A Bloy and his Blog

If I had to pick a favorite scenic spot in Wisconsin, it would be this one. The Black Lagoon on the Star Lake Nature Trail.

I’ve mentioned that trail before — it’s my favorite hiking trail in the state. While hiking there, you’ll walk through a thick boreal forest, a bog, a plantation of century-old pine trees, and along the lake shore. You’ll see (and hear) loons and other birds, and if you’re lucky you might get a glimpse of a bald eagle. Beautiful views can be seen all along the trail, but there is none better than the Black Lagoon.

The Star Lake Nature trail is located off of Hwy K, about a mile west of the intersection with Hwy N in Vilas County. Map

I just returned from a vacation at my favorite place for camping, the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest. In addition to doing a lot of biking and hiking, I was treated to unique sunsets on five nights of my stay on Trout Lake. Here are the best photos from each of those sunsets.

read the rest of: Sunsets on Trout Lake

Despite the continuing below-normal temperatures, I needed to connect with the outdoors today. Late this afternoon, I visited a frozen Lake Monona.

read the rest of: Frozen Monona

read the rest of: Autumn lake

I just returned from camping at Wisconsin’s Northern Highland State Forest.

read the rest of: Camping “up north”

Last night I went with some of my family to watch Rhythm & Booms from the other side of Lake Mendota (along Observatory Drive). The fireworks display was pretty good, and it was fun being outside on a beautiful evening. While listening to the radio before the show (the display is choreographed with music over the radio), we heard the announcer say it was the “largest annual event in Wisconsin.” I beg to differ.

It was another gorgeous summer day today, so I returned to Mendota, and went for a long bike ride along the lake. One of my favorite places to ride in Madison is where the bike path runs along the lake shore in the middle of the U.W. campus.

I ended up biking for most of the afternoon. I stuck to the shore as best I could, riding through where the rich people live, and made it up to the northern side of the city.

After I got home, I decided it had to be one of the best rides I’ve done this year.

Despite the threat of rain, I decided to do some exploring today and visit a park I’ve never been to before, Yellowstone Lake State Park.

read the rest of: Yellowstone Lake State Park