Devil’s Lake Outing
Christine and I decided it was high time that we saw more of Wisconsin than just Madison and Milwaukee. Fall is here and we wanted to experience the great outdoors before doing so became a test of endurance. We drove up to Devil’s Lake State Park hoping to see the leaves in full variegated color. Unfortunately, we were about 2 weeks too early for that. Fortunately, it didn’t matter. We had a great time anyway.
[fa:p:a=devils-lake-outing,id=263434499,j=r,s=t,l=p]We left the house around 1:30pm and headed out.
[fa:p:a=devils-lake-outing,id=263435082,j=l,s=t,l=p]First, we had to stop and fill up the tank.
[fa:p:a=devils-lake-outing,id=263436054,j=r,s=t,l=p]Using directions given to me by a co-worker, we decided to take the scenic route. We drove north on Route 12, then headed north-west on Route 188. Along the way, we passed some corn fields and more corn fields. Wisconsin may be known as the Dairy State, but I see far more corn around here than I do dairy cows. A short drive around the area will show you why ethanol is such a big deal in this state.
[fa:p:a=devils-lake-outing,id=263439161,j=l,s=t,l=p] We spent about an hour and a half waiting for the Merrimac Ferry. [fa:p:a=devils-lake-outing,id=263440002,j=r,s=t,l=p]It was okay though — we got to enjoy ice-cream while we waited. The Merrimac Ferry crosses the Lake Wisconsin (Indian for “dark waters”) and is the only free ferry in Wisconsin. It can carry 15 cars at a time, but it’s not a long trip or an oppressive wait.
[fa:p:a=devils-lake-outing,p=2,id=263449548,j=l,s=t,l=p] [fa:p:a=devils-lake-outing,p=2,id=263452298,j=r,s=t,l=p] Once we got to Devil’s Lake State Park, we spent a fair amount of time driving around the park, looking for a good trail to hike. Finally, we decided on the Parfrey Glenn waterfall route. The last half of the walk was quite spectacular and there was indeed a waterfall.
After we walked the trail, it was time to head home. We had a great tiem and we really enjoyed the opportunity to enjoy God’s creation and each other’s company. We’re already thinking about a return trip, once the baby arrives and Christine can do more walking.
View all of the pictures from this trip.