at an old saloon with dollar bills decorating the walls. We had some good food and beer in good company with some older men riding their Harley's. We also tried prickly pear gelato. It was worth it!

Tortilla Flat served as a stopping point near the 1900s because there is water present and it was a small grassy area to stop in the Superstition Mountains. There is a small museum that describes how this area was impacted by the search for gold within these mountains. There are many different versions of the history, read and you be the judge.

We continued on the Apache Trail to Apache Junction, and then back to Scottsdale. It was a great day to do some hiking, dip our toes in some beautifully cold body of water, and take a ride to see the rugged mountains!