by Melanie McManus | Feb 14, 2020 | Snowshoeing/Skiing, Stories
Read This Article On The Star Tribune Many people say ABR is a funny name for a ski resort. I suppose that’s true. ABR stands for Active Backwoods Retreat. And despite its unusual acronym name, USA Today readers rated it the fourth-best cross-country ski resort...
by Melanie McManus | Feb 5, 2020 | Snowshoeing/Skiing, Stories
Read This Article On The Star Tribune The answer to a common trivia question in Wisconsin is Timm’s Hill. That’s the highest point in the state, at 1,951.5 feet. But many Wisconsinites think our highest point is Rib Mountain (1,923 feet), a popular skiing...
by Melanie McManus | Feb 2, 2020 | Exploring and Experiencing, Stories, Texas
Read This Article On The Star Tribune I didn’t know much about Big Bend National Park until a recent travel writing conference took me to El Paso, Texas. As always, I wanted to squeeze in some prime hiking, if possible. What I discovered is that if I drove about...
by Melanie McManus | Dec 29, 2019 | Exploring and Experiencing, Stories, Wisconsin
Read This Article On The Star Tribune Rock climbing never seemed enticing to me. That’s not surprising, since I have a fear of heights. But then I learned two things. First, Devil’s Lake State Park, near my home, is considered one of the best rock-climbing...
by Melanie McManus | Dec 28, 2019 | Hiking, New Mexico, Stories
Read This Article On The Chicago Tribune White Sands National Park got its prestigious national park designation in December 2019. From 1933 to 2019, it was a national monument. When I visited White Sands, I had a blast hiking around the park. But the most...
by Melanie McManus | Dec 12, 2019 | Exploring and Experiencing, Stories, Wisconsin
Read This Article On The Chicago Tribune The Nutcracker is one of America’s endearing holiday traditions. An 1892 two-act ballet, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky penned its famous musical score. And the libretto, which is the text of an opera, was adapted from...
