Hike 9 - Hyland Richardson Nature Park

I planned to hike Hyland park the week before, but it was 95 degrees that day so that was a big 'nope'. A week later, we got up and called my mother in law to see if she wanted to join us for a morning hike. We met up at the Richardson Nature Park, a section of the larger Hyland Park.

Hike #: 9

Trail: Hyland Richardson Nature Park

Location: Bloomington, MN

Trail surface: dirt, paved

Date: 6/3/18

I printed out a trail map and off we went, although we weren't sure on which path to take. We checked the map near the nature center and couldn't quite figure it out (even Jesse who is usually better at navigation than me) so we just started walking. Soon enough, we found ourselves on a great nature trail. I have to admit it was a bit of a surprise to find an area that we could feel so secluded and still be in a highly populated city.

But then we got lost. We didn't realize it at first. We found ourselves amongst the ski trails and disc golf area. We'd checked the printed map and Jesse checked his phone multiple times, but somehow we'd gotten way off. The kicker is, early in our walk, Riley suggested we go back the way we'd just come and we said 'no' thinking she wanted to cut the hike short, but it really was the way we needed to go. While we LOVED this trail at first, it could have used much better signage along the trail, and that caused us to dock it points. We thought about cutting through the woods at some point and eventually stopped people to ask if they knew how to get back to the correct trail. We all joked that it was a good thing that we brought food and water because we might have had to camp out on the ski hills of Bloomington.

Even with getting lost and putting something like 12,000 steps on my Fitbit, I'd really like to come back and try this trail again. It deserves a better rating.

Jo: ★★★

Jesse: ★ (he started out with a 4 until we got lost)

Riley: ★★

Hike 8 - Interstate State Park - Minnesota

When I mentioned my hiking goal to a co-worker she suggested Interstate State Park on the Minnesota side and suggested we explore the glacial potholes there. So, Jesse and I scheduled  a day trip over Memorial Day weekend to do so, but as the day neared, we sort of regretted our decision as it was going to be close to 100 that day and we don't deal well with heat. We'd also changed our day trip to an overnight camping trip so we felt fairly committed to this. We got up early, drove the hour there, and were hiking by 8:30. It was probably close to 80 degrees by that time, which is too hot for hiking in our opinion (50 - 65 is a good temp range). 

Hike #: 8

Trail: Interstate State Park

Location: Taylors Falls, MN

Trail Surface: Rocks, dirt

Date: 5/19/18

We wandered around the glacial potholes, climbing and exploring for awhile when Jesse turned to me and noted that I already looked like I was in the danger zone as my face was all red. My danger zone usually leads to a three day migraine so we both know the importance of steering clear of it. I drank some more water and poured some over the back of my head (which is more effective in cooling me down). I wasn't ready to give up so we followed the river trail ever so briefly and then headed back to the air conditioned truck after it was clear that Jesse and Riley were getting a bit crabby from the heat.

I'm a little embarrassed to count this as a hike as I don't think we quite met two miles, but Jesse assured me that this one counts due to the nature of the trail. We worked hard to get to this trail so we weren't about to let it not count. I would have liked to hike the entire loop before rating it as I'm certain Jesse and I would have rated it higher. I'd like to come back here some day, but I'm guessing we'll check out the Wisconsin side of this park the next time we head up that way. Either way, I like hiking along the St. Croix River.

Jo: ★★★

Jesse: ★★

Riley: ★★★★★

Check out my post about our day exploring the Taylors Falls area. 

Hike 7 - Big Bay State Park/Big Bay Town Park

Our second hike on Madeline Island was a brief walk from our campsite. We'd considered another nearby hike, but there was a sign that a bear and her cubs had been seen recently, so we decided it was best to avoid that path. Instead we, walked over to the beach and took the boardwalk from Big Bay State Park to Big Bay Town Park. Back in 2013, when Riley was 3, we'd visited Madeline Island and walked a little of Big Bay Town Park, but didn't go far because 3 year old's don't hike far, so it was nice to see where that trail actually went.

Hike #: 7

Trail: Big Bay State Park to Big Bay Town Park and back

Location: Madeline Island, Wisconsin

Trail surface: boardwalk with sand on the beach

Date: 5/19/18

This trail was a little longer than we realized (2 miles each way?), which wasn't bad, but was more of a "when are we going to get to the end - this boardwalk feels like it goes on forever". In fact, Riley, who tends to rate on the high side, said she was only giving this trail a 3 because of the length even though she enjoyed the hike. The board walk was well maintained and had plenty of paths over to the beach and benches to rest on. It was chilly on this day with a threat of rain, but had it been warmer, we likely would have found a spot on the beach to relax for while.  We only saw a couple people on this trail so it earns points for that.

Jo: ★★★★

Jesse: ★★★★

Riley: ★★★

Check out my Madeline Island post to read more about our weekend camping trip here.