On one of our last, beautiful autumn days, Gary and I drove to Hastings to check out a bike trail, and we discovered a park.
A view overlooking the Mississippi River from on top of the bluff.
Spring Lake Park Reserve is part of the Dakota County Park system and includes one long bluff, overlooking the Mississippi River.
A anchored barge on the river.
Schaaar’s Bluff derived its name from the Schaar family who owned and operated a family farm on the site from the late 1890’s until 1973, when they sold it to Dakota County to be included in the Spring Lake Park Reserve.
The entrance to Schaar’s Bluff.
Beautiful oak trees in the picnic area.
The park offers fantastic views of the Mississippi River. There is a picnic area, campfire rings, a playground, a Gathering Center, and lots of paved and unpaved trails for hiking and biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. There are oak trees to form wooded areas, lots of open spaces, and some prairie portions.
The beautiful, wooden fence along the bluff.
While looking at an overview map of the area, a woman directed us to some unpaved trails along Schaar’s bluff. The trail was covered with leaves so it was not obvious to find the path. The trail went along the river and was very scenic. There was a significant drop-off to the river.
The obscure trail-head for path along the bluff.
The trail along the bluff.
We hiked on a few trails that day. One trail took us across a steel bridge that had a short, sharp jog in it…really? That’s not something you see very often.
A bridge with a sharp corner halfway across.
The last colors of autumn.
The Gathering Center was in use, for some company’s retreat. The funky building design was fun and inside, in the women’s bathroom, was a plaque explaining how the Center is “harvesting rain.” It states “Schaars Bluff Gathering Center is gathering rain from our rooftops for the toilets in our restrooms.” It makes me happy to know they are recycling rain water.
The Gathering Center at Schaar’s Bluff.
A fire pit outside the Gathering Center.
Another unique highlight of the park was a Tobacco-Free Zone sign posted, informing smokers there are designated smoking areas in the park…one can smoke only in the parking lots and along the roadways. That was a first for me. I have not noticed that sign in other parks.
This is the first time I’ve noticed a no smoking sign in a park, but I assume they are posted in all Dakota County parks.
I’m grateful for the Schaar’s who offered their land to the county, to make this wonderful park along the mighty Mississippi River, with it’s scenic beauty for others to enjoy. We will visit it again.
Our annual trek to our beloved (rented) cabin on the waters of Lake Superior again proved to be refreshing, relaxing and good family time as our oldest son and his wife and daughter joined us at the cabin. We miss you TAZE!
A view inland.
From the fall color we had already seen we anticipated amazing vistas from nine overlooks on a favorite hike, the Oberg Mountain trail. It’s great trail that takes you to the top and then loops around offering a 360* view of the surrounding area.
Looking up.
Looking down.
So we waited until our son and his family arrived to hike this trail. It was a sunny day and the colors were spectacular: vibrant in the sunshine with a blue sky dotted with some white clouds.
The loop trail.
Walking through the yellow and lime-green trees and stepping out into open vistas over looking Lake Superior, inland forest and lakes and surrounded by incredible colors: red, yellow, orange and evergreen… it takes your breath away.
On top of Oberg Mountain with Lake Superior behind us.
No words can describe and pictures really don’t capture the spectacular beauty we see…we are just grateful to be able to be here in the moment.
The first stone church built in 1862. One of two historic churches at Valley Grove.
On the National Weather Service website it states there were 10 tornado tracks in SE Minnesota last week…apparently they use the term track before a tornado touchdown is confirmed. The havoc from these storms is all around us and we continue to hear stories of damage, and miracles of how the fallen trees and debris have not taken any lives. For that we are thankful.
The majestic oak tree in Valley Grove Cemetery. I took this photo just a few weeks ago.
But I did lose something dear…an old, oak tree at Valley Grove. I think this oak tree was beloved by many people.
The fallen oak tree at Valley Grove.
The old, oak tree that once stood tall, behind the two historic churches at Valley Grove.
Although the tree was not in my path daily I became very fond of the huge tree from many visits to the Valley Grove churches and cemetery. The towering, magnificent oak was a stable presence and protection over the cemetery where we plan to be buried someday.
The tree is at least 100 years old but the actual age is unknown. The Valley Grove community was started in 1860.
We knew the 100 year old (plus) tree would not last forever but the thought of it being there was comforting. Now it’s gone. Taken down by the storm…in minutes…toppling over tombstones and laid to rest.
The tree toppled onto tombstones, breaking a few.
The oak tree on its side…you can see the chain that helped stabilize the massive tree.
We recently took a hike through the prairie lands behind the cemetery and took a few photos of the massive oak tree, held together in some parts by chains. We’ve had picnics at Valley Grove and attend the Christmas Eve service in the historic church every year.
The fallen tree in the background where it once stood tall.
This is a special place, and will continue to be, although it will never be the same. The majestic oak tree will be missed by many.
Walking through the vibrant prairie at Valley Grove.
A second church was built in 1894 across from the first church because they outgrew the first one.
When we checked into our wonderful B&B in the farming community near Söll, Austria we were visiting with the friendly woman at the front desk and asking her about hikes in the area. She suggested hiking to Alpengasthaus Stallhäusl which would take about an hour. That sounded good to us…
Near the beginning of our hike.
She gave us directions and told us the signs to follow so, after lunch, off we went. Fortunately we wore our hats and we brought some water because it was sunny and hot.
Gary
The hike started on the lane behind the B&B. We walked passed a riding stable and a barn where Haflinger horses are bred. We walked past cows with bells clanging around their necks grazing in the fields, and past chickens cackling near their cute coop with flowers blooming in it’s own little flower box. Then we started our ascent…we kept climbing and climbing and climbing, for a hour and 30 minutes, climbing up the mountain.
Haflinger horses.
Cows with their cow bells.
Even this chicken coop had flower boxes!
We did not expect this – the woman forgot to tell us this part – but the vistas were amazing, and we were hiking in the alps! We knew we were on the right trail by the signs.
A view as we were climbing up.
The signs didn’t use distance for a gauge but used the number of minutes to the each destination…35 minutes to here, 5 minutes to there…it’s an interesting way of letting one know where you are.
Looking down on a tractor mowing hay.
Looking down on the town.
Finally we made it to the top after stopping several times along the way to look out at the amazing views (and to catch our breath). We passed beautiful chapel tucked into the hillside (who goes there???)
A beautiful little chapel on the hill.
We were hot and tired and thirsty when we arrived at our destination, the Alpengasthaus Stallhäusl. We sat outside on their sun terrace and ordered something cool to drink and said “Prost” (Cheers!) to toast our accomplishment, and cool down before hiking back to our B&B.
At the top.
We decided to walk back on the road, complete with hairpin turns (that we wanted to roll down to make our journey shorter). Going down is not always so easy…but walking on pavement makes a big difference. It took less time to walk back to the B&B.
It was probably good we didn’t know ahead of time what kind of hike we were embarking on or we may not have chosen to do it…but we’re really glad we did!
Over the years, we’ve learned that when we come home from traveling, especially traveling abroad, there is always a reentry period, time needed to step back into life, readjust back to “normal” routines. It’s not a negative thing, its just life.
The Austrian Alps
So as I reenter my life back in Northfield from our amazing trip to Austria and the Czech Republic reality sets in and there is jet lag, travel weariness, and house chores…laundry, groceries, weeding, going through mail and email, cleaning the house. It gets done, slowly.
Part of reentry is wanting to catch up with family and friends… to see what’s been happening in their lives. And then I wonder…did anyone miss me? And then I wonder… what did I miss? And soon realize life back home usually doesn’t change much in sixteen days. I think it’s the other way… we change from our travel experiences. And I’m still trying to articulate in what ways. I know I have been blessed: my eyes have been opened to new sights and I have been reacquainted and exposed to other cultures.
We walked multiple miles daily and I am grateful for my health. I often thought of people who would not be able to see what we saw simple because it was tough getting there…mostly steep climbs, uneven roads, cobblestone streets, rugged paths, and lots and lots of steps…most sites are hundreds of years old in Czech Republic and Austria. There are not many handicap accessible accommodations at these sites.
It’s also fun to take some time to recollect, to reread journal entries, and look at photos to remember and relive all the wonderful adventures we had with our friends during our short time away: the special places we went, the magnificent scenery we saw, the delicious food we ate, and the fun people we met along the way.
Looking towards the Kapuziner Church in the monastery behind a wall, in Salzburg.
I delight in thinking about the morning my friend and I went on an early morning hike up Kapuzinerberg (a mountain behind our hotel in Salzburg, on the bank of the River Salzach) to Kapuzinerkloster, a walled monastery. Once inside the wall we followed it and saw wonderful vistas overlooking beautiful Salzburg. We came upon the Kapuziner Kirche (Kapuziner Church) and quietly stepped inside and heard the monks praying in a different room. From their cadence I think they were praying the Lord’s Prayer. In the sanctuary, where we stood, were two stations near the entrance…one for lighting a candle and the other held a basket for prayer requests on a table beneath a photo of Mary and Jesus. I wrote out a prayer request and since then, I have thought many times about the monks praying over my request….praying for a stranger they don’t know, from another country. It warms my heart.
So these are some musings on our first days back…I am grateful…for the many rich experiences…I look forward to writing some of them down. And most of all, I thank God for safety, protection and the health we enjoyed during our travels, and for bringing us safely home.
Nerstrand, as we affectionately call the Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park, is one of my favorite local state parks and I think it’s because I go there often. It’s only 20 minutes from our house where we currently live, and we used to drive down to the park from Burnsville where we lived years ago.
Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park, Spring 2018
There is no date for this memorable hike because I do not remember the year. We have gone on numerous hikes in Nerstrand-Big Woods over the years – too many to count or keep track of: wild flower hikes in the spring, long hikes in the summer, fall leaf hikes in the fall, cross-country skiing in the winter.
But the hike I’m writing about for my Memorable Hike series is when our two boys were young. We drove down to the park from Burnsville for the day. Gary had picked up a couple candy bars (which was, and still is, an infrequent treat) to put in his pocket for our hike. While hiking on one of the longer trails at Nerstrand Gary got the idea to go on ahead and place the candy bars near a tree. He wasn’t that far ahead of us to notice he was missing, and he did it quickly. Then when we were all together again, he mentioned to the boys that he thought there was a candy stand somewhere up ahead. The boys were young enough to get excited about that. We continued hiking and, lo and behold, there were candy bars on the ground under a tree. The boys were thrilled. It was silly but was quite fun, and to this day we talk about finding that candy at Nerstrand.
A change in plans for family members opened up an opportunity for Gary & I to go camping over the weekend at Whitewater State Park, in one of their camper cabins.
This is Rainbow Trout, the name of the camper cabin we stayed in.
The camper cabins are cute…there isn’t a better word…just like baby animals…baby cabins are cute! The one we stayed in was only a year old. The cabins are like children’s playhouses. Inside are two bunk beds, a small picnic table with two benches, large, screened windows, electric lights and a ceiling fan and extra outlets. Each cabin has a small screen porch attached. Everything is built with knotty pine. The cabins are simple but functional and are a lot of fun to stay in.
Inside the camper cabin, from the porch.
Growing up in a kid-friendly neighborhood we had a shack in our backyard. It was a great place to play with the neighborhood gang. This camper cabin, which of course, is larger and much nicer than our backyard shack, brought back some fun memories of playing in, and on top of, the shack.
It doesn’t take long to get settled in to a camper cabin. Soon we were enjoying the great Minnesota outdoors. Whitewater State Park is in southeastern Minnesota, in a valley. The Whitewater River runs through the park, and beautiful, rocky bluffs surround the river and park.
One morning our hike took us up the bluffs with vistas at the top overlooking the valley. As we ascended so did our body temperatures, and at the same time the outside temperatures were climbing… into the 90’s, very unusual for our spring season.
Gary hiking on the trail. An interesting cavity in the tree.
Chimney Rock.
Needless to say, we were very hot at the end of our hike so we quickly changed into our bathing suits and jumped into the spring-fed swimming hole in the river. It felt wonderful. This is something I rarely do anymore, but our bodies needed to cool down. I believe there is something very healing having your body surrounded completely by cool water. We could almost feel our body temperatures lowering to normal as we lingered in the water. Of course, many others in the park were also enjoying the swimming hole, but surprisingly it wasn’t crowded. It seems people stayed in the water just long enough to cool their bodies down.
Looking down on the park from our hike up the bluff. The swimming hole is the opening in the river with a sandy beach.
After we got out of the water we took showers in the shower house and then went out for an ice cream treat.
We found some fun ways to beat this unseasonable heat.
After a beautiful Easter morning service that included the singing of Christ the Lord is Risen Today and hearing the Hallelujah Chorus at a church we were visiting in the D.C. area, we decided to take the train to the National Mall and walk around.
The metro system in Washington D.C. is user friendly and we hopped on the train, along with our host for the weekend, and “people watched” for thirty minutes while we enjoyed the train ride to the National Mall.
The Washington Monument.
As soon as we stepped out of the metro station we saw the Washington monument standing tall. There were lots of people everywhere…and this was April…I can’t imagine the crowds during summer. We turned and looked behind us, to the East, and saw the U.S. Capitol from a distance, and then started our hike walking west toward the Washington Monument.
It was wonderful to see the cherry trees in bloom.
The day was cool but the cherry trees were in bloom and it was beautiful. We walked from memorial to memorial, beginning at the Washington Monument (built in 1848). I have been up in the Washington Monument on a prior visit, but it is currently closed for renovation until 2019. We glanced at the White House to the north as we passed it, then walked through the WW II Memorial (dedicated in 2004) on our way to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (dedicated in 1982), and a Vietnam Women’s Memorial, a sculpture dedicated in 1993 for the women who served in the Vietnam war.
Next we stopped at the Lincoln Memorial (dedicated in 1922) which is a favorite of mine, and for many I believe.
A classic view of the Lincoln Memorial from one end of the Reflecting Pool.
The statue of President Lincoln.
Next we walked to the Korean War Veterans Memorial (dedicated in 1995) and then to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is a fairly new memorial dedicated in 2011, and this was the first time I saw it and it immediately became a favorite for me. The Stone of Hope is a granite sculpture out of which the carving of Dr. King emerges. The memorial covers four acres and is located on the Tidal Basin. The walls surrounding the statue are etched with several different quotes from Dr. King Jr. such as:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
The statue of Martin Luther King Jr.
At this point we were on a trajectory to see the Jefferson Memorial (dedicated in 1943) which took us past the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (dedicated in 1997), also new to me.
A view of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial across the Tidal Basin.
The King, Roosevelt and Jefferson memorials are all on the Tidal Basin, off the Potomac River, surrounded by blooming cherry trees.
The cherry trees along the Tidal Basin were given as a gift of friendship to the People of the United States from the People of Japan in 1912.
When we started out we had no idea we would hike a total of six miles that afternoon, but it was fun to see these truly amazing memorials. There are interesting stories behind each one.
They are continually adding new memorials and museums in this area. For instance, they are planning a Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, under construction at this time, and we visited the newly opened Museum of the Bible which was very interesting.
Washington D.C. is a very unique place to visit and a fun place to hike around, and I am grateful we had the opportunity to do so in the cherry tree blooming season.
Click here to view a good map of the National Mall.
The Oberg Trail, near Lutsen, Minnesota ascends about a quarter mile and then levels out to a 1.8 mile loop around the top of this “Minnesota mountain”. The trail has eight scenic overlooks in all directions…several looking out onto the big lake, Lake Superior, and a few overlooks facing the inland forest and a beautiful small inland lake called Oberg Lake. We’ve hiked this trail many, many times over the years…it’s an easy trail and a nice length, close to our rented cabin and a wonderful way to see spectacular vistas of Lake Superior. Some years we get to see the trees in their beautiful autumn array of color. In 2017 we saw an ample start on the fall colors. When the sky is blue it makes the colors more vibrant. This year the fall colors were emerging but the sky was clouded over. It’s still a wonderful sight and a place I love to be!
From Oberg Trail, September 2017.
Last fall our trek up Oberg Mountain we hiked the trail with our son and his wife and our five-month-old granddaughter. It was her first hike on the north shore. She wore a darling moose outfit in honor of the occasion. We didn’t see any moose but she drew attention from the hikers we passed along the trail. It’s funny how babies and dogs often provoke comments from strangers.
