Long Weekend at Long Lake

At the last minute Wayne got the long weekend off so I went in search of a campsite.  After a huge disappointment at Hilly Haven Campground (all seasonal, cramped and a long dusty road to get there - always a reason when the website doesn't feature photos of the sites) I ended up with a site at Benson's Campground in Dundee just a few minutes from the Ice Age Visitor Center.

Though still not our usual kind of place with mostly seasonal campers set up and a party atmosphere, we lucked out and got a quiet site at the top of the hill with the sites on either side of us empty.  The bathrooms are a disaster with toilets that don't flush properly and just a handful of pay showers, and the dump station next to impossible to access so keep that in mind if you consider the place.  On the other hand the staff was friendly and the sites not too badly sized for a private campground.

 There was a handful of kids a few sites down busy making "castles" in the dusty road, but they were good kids and no rowdy golf cart drivers at this campground.  

The kittens were glad to be on the road again, especially when the drive was less than 3 hours, just the right length for a good nap.  We were the talk of the loops when we took little Miss Jewel out for her evening leashed walk. Celia tends to lay down in the grass and watch all the goings-on instead of walking so she got left at home.

Folks were so enamored of our little darling that they offered us heaping plates of King Salmon from Lake Michigan.

It was delicious!  And for hiking options I was just a few miles from the Parnell Segment of the IAT which is a daunting 13.9 miles long in esker territory, but now I'm over halfway through it.

As you can see from the Kettle Moraine Forest map Dundee and Long Lake are well situated for a variety of outdoor activities including trails for biking, horses and snowmobiles.  But the Ice Age Trail is for foot traffic only!

Next time I'm out this way I'll have Katrina meet me and do a shuttle hike so I can finish off the Parnell segment.  Scooting around those back roads trying to find the IAT access points always reaps a surprise or two, after all.

As I mentioned last time things are a little less dry up toward central Wisconsin so a few flowers are hanging in there including these darling pea blossoms in the shade at the campground.

We only enjoyed Long Lake from afar, but our pontoon boat is finally docked on Lake Elizabeth back at home so we'll be able to put-put around soon enough.

Long Lake at dusk

We had such a good time just relaxing that Wayne suggested stopping and dropping the camper off at Kettle Moraine's Ottawa Lake on our way home for a few more days.  He took the kitties the rest of the way home but will join me in a few days...I don't know who enjoys it more, Wayne, the kitties, or me because I get to laugh at Wayne's antics with the kitties!