When I pulled out of the driveway Friday morning, I had no idea where I was going, other than east.
Which is SO unlike me. I’m a planner and I like to have an itinerary mapped out before I even start the ignition. Tara is very much a the journey is the destination type of gal, whereas I want to plot out the Point B to my Point A in advance. She’ll just hop in her truck and drive randomly, and if that means stumbling upon some drug lord’s marijuana field, well, she’ll just chalk that up as “an adventure!” I’d prefer not to become a real-life Marty Byrd, but that’s just me.
(It occurs to me that this need to plot out every travel detail is in direct contrast to my writing style. Enigma much, Mark?)
Anyhoo. Other than knowing I wasn’t heading west or north or south, that was pretty much it. And I knew I couldn’t go too far east or I’d end up in Lake Michigan. With record warmth in the forecast, I figured it would be nice to get outside. That was the extent of my non-plan.
A few minutes into my drive, inspiration struck. I’d been looking up hikes a few days earlier and Bald Bluff Nature Trail in particular had caught my eye. I pulled it up on Google Maps and saw it was less than 10 minutes away. Voila! I had my Point B.
I’ve long been an avid hiker but haven’t explored very many trails in Wisconsin yet. After my 6.2-mile Bald Bluff adventure, I’m vowing to change that. It’s not like there’s a shortage of opportunities out here; the Ice Age Trail alone winds over 1,000 miles across the state.
The first half of my hike was primarily dense oak forest, which will be a lot more colorful once the trees leaf up. The oaks gave way to thick stands of pine trees, which were striking in contrast to the bright blue sky. I’d started out wearing a flannel shirt over a t-shirt, but it was so warm, I eventually took it off and tied it around my waist.
I should mention that I was wearing pants too. It wasn’t that warm.
Shortly into my hike, I spotted the following sign:
Stone elephant? How cool! I couldn’t wait to see this wondrous pachyderm-like display of nature. But when I reached the monolith, I was confused.
I stared at it a long time trying to see the elephant. Walked around the other side. Even picked my way carefully down a steep hill to check it out from the back. None of the angles made it look like an elephant to me. Maybe a whale or a crocodile.
Good thing the Stone Elephant wasn’t my Point B. That would’ve been a serious letdown.
Misleading rock formation notwithstanding, I really enjoyed my hike and can’t wait to get out and explore the South Kettle Moraine State Forest some more. It’s practically in my backyard, so no excuses!
After my hike, I grabbed lunch at Badger Burger Company in Mukwonago. The grilled chicken wrap and fries hit the spot, but that Bloody Mary stole the show.
Next up, I stopped by The Elegant Farmer. Good as their famous paper bag pie is, I hadn’t planned on picking one up, but it was Pi Day and they had marked them down $3.14 to celebrate the occasion. I’m a sucker for clever marketing, so I bought a 5″ apple pie. As well as a bunch of other fun things, like pickles and mustard and croutons and cheese, aka your everyday staples.
I was back home by 2:30 and, because it was a downright balmy 76°, sat on the deck for a couple of hours listening to music. Then this morning we woke up to snow. Just a dusting, but what a contrast to 36 hours earlier.
Welcome to Wisconsin in the springtime!
Mark My Words 
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