Random Musings about Hiking Adventures

Hadn't been down in this area much, but saw it online and wanted to check it out.   Wildcat Den  park is a hidden gem.  This park has some great trails and really looked like it had some great campgrounds (if you're into that sort of thing). Lower Picnic Area Trail This trail was my favorite.  The sandstone cliffs (from what I understand are millions of years old) were beyond my expectations.  The bluffs and rock formations were awesome.  You gotta go see this. Mill Trail This was a nice hike out to the old Grist Mill.  It was a change of pace as it was mostly tree covered. Pine Creek Overlook has a scenic view right off the trail. Quite interesting, I'd never seen a snake climb a tree like that.  Ok, bring a swimsuit or old clothes as it is too tempting to enter the pool on the backside of the mill. Punch Bowl Trail We followed the Cool Hollow trail primarily as a means to get to the Cedar Cliff trail, it was a nice The tree w...

So, continuing our Covid-19 summer of exploring our nation's great state parks, I decided to cut out of work early since it was a nice day so we decided to take a spin in the great outdoors.  Palisades park is very close so it fit the bill for a quick afternoon getaway. For it being so close, I'm not sure why it has been years since I last visited.  It's a small little park w/ boat access, camping, hiking trails, and access to the Cedar River and the old dam. If you decide to go, I must warn you to bring some old clothes as you'll be tempted (or begged by children) to go into the Cedar River.  Down by the old dam, there are some pretty shallow parts where you can cross over in the river. Overlook Trail This short little trail goes right alongside the Cedar River.  There are several access points including a path down to the old dam.  I think a lot of people use it for access to fish off the Cedar.  A nice lookout point along the riv...

Happy Mothers Day. Here's your drink, breakfast in bed, and present.  Now that that's out of the way, let's get going. We took a little day trip to Dubuque to the  Mines Of Spain .  The weather didn't look good but it turned out to be not too bad of a day. Horseshoe Bluff Nature Trail I really liked this trail.  Who knew something so cool (besides me) could be in Iowa. The Horseshoe Bluff Trail has 3 levels.  We started up the trail to level 3.  What a beautiful view at the north end.  Should have taken a picture but there's a view of the Mississippi behind us. We went down to level 2 which skirts around the top for a while. We might have gone out-of-bounds on this climb. Then down to level 1.  The stairs were nice, but come on, we should be climbing down rocks! Colin doing his best "stand by me" moment. The back half of the trail had a hidden surprise, there was a train crossing the...