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Not really SAD, but

A lot of people are affected with Seasonal Affective Disorder in Wisconsin.  We have many, many days without sun during the winter months.  This year, we've had a string of days with heavy fog and unseasonably warm temperatures in the 30's and 40's.   Personally, I can't claim that I've ever really felt the effects of SAD, but this year, knowing that we are likely moving west later next year, I've been very impatient and annoyed with Wisconsin weather.   Sun trying to fight through the clouds It hasn't helped that my daily routine involves looking at the weather in Fort Collins and Tucson.  Their weather has been spectacularly sunny and more pleasant this time of year.   So, I haven't been blogging much because not much is going on. I've substituted indoor pickleball for hiking. The trails have been muddy and not much fun. For Christmas, we had my mother, Julia's brother and Allie here.  I went and retrieved my mother from Cedar Rapids a...

New Glarus Woods State Park

Faced with involuntary servitude this fall, Julia and I escaped to a nearby state park last week for a few days.



New Glarus Woods is about 30 minutes south of Madison, Wisconsin. Itā€™s a small park with a rustic campground ($15 per night).


The park has several assets: a great 5 mile nature trail, a beautiful restored prairie, and a bike/footpath into the nearby town of New Glarus (a tourist destination with Swiss themes).


Good thing itā€™s plastic

Someone tell Callie that it isnā€™t real


On the negative side, the park was poorly maintained during our visit. There was lots of trash in the parking lots and some at our campsite. A broken water spigot was left running all night. State park staff drive through without picking up or making repairs. Not their job I guess.


There are no electrical hookups. Sites are very wooded, making solar a game of catching a few rays by moving ones solar panels frequently. Generators are not allowed in Wisconsin State Parks.


Nevertheless, we made the best of things. We did lots of hiking. Julia kayaked the Sugar River. We picked up Amish baked goods and vegetables at a local farmerā€™s market, and we took in a wine tasting and appetizers at the local brewery/winery/distillery in nearby Monroe.







We had campfires every night, and it was a welcome respite, ahead of a possibly challenging fall for our family.




Iā€™m going to squeeze in one more late summer trip while I still can.

Comments

greg saidā€¦
Got to take it where you can get it!

I was just on the phone to Mom and she once again told me not to do anymore camping in this heat. I didn't tell her that I had just been on-line looking for open campsites I could get into in a couple weeks.
Brewed Journey saidā€¦
Also, when you can take it. As a member of the pessimist/realist club, these might be the golden days.
MFH saidā€¦
Does Julia look at maps of the river(s) before she kayaks? Have always wondered whether folks who do that, kayak, just get in and go and "deal" with what they encounter, or if they do any pre-trip checking for waterfalls, 'gators, piranhas?
John saidā€¦
Yes, she does. The Sugar River has dams that need to be portaged. She also researched pickup and dropoff points. During her 3-4 hour trip, she didn't see any other people on the water.

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