New River Gorge: newest national park, coal mining heritage
Almost heaven, West VirginiaBlue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River … Those are the opening lyrics to “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” a Billboard hit 50 years […]
Eco Efforts
UW Arboretum: new national landmark
Two blocks from my home is the state’s newest National Historic Landmark, the 1,200-acre University of Wisconsin Arboretum, a property I’ve come to know in […]
Explore Wisconsin’s state, county parks
Say farewell to the warmth of summer sun and hello to the nippy but vibrant hues of autumn. Do it on foot or by pedal […]
Elephants: As population dwindles, Milwaukee zoo’s quarters enlarge
Elephants are the world’s largest mammals, and it is harder to see one in person because the species is dwindling, in captivity and the wild. […]
Lake Winnebago sturgeon flashbacks, folk art
Mary Lou Schneider, thanks for the flashbacks. On a wintry Sunday morning in the 1960s. I walk two blocks from church to the little general […]
Rural Missouri B&B operates inside Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage
Within the hills and dales of northeast Missouri are far fewer miles of paved roads than rivers and creeks. Signs at one-lane bridges warn of […]
Underwater treasures make Lake Michigan a National Marine Sanctuary contender
Deep below the surface of Lake Michigan, dozens of known shipwrecks stay intact because of isolated locations, frigid water and a lack of salt to […]
Germany’s natural world: Spreewald, Hainich
Our captain maneuvers us like a gondolier, standing as a pole propels his flatboat through a maze of canals that gingerly pass tree canopies, tiny […]
Take Ten: Women-owned farms to visit
Editor’s Note: Guest columnist Lisa Kivirist and husband John Ivanko of Browntown have earned national recognition for their farm and renewal energy work. By Lisa […]
Hot Springs: smallest national park, historic spa setting
The average spa treatment in this country involves low lights, soothing music, a heated massage table and complete privacy (unless booking a massage for two). […]
Take Ten: pretty places to hike in Wisconsin
Editor’s note: Wisconsin-native Kevin Revolinski is the author of 60 Hikes Madison, Best Hikes Near Milwaukee, Paddling Wisconsin, Best Tent Camping Wisconsin and Wisconsin’s Best […]
Take Ten: beautiful, challenging places to canoe in Wisconsin
Guest columnist Lynne Diebel of Stoughton is the author of numerous books about the outdoors, and the most recent is Crossing the Driftless (University of […]
New visitor center hikes visibility of The Ridges
A longtime but quiet force on the quiet side of Door County gains wider visibility this month. The opening of a unique visitor center at […]
Machu Picchu pilgrimage: a study in engineering, miracles
When pelting rain wakes me at 4 a.m. on a Monday, about all I can do is listen and wonder. The closest weather forecast online […]