Parfrey's Glen

On Tuesday, Josh took off work, the sweetie that he is, so we could go on an adventure. We decided on an afternoon hike at Parfrey's Glen, or Parfley's Glen according to Josh. Located about 5 miles from Devil's Lake State Park, it took us less than an hour to get there. The parking area and the start of the trail were a little hard to find, so of course we got lost, but we got to check out the town of Merrimac, upon which we discovered where the rich people that work in Madison are able to own sweet houses with a lake view.

Parfrey's Glen has an easy walking trail that follows a stream tumbling over rocks down the glen. I guess the area flooded pretty badly in 2008 and was closed to the public for a while. We're glad to see it back open, because it was fantastic. You literally follow the stream the entire length of the trail until you reach a point where the water and rocks prevent much of a foot trail. At one point, we reached the "end" of the marked trail (maybe because of flood damage?), and we continued to hike and climb our way as far as we could go along the glen. As we started to move into restricted territory, we ran into a man coming in our direction carrying what turned out to be some drawings. His name was Steve Hovel and he has been working on a series of drawings that he is getting ready to publish soon. Check out his website http://www.shovelartpress.com/ to see his stuff! After we parted ways, Josh and I kept hiking and climbing up, over, and around rocks until we reached a point where we could go no further. This was by far the coolest part of the hike. We saw the greatest rock formations and scenery at this point and were thoroughly impressed. Parfrey's is definitely a place we will check out in the summer. Go to this link to see the rest of the photos from our adventure.

Berbee Derby 2009

On Thanksgiving morning, I ran a 10K - the Berbee Derby in Fitchburg. I haven't done a lot of running lately, so it...was...rough! I'm honestly just glad that I finished the race without passing out.

My time was 55:39, almost 10 minutes more than my last run. Nevertheless, it was fun and I can see doing this run every Thanksgiving. It's really a great way to start the holiday weekend. Now if I can only get Amanda to run it next year...

Packers vs. 49ers

On Sunday, Zach, Shawsy, Jerry (Shawsy's brother-in-law) and I went to the Packers-Niners game. When we got to Shawsy's, he gave me a Punch in the Face, but he made up for it with a cinnamon role from Windsor Breads. Oh baby!

The game was entertaining and the weather was unseasonably beautiful. Green Bay played well for the most part - although they almost blew it - and won 30-24. Check out the highlights here.

Even more entertaining than the action on the field were the people in the seats around us. They spouted an abundance of cliched coach speak, and at the same time provided us with more "that's what she said-able" material than you could possibly choke down...

Before heading home, we stopped at Stuc's in Appleton for calzones - big freaking yum!

New Mexico

In late October, my staff and I went to Albuquerque for a conference. While we were there, we saw a bunch of cool stuff, ate a lot of good food and had a ton of fun. For photos and videos from the trip, check out my Facebook page.

Pumpkin Carving

While some people celebrate Halloween by dressing extra slutty and parading their bums around State Street, we decided to participate in something a little more wholesome - performing full lobotomies on innocent, unsuspecting pumpkins.

Amanda's pumpkin (pictured) was by far the superior pumpkin. We roasted the pumpkin seeds and they were big yummy. As of Thanksgiving, Amanda was half-way done with hers.

MSO - Peter Serkin

Well, last weekend, I coaxed Josh into joining me for a Madison Symphony Orchestra performance featuring Peter Serkin, a well-known pianist, performing Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1. I personally had a great time at MSO's opening weekend and thoroughly enjoyed myself - I am a huge sucker for music events :) Other works on the program included Beethoven's incidental overture "Consecration of the House" and Richard Strauss' "Death and Transfiguration." For program notes, check out this link.

Another exciting part of the night - there was a silent auction on the 2nd floor of the Overture Center. Josh, always on the lookout for unique artwork, spotted something he liked. After a little encouragement (I had to physically force his hand to write his name and contact information on the bid sheet - just kidding), he put down a low bid and received a phone call the next day informing him that his bid won the piece - how cool is that?? Check back later and we'll post a picture of the artwork...

The Shack

On Saturday we went to The Shack. A cabin that sits on 240 acres in the town of Emery, The Shack has been a northern Wisconsin destination for hunters and snowshoers alike for over 50 years.

We were there for less than 24 hours, but Team Big Yum packed in a lot in a short amount of time. We ate tons of great food, Amanda shot a gun (effectively!), and Mia dressed up like Hannibal Lecter. It was a good time.

Pancake Cafe

Yes, that is a pancake. A German pancake to be specific. And, yes, Amanda annihilated the whole thing.

For breakfast today, we went to the Pancake Cafe. The dining experience marked two firsts for Big Yum - our first trip to the Pancake Cafe and our first time going out for breakfast! Can you believe that?!

Their menu is pretty amazing and received two Yums Up.

Suzy's Run 2009

Well, it came sooner than expected, but yesterday I participated in another 10k - Suzy's Run. The route was almost identical to the zoo run, save the fact that we started and ended at Vilas Park instead of the Vilas Zoo. Oh, and the other half of Big Yum was working again, this time at State Fair. Sheesh!

When compared to the Zoo Run Run, it was a much smaller group and a much faster group. Within about two minutes of the start of the race, I was all alone, with nary a runner to be seen. Nonetheless, it was a fun event, and I improved my time by about 4.5 minutes.

To check my time, go here (search bib #121).

Zoo Run Run 2009

Okay, so this wasn't exactly a Team Big Yum event, but it was my first 10K run. In fact, it was the first organized run I participated in since basic training, and the first organized run I voluntarily participated in since high school. So, it was kind of a half Team Big Yum thing, with the other half of the team playing piano at Eastside Lutheran. Either way you slice it, it was great fun!

The run started at 10 a.m. and the weather was absolutely perfect for running. The route took us past Edgewood College, through the Arboretum, and back to the zoo. The run was terrific, as was the spread that was provided afterwards - cookies, bagels, oranges, bananas, apples, water, and goodies from Trader Joe's. I still haven't received my t-shirt (damn you, SportsCenter, for making me late!) but should within a couple of weeks.

I did okay for my first time (that's what she said). My overall time was 50:11 and my pace was 8:05. For the next 10k, my goal is to improve my time to 45 minutes. We shall see.

Go here for Zoo Run Run results (search bib #669 for yours truly).

Bluemound Day Trip

Yesterday, Josh and I ventured to Bluemound State Park for some exploring and hiking. This state park was highly recommended to both of us by many people. The park has a swimming pool (the only state park in Wisconsin that has one), some observation towers, and a variety of hiking trails.

Our verdict: the camping looks to be very cool, but the trails...not so much. The trails are more geared toward bikers and skiers. They were pretty flat, open, and uneventful overall. We did hike one interesting trail that wound around through the woods, but this was the best Bluemound had to offer in our opinions. The lookout towers were pretty neat, offering a great panorama of scenery - you could even glimpse the Capitol building from the top. As for any future visits to Bluemound, we already scoped out some good camping spots for next year. Lounging by the pool might be fun, and maybe adding biking to our list of things to do would make a camping getaway exciting :)

Camping at Interstate

Over Labor Day weekend, Josh and I headed up north to Interstate State Park for some camping. Interstate is Wisconsin's first state park, so we were pretty pumped. We were also excited to get out of mid-state area and embraced the thought of a five hour drive. Upon arrival, however, our sore butts and backs combined with our totally wide open campsite covered with gravel, and neighbored by some...interesting people...was a little less than ideal :) Check out this video Josh took on his camera to get a full view of our campsite. Don't worry, because Josh and I are such troopers, we of course had a blast the whole weekend.

To start off, the interesting people warrant a paragraph all to themselves. Directly next to us was a big rig camper... My fondest memories of this family include the woman lounging in an old beach chair, the little girls that totally gave Josh and I the stink-eye every time they rode by on their bikes, the stereotypical 40-some, slightly Stallis (West Allis - it has a reputation and meaning for those from Milwaukee) man who set up a tent halfway and we were convinced was going to be drunk by noon and not finish setting it up, the pug named Bam-Bam that also doubled as the Stallis man's "wife," the bug sprayer the Stallis man used to spray the entire radius of his campsite... These are just a few of my memories, there were many many more... :)

We spent most of the weekend hiking as usual. There were many different trails, ranging from a cool (literally, it was like stepping into an ice box) walk through a rocky cliff area to a grassy mosquito trap leading to a small waterfall. The area was quite pretty, especially the scenery looking into Minnesota and the beautiful landmarks we happened across on our hikes... The area really was very pretty though - we just happened upon some funny picture-taking opportunities along the way. As a side note, Minnesota has its own Interstate State Park, and from we could tell, it is UGLY, totally not as cool as Wisconsin's version :)

As usual, our nights consisted of campfires. Now, if you remember, at Wyalusing, we could hardly start a fire due to our totally soaked wood and campsite. In totally opposite conditions, at Interstate, we could hardly start a fire due to the incredibly dense wood that would just not hold a flame. Note: the Interstate employees are liars! We were specifically told that wood bought from the Interstate campground would "burn better" and be "less expensive," but upon further investigation, wood bought from the area BP gas station proved to be superior. After we figured this out, we stocked up on wood from the BP and contentedly sat back and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows.

Our Saturday night adventure involved going to Loggers, a local bar, to watch the first Badger game of the season. We met my favorite person ever, Kaitlyn, and ordered a pitcher of Bud Light (RAC pitcher style!!!) and some food. The food was a little lacking, but we've come to expect this and have, by now, realized how spoiled we've become with the fine dining in Madison. Another funny story - upon walking into this bar, which was recommended by workers at the state park office, we were shocked to find that not one, not two, but ALL the TVs in the bar were set to the Weather Channel! Seriously... We had to pretty much bribe one of the bar tenders to switch one of the TVs to the Badger game. Sigh...

On our return trip, Josh and I stopped at Norske Nook in Osseo for some Norwegian food and, most importantly, PIE! We had no choice but to stop - Norske Nook was so highly recommended to us - plus Josh could never live it down if he arrived at work on Tuesday morning without stories of pie. Well, for once, the restaurant lived up to our expectations. Josh ordered a traditional meal called lefse. Check out the picture, it looks a little unappetizing, but it was actually pretty good. The hamburger I ate is hardly worth mentioning and definitely not worth a picture. Both of us followed up with pie. I had decided on the Chocolate Peanut Butter pie days before (Josh tried to sway me so he could get it himself, but to no avail) and Josh chose the Pecan Cream Cheese, which was pretty much a mountain of caramelized nuts. Both were incredibly delicious and worth a trip back!!! Make sure to check it out if you find yourself in northern Wisconsin. Norske Nook has 5 locations!!

I'll leave you with my favorite memory of the weekend. We all know by now that every campground has some real winners in terms of weekend visitors (for example, our next door neighbor), but I still give the top award to the yappy dog that barked every 3 seconds, or every 1 second if someone walked by or made some type of disturbing noise, and by disturbing noise, I'm referring to a sneeze from Josh - no joke, the yapping commenced after sneezing. Now, I know Josh has a pretty mighty sneeze, but seriously...

Despite all of the funny/strange memories, we really did have a fun weekend. Josh and I decided that Interstate was going to be our last camping experience of 2009. We are looking forward to next year and all of the new places we'll get to explore. Stay tuned to "Big Yum" for our fall and winter adventures :)

Wyalusing - Part II Effigy Mounds

On Sunday, Josh and I packed up camp, realized we had ripped the tent while setting up in the dark on Friday night (ooops...), and headed into Iowa. That's right, we abandoned our Wisconsin loyalty to check out Effigy Mounds, located in Harpers Ferry, only about a half hour(?) from Wyalusing.

Effigy Mounds is...what you probably think it is...a bunch of mounds. The area is covered with American Indian burial mounds in different shapes (bears, birds, circles, etc.). There are over 200 well-preserved mounds at this national monument. Not only are the mounds incredibly interesting, but the area is packed with nicely groomed, woodchipped trails perfect for hiking.

There are many branches of trail that shuffle hikers past all the different mounds and lookout points along the Mississippi River. Naturally, Josh and I decided to do the entire trail, including most of the extra lookout points. The lookout points were impressive (a fantastic view of the Mississippi), but pretty much all the same. The final lookout point (clearly the end goal for most hikers) was well over a mile beyond most of the other mounds and lookout points - and not an ordinary mile - a mile with very hilly terrain and not many mounds along the way. I have to admit, I was a little weary by this point, but Josh took it in stride (he only tried pushing me off the cliff twice). Our lesson to pass on: either go straight to the far lookout point or check out all the shorter trail segments and lookout points. Doing both=tiring!!!

Overall, the hills of Effigy Mounds were pretty killer on both of our bodies (mostly because we had hiked and canoed ourselves into exhaustion the day before). So to re-fuel, we headed to McGregor, Iowa (a town recommended for its cute and cozy downtown area) for dinner. We ate at Old Man River Brewery. My burger and Josh's portabella sandwich hit the spot, along with some freshly brewed beer. I don't know how impressed Josh REALLY was with the restaurant, but I sure thought the beer and my burger were delicious. The town of McGregor was not the knockout experience we anticipated, but still worth stopping to check it out if you find yourself in the area.

Check out the pics of our great view of the Mississippi.

Wyalusing

So, allow me set the scene for you: we check in at Wyalusing State Park, the staff is incredibly friendly and about a dozen hummingbirds are buzzing about the feeders outside of the visitor center. Paradise, right? Now fast forward five minutes and imagine this: there's a tent already set up on our campsite, the fire pit has six inches of standing water, and the rest of our site looks like it would be better suited for mud wrestling than camping. Ah, here's to perseverance! Here's to positive thinking! And, most of all, here's to Team Big Yum!

Friday was a challenge, yes, but it wasn't anything we couldn't handle. Child's play, really. Once the gentleman who took the liberty of erecting his tent on our campsite moved on, we set up our tent - in the dark. A couple tears and a couple Rocky Arbor Champagnes later and that sucker was standing tall! Now, are we ready to assemble and disassemble M-16s while blindfolded? Ummm...No. Unfortunately, it was far too wet for a fire, so we just made some sammies in the tent and crashed early. This proved to be a wise choice because the physical demands we placed on our bodies over the course of the next two days could not have been anticipated.

After a solid night of sleep - fresh, cool air is so great for sleeping - we got up and had some fun with our new toys. First we percolated some coffee, a first for both of us. Using my parent's Coleman stove from the Jurassic Era, we made what turned out to be perhaps the weakest coffee either of us had ever had. The coffee cups we used were not much help either. Also from prehistoric times, these cups were created before the concept of thermal insulation proliferated the more frigid regions of the planet. Nevertheless, percolating coffee was fun, and we got some pointers on how to do it right next time. After coffee it was time for some scramblers - scrambled eggs with ham, cheese, green peppers and salsa - big yum! Absolutely delicious. My parents maintain that there is nothing like eating eggs out in the woods and I can't argue with that.

After breakfast, we ventured out to explore Wyalusing and all it had to offer. The park, which is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers, features numerous hiking trails, Indian mounds, and caves - all ripe for exploring. We started at Point Lookout where you can not only enjoy a beautiful view of the confluence of the two rivers, but also see for miles and miles. Next we hiked the Sentinel Ridge Trail from the lookout down to the boat landing. It was 1.6 miles of pretty grueling terrain that was only made more challenging by the 500 foot change in elevation from start to finish. A trip to the campsite and a couple of sandwiches later we rented a canoe (editor's note: if a campground offers one-hour rentals, get the equipment two hours before they close-up shop for the day - you will probably get two hours for the price of one). We weren't in the water five minutes and we spotted a bald eagle perched on a rock eating a fish! How amazing is that? It was a gorgeous day, so we just stopped in the water and gazed at what we considered to be a once-in-a-lifetime siting. Once Amanda reached back with her paddle and wiped the drool from my chin, we moved on. While out canoeing, we saw some raccoons running around and we got a cool picture of them peeking out of the hole in a tree.

Our favorite thing to do while camping is having a campfire. In addition to keeping us warm during this icy summer, we usually cook some hotdogs and make smores. Sitting around the fire and talking about what boys we like has become something we both look forward to, perhaps more so than any other aspect of camping. At Wyalusing we had a little trouble getting a fire started, however, due to the damp firewood. Amanda did her darnedest to the get the fire going, but 15 firestarters and two newspapers later (I had to physically prevent her from burning dollar bills), we decided to go buy some of lighter fluid. That did the trick. Amanda bathed the firewood in fire juice and - poof! - we had a blazer. Not concerned that our fire was visible from the international space station, we cooked some food, put some Rocky Arbor Champagnes out of their misery, and went to bed.

Sunday we got up, made some more - big yum! - scramblers, packed up and headed to Iowa.

Best "That's What She Said" of the weekend: That's a long train (Amanda).

To view all of the photos from the weekend, go here. To view our ever-evolving handy-dandy camping checklist, go here.

This post was conceived at Ground Zero Coffee.

Governor Dodge Part 2 - The Grumpy Troll

After leaving Governor Dodge, we stopped in Mt. Horeb for what turned out to be truly delightful dining experience at The Grumpy Troll. You know when you look at a menu and you kind of get a sense that everything on it is good? Yeah, that's the feeling we had when perusing what the Troll had to offer.

We went for the burgers. I got The Grumpy Troll and Amanda chose the Black Bean Burger. Both delivered. The Grumpy Troll was stacked with thick bacon and cheddar cheese and also included some barbecue sauce (big yum!) for dipping. It was nearly perfect. Amanda's burger was actually not a burger at all, but an open face bun covered with black beans, tomatoes and cheese, with salsa and sour cream on the side. It was great, too, and best of all, gave us a terrific idea for future do-it-yourself meals. The sides were almost as impressive as the burgers. Waffle cut fries (when are those ever bad?) and some very respectable coleslaw. They were out of Grump Chips, so we'll have to get those next time. And, yes, there will be a 'next time'. I know so because Amanda told me.

Usually there isn't room for dessert after a meal like that, but when Deep Fried Snickers are on the menu...you do the math. Big yum!

The Grumpy Troll also brews their own beer - some of which is award winning - and they provided samples for us to taste. While exploring their beer menu, we learned that (1) I.B.U.s are International Bitterness Units, and (2) that beer with 11% alcohol-by-volume is just too much alcohol. Their Imperial Stout seriously made me shiver and shake! We purchased bottles of their Trailside Wheat and Erik the Red to take home.

The icing on the cake was the after dinner chocolate - M&M-like mints. We paid our bill and departed, extremely satisfied and glad we stopped there for dinner. Upon our arrival at the restaurant, there were a bunch of motorcycles in the parking lot and, although we didn't communicate it verbally, we both had second thoughts about going in. Well, here's to bravery!!! Or to not being wusses. Whatever - you decide.

Governor Dodge - Part 1

On Sunday, Josh and I planned a day trip to Governor Dodge State Park. The park is awesome! It has tons of hiking trails, including one with a waterfall, and (located in Dodgeville) it takes only a little over an hour to get there from Madison. Even the drive there was fun due to the pretty scenery on the way, some entertaining podcasts, and my mad crocheting skills put to work. Oh, did I mention that we had to abandon the "camping car" - Josh's car - for the day because he was a dummy and let his car battery go dead? The tow truck has been following him for weeks, he should have known better :)

At the park, we started out with an hour and a half hike on the Pine Cliff Nature trail, then took some time to snack (on the cheddar crackers, some veggies, and a delicious m&m cookie) before moving on to the Stephens Falls Trail, or...the waterfall trail.

The Pine Cliff Trail was beautiful. The pretty scenery changes dramatically throughout the 2 miles, so there was always something new to look at. My favorite part of this trail = the gigantic steps (shown in the picture). These steps lead up to a higher part of the trail (obviously) where we were eventually able to peak at the lake and beach area from a secluded cliff covered with massive trees.

Now, the Stephens Falls Trail... Clearly, the waterfall is the featured sight of this hike. The main part of the trail is pretty much just some steps leading down to the base of the waterfall. The waterfall was very cool(!!!), but this part of the trail was totally invaded by everyone "hiking" at Governor Dodge with dogs and kiddos. The trail itself is pretty short, only 0.5 miles, if you follow the loop to the right. But this trail also branches off into another trail to the left. Naturally, Josh and I ended up being adventurous, and - more in an attempt to get away from all the goofs - we followed the trail to the left and hiked quite a long way on what we think was the Lost Canyon Trail. The entire area is so pretty, lots of green and lots of different things to look at. Quite fantastic.

This state park is also really cool because it has horse trails. And apparently it is possible to rent horses for the day and take them out on these trails. How cool is that?!? Anyway, we finished out the day by sitting at the beach area for a little bit before heading on to eat at the Grumpy Troll.

Click here to check out some pretty sweet pics from the day.

Lake Ripley

Today we went to fabulous Lake Ripley! Well, to be more accurate, we went to Ripley Park (only our feet went in the lake). We lounged around on the beach and wished it was a little warmer so we would have an excuse to jump in the water. Maybe next time...The park is mad cool, though. Only $2 to enter. And flush toilets, so Amanda didn't have to exorcise any demons in the pristine waters of the lake.

Opera in the Park

So think back…way back…to last weekend. An event that managed to slip through the blog cracks (mainly because Josh is way more on top of this whole blog thing than I am)…the great summer event: Opera in the Park.

Madison Opera presented this free, outdoor event and welcomed four talented vocalists to perform, joined by the Madison Opera Chorus and the Madison Symphony Orchestra. I have to say, this event was FANTASTIC, and free! Definitely geared toward music lovers, I was thoroughly entertained. Yet, the event was still structured to reach those who haven’t devoted countless hours…or should I say years…to music :) Programmed in two parts, the first half was all hardcore classical selections, ranging from Puccini to Verdi to Bizet. The second half began with some selections from Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman” and then awkwardly transitioned to popular Broadway pieces, which brought on the waving of hundreds of glowsticks in the dark.

Throughout the evening, Josh developed a little crush on one of the performers, Ms. Holloway. Sadly, she was my favorite of the four vocalists, so I had to approve. Little does Josh know that when we go to baseball games together, I find myself thinking, “Wait, did I come here with someone… I think his name starts with a J… Hmmm, baseball pants…” Anyway, Opera in the Park was a huge thumbs up: the music was great, the sound was well done, and the glowsticks, oh the glowsticks... I had a fantastic time and I think Joe…I mean Josh did too. This event is definitely on my calendar for next summer! Check out this page for more info.

Duck Blind

Thursday night we kept with two time-honored Wisconsin traditions - baseball and beer. Fil was generous enough to take us not just to a Madison Mallards' game, but a Mallards' game in the Duck Blind. The Duck Blind has all you can eat and drink, so of course we had fun. Meaghan joined, too, and we all stuffed our faces and drank heartily.

I started and ended with Great Dane Crop Circle Wheat (big yum!), and Amanda and Meaghan stuck with Blue Moon. We ate BBQ pork sandwiches, chicken sliders, cheeseburgers, gyro brats, brats, hotdogs, fries, potato salad and coleslaw. It was all really good, especially for stadium food. If I had to choose one, I wouldn't, I would want a gyro brat and a BBQ pork sandwich.

The Duck Blind is definitely worth trying, and since Fil won the tickets in a raffle, it was all free, free, free! An extra special thanks to Filomena! And to Meaghan for joining. As for the Mallards - who cares? I looked at a yellow pole all night.

Brewer Game #1

In the first of two scheduled trips to Miller Park, we went with Michelle and Tim to watch the Brewers play the Washington Nationals. The Brewers won 7-5, but we didn't really go for the baseball - we went for something to do on a Wednesday night. It was a fun night. Michelle was kind enough to drive, Tim was kind enough to navigate, and, hey, large Miller Lites were only $7.50! We met Amanda's family's friends, Patty and Dan, and they were alright.

For the boxscore and video and audio highlights of the game, go here.

To view all of our photos from the night, go here.

Camping at Rocky Arbor

Last weekend, Josh and I went camping at Rocky Arbor State Park. It was our first full weekend endeavor together and the first time either of us had been camping in many years. Rocky Arbor is in the Dells area, about an hour away from Madison, close to other popular state parks like Devil's Lake and Mirror Lake. Surprisingly, setting up the tent on Friday night was pretty easy, and a campfire followed shortly after.

Our mornings consisted of sleeping in, eating cereal with fruit for breakfast (a new activity for me!!!), and going to Starbucks for coffee, yes, that's right...Starbucks. We vow never to do this again on a camping trip...right...

In the afternoons, we explored. We intended to find a little known area called the Dells of the Wisconsin River State Natural Area. Naturally, we got lost, probably due to the map not drawn to scale and Josh's poor sense of direction. We ended up on the other side of the Dells and ran across Mirror Lake, a destination we were planning on reaching later that day...so we stopped there first. We hiked around, checked out the rates for canoe rentals, and tried to scope out some good campsites. After this, we looked at a map and figured out how to find the State Natural Area from Mirror Lake. This time we successfully found it (...and ran across the Chula Vista, which it turns out, is located in the boonies of the Dells), ate lunch, and started our hike. This area turned out to be one of our favorites for the weekend. The trail took about 20 minutes and ended at a small sandy beach on the Wisconsin River. We explored around for quite some time. I discovered some footprints in the wet sand, probably mink? Josh took some time to hike around the rock formations off the trail. This area would be great for picnicking for the day...we hope to do this sometime...

Keeping our loyalty intact, we did end up hiking the one-mile trail at Rocky Arbor. We almost died of a massive mosquito attack, so the hike was a quick one, though the trail was ridiculously beautiful.

Each night ended with a campfire that included cheesy hotdogs over the flame, perfectly brown, gooey (or burned, in my case - thank you, Josh, for eating those...) marshmallows for s'mores, and some inventive salami sandwiches. We topped it all off with Rocky Arbor Champagne = Bud Light in 16 oz cans. Classy? I think so.

Overall, a weekend well done. We got to relax and enjoy each other's company, while at the same time, we still had enough activities planned to keep us busy the whole weekend. We already have another camping trip planned in late August...stay tuned to see if I survive the pit toilets at Wyalusing :)

To view all of our photos from the weekend, go here.

Mirror Lake

Sunday afternoon we went to Mirror Lake and did the usual day trip stuff. We got lucky with the weather (it was supposed to rain) and it turned out to be a beautiful day. When we got there, we hiked the Eastern Loop and then had a picnic lunch. After Amanda was done stuffing her face with spicy cheesy bread, her friends arrived and we rented a canoe for the afternoon. Mirror Lake (map) is kind of strange and seems much more like a slow-moving river than a lake. It's actually a man-made lake and has numerous inlets that can be explored. In addition to canoeing, the day included some beach bumming, playing catch, and a very disappointing trip to Culvers.

Welcome to Big Yum...

We (Josh and Amanda) like to have a good time. We like camping, concerts, movies, hiking, sports, eating, shopping, exercising, and so on and so forth. Being active, trying new things and traveling to new places are our passions, and Big Yum is the place where these activities - and countless others - will be chronicled.

Big Yum will not only chronicle these activities, however. It will also serve as a useful tool to those who would like to engage in similar activities, as we post what we learn from our experiences so that others can also execute successful activities. If a campground is in a terrific location with top-notch amenities, we will let you know. If a restaurant serves over-priced food with undersized portions, we will cry foul.

So, let me be the first to say "Welcome to Big Yum!" And please, feel free to visit us in the future for information that will help you plan fun activities, or stop by just to see what crazy shenanigans we've been up to. Oh, and if you're wondering about the name "Big Yum," it would take too long to explain, so just roll with it. And for the record, "Yondering" was our first choice (damn you Wander'n Dude in the Phillipines!!!).