“Wouldn’t it be nice,” my sister said over the commotion of our four kids laughing, chatting and bickering in the backseats of her car, “if we could go somewhere and just hang for awhile?”
Little did we know that as we cruised toward Baraboo, we were about to do exactly that.
We’d intended to take our kids on an easy fall hike at Pewits Nest, a state natural area owned by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. And that’s how our adventure started. After piling out of the car and layering up for always-changing fall weather, we started out on a flat crushed-rock path that meandered through a lush forest of pine, cedar and birch trees.
After less than a mile, we reached a fork in the trail. Turning left took us up a steep hill and to a fenced overlook with beautiful views. We could see Skillet Creek nearly forty feet down, along with a small waterfall and the dramatic Cambrian sandstone cliffs that make up the Pewits Nest gorge.
After taking in the views, our kids were clamoring to explore. So down the hill we went, and to the other trail — a brief path that took us right to the water’s edge.
The creek was shallow, and rocks and logs formed natural walkways across it. The kids carefully stepped across the stones and branches, laughing as they splashed or accidentally slipped a foot into the cold water.
The kids were so interested in playing in the creek that we all stayed put for more than an hour. Sunshine dappled through the leaves that were starting to change to the gorgeous colors of fall, and the sounds of the waterfall and the kids calling to one another and laughing served as a beautiful backdrop.
When we finally trekked back to the car, we were a chilly and wet but happy crew. We changed into the dry clothes we were lucky to have packed and agreed that we were ready for a snack.
We’d already had lunch at Culver’s in Baraboo before hiking, so snack time took us to the Ski-Hi Fruit Farm, set about four miles south of Pewits Nest and open each autumn through late November.
At the orchard, we greeted sheep, goats and pigs at a cheery petting zoo, climbed a huge tractor, peeked into a historic cabin and treated ourselves to apple cider and cider doughnuts. As we picnicked on the rolling lawn, it was easy to feel like our simple adventure had been a success and possibly even started a fall tradition.