Sunday, January 29, 2012

Pine Relict Forest Adventure

Today Teri & I were able to go exploring, just the two of us. We've found a really nice local girl to baby sit for the day. The weather was sunny, cold and there was a fresh coat of snow on the ground. We loaded up the snowshoes and cameras, and then went to see what we could find in our new home range.

Our first stop was a short drive to the nearby town of Blue Mounds. There's a very, very special bakery there called the naked elm bakery. It's just the kind of place we love! We met some really nice people, enjoyed food that made us happy, and the coffee was good too! I can honestly say this is how I've always wanted to have breakfast when I go out. Just a relaxed atmosphere with a meal that doesn't disappoint. I also really loved meeting the guy running the place this morning, Mat. He reminded me a bit of myself when I was a young buck...

the naked elm bakerythe naked elm bakery

After leaving there very content, we headed to the nearby Ridgeway Pine Relict. It's a state owned natural area, but not a developed park. We studied maps and satellite images until we figured out were to access it. It's not a straightforward, "park here, follow that trail there" kind of place. We loved it!

Ridgeway Pine RelictRidgeway Pine Relict

When we first thought about moving to Wisconsin we both pictured endless miles of flat terrain, covered in pastures and corn. It does have a lot of that, but there are also these gems of geological beauty. Best of all, they're close to where we live! To think, there's so much more out there for us to explore!

Ridgeway Pine RelictRidgeway Pine RelictCommon Pheasant Ridgeway Pine Relict


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