This 4th of July weekend, Wayne and I went to Wisconsin for a little vacation. We stayed in Portage, WI at one of the hotels nearby. It was kind of nice to get away and hangout with Wayne. I also was really excited because we were going to go hiking on Saturday at Devils Lake State Park. When I was a freshman, someone I knew had posted some really cool pictures hiking around the park.
We left really early from the hotel to get to Devils Head.
Balanced Rock
Which was perfect because once we started hiking we were practically the only ones doing so. We also had researched where we wanted to go. We started on the south shore of the lake and took the Balanced Rock Trail. The trail was a nice place to kick off the hike. The trail is pretty steep and has a lot of steps. We were sweating pretty good halfway though. I could feel it in my legs since it was like we were climbing a staircase. It also sometimes didn't feel like we were actually on a trail because there are so many rocks on the side of the cliff.
Wayne Climbing Down
We also never really got to the actual balanced rock. All we could see was a view of it from where we were at. So it wasn't as spectacular we we had expected.
We then went to Devils Doorway. It was pretty cool seeing it and also seeing the spectacular view of the Forrest and lake. We also ran into this couple from Indiana. They were very nice and said that they have been to Montana, Kentucky, Virginia, Utah and pretty much everywhere to go hiking. I told Wayne that it would be really cool to go out to Montana or Utah to hike. So, now it's on our list of places to travel to. :)
We also saw some rock climbers. We were up pretty high and Ive done rock climbing before inside. I've always wanted to try it outdoors but there's no way I would rock climb at at height.
We went down the CCC Trail. It had a lot of scenic views. The only downfall was that it wasn't marked as well it could have been. And we got to the East Bluff Trail which was really nice.
It had just reached around 10am and the sun was beating down pretty good. Luckily for us, the trail was pretty shaded and paved. We saw some people hiking, running or walking their dogs. There was one guy though who was walking his dog down Balanced Rock which was insane for the poor dog. It was hard enough to get up the trail, I can only imagine getting downwards was pretty difficult for the pooch.
Then we got to the Potholes trail.
Wayne Climbing Down the Potholes Trail
It was a really steep trail that had a lot of cool scenic views. Plus the rocks were really pretty. We were breathing pretty hard by the end of it but we had a blast. I was really happy Wayne enjoyed the hiking. He thought it was really fun as exercise and a vacation from the city landscape. I've always wanted a log cabin house. I grew up going skiing and camping, so I've always liked the idea of having a cabin to stay at during the holidays.
After our hiking escapade, we decided to grab lunch at this little hopping place called The Log Cabin (fitting I know right?)
Wayne's Mac N' Cheese
There were a lot of cars there and we figured it must be pretty popular among the tourists. Wayne ordered the Meatloaf with Mac n' cheese and pasta sides. While I ordered the Chicken Mushroom and Swiss with corn and green beans. I've always been a veggies kind of girl.
Chicken, Mushrooms and Swiss Cheese
The food was alright. We were really hungry after hiking so that might have played a factor. Wayne thought the meatloaf and mac n cheese was pretty solid. But the pasta side was kind of boring and unflavored. The green beans and corn tasted from the can but the Chicken and Mushroom dish was Al's pretty solid. I just wished it wasn't so buttery and that it had more Swiss cheese on it.
Yum pie
We then caved in and got pie for dessert. Wayne got the banana cream pie while I got the pecan pie. Wayne really liked the pie and said it was really delicious. I on the other hand, thought the pecan pie was a bit too heavy. I like there to be a little less sauce on the pecan topping. In short, the food really hit the spot after a great day of hiking. :)
As always,
"The Couple that Grubs Together Stays Together"
-Grub Couple-
