by Melanie McManus | Jan 18, 2024 | Exploring and Experiencing, Stories, United States, Wisconsin
Read This Article, Published in the Star Tribune For decades, Wisconsin Dells was pretty much a summer-only destination. This was the era before indoor waterparks became a phenomenon, attracting winter tourists in droves. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links...
by Melanie McManus | Jan 17, 2025 | Alabama, Exploring and Experiencing, Stories, United States
Read This Article, Published in the Star Tribune A few years ago, I was hiking the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail with a friend, Amy Eckert. Amy had been posting about our hike on social media, and one day received a message from a friend. The friend said we were...
by Melanie McManus | Mar 17, 2023 | Exploring and Experiencing, Stories, Wisconsin
Read This Article, Published in the Star Tribune When I started dating my husband, he said, “Never ask me to take you to The House on the Rock.” I hadn’t heard of the attraction, which he said was more than a home built atop a rock. It included...
by Melanie McManus | Aug 1, 2022 | Hiking, Stories
Read This Article, Published in the Star Tribune My quest to hike all 11 National Scenic Trails hit a snag when I started my thru-hike of NST #5: the Potomac Heritage Trail. It was March 2020 and … I’m sure you know where this is going. The COVID-19...
by Melanie McManus | Aug 18, 2025 | Colorado, Continental Divide 2022 - ?, Trail Journals
Yes, I’m back on the CDT, despite a right knee that needs replacing. I had high hopes as I headed out from Monarch Pass once again, this time heading NOBO. The weather was perfect – blue skies and cool temps. I knew I had about 8 miles (12.9 km) of climbing today,...
by Melanie McManus | Aug 19, 2025 | Colorado, Continental Divide 2022 - ?, Trail Journals
I could tell from yesterday’s hike – the difficult terrain coupled with my bum knee – that even my scaled-down hiking plan would be too much. So I got up early to give myself more time to reach my target of about 16.5 miles (26.6 km). The day began great. The trail...
