Weekend Getaway

Recently Dane and I biked one of my favorite paths, the Bearskin State Trail in Minocqua, Wisconsin. Our adventure could be summed up as 35 miles, seven painted turtles, one toad, and many deer, but that wouldn’t tell the whole story.

The trailhead, conveniently located in town, borders the lake and features picnic tables, bathrooms, and a bike tool pole. The bridges and signage are plentiful, the smell of pine trees intoxicating, and I never get tired of seeing all the marshes. Picnic tables are strategically placed along the trail; one is even inside a shelter in case of rain.

We didn’t get on the trail until 6 p.m. both Friday and Saturday, and for the most part, we were the only ones on it. We’d hoped to see a bear but instead saw turtles that needed to be carried across the trail so they wouldn’t be hit by bikers. Soon enough, we stopped doing that. Two of the turtles were busy laying their eggs, and because it was nearly dark, we left them to their business.

We weren’t interested in biking during the daytime, partly because of the heat, but also because more people are walking the trail then. Instead, we went to a park that my parents took me to as a child. Back then it was called Jim Peck’s Wildwood Kingdom. I told Dane I’d treat and that we’d only be there two hours tops. I was concerned he wouldn’t want to go, as I’d dragged him there when we were first dating. He didn’t remember.

However, as soon as we parked, he recognized the ponds that greet the visitors, one with swans, both black and white. There was already a line for tickets, and when it was our turn, I purchased two bags of treats so we could feed the animals.

The Domaszek family purchased the zoo from Peck in 1997 and renamed it Wildwood Wildlife Park. They do an amazing job of providing educational and hands-on experiences, as well as providing for the animals in their care. We were in time to watch an employee drive around and provide “enrichment activities” for some of the critters. We watched the serval (an African cat) scoop up fish dropped into its pen, while the otters received trays with compartments they could manipulate to retrieve treats.

The keepers were all kind, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about sharing the animals they were caring for. As we watched the bunnies in their clean, cool, and spacious enclosure, I was surprised when the keeper asked, “Would you like to come in and pet them?” I’d assumed I was too big, but in I went, crouching down to feel the soft fur of the rabbits.

Dane had a blast feeding carrots to two giraffes, whose tongues are 19 inches long! One was pregnant and really wanted the carrots. After feeding the male, Dane wanted to give the female a chance, so he gently pushed the male's nose away, saying, “You’ve had enough.” As the female took the carrots, the male licked Dane with that snake-like tongue to convey his disapproval!

There were many baby animals to delight in. The little gibbons were especially fun to watch as they tried to imitate their parents, swinging hand over hand from rope to rope and frequently falling off.

When we finally arrived at the Budgie Encounter, we were getting tired and needed water. But the minute we entered and purchased a budgie stick, we forgot our thirst for another hour. Immediately, Dane was covered in colorful parakeets as they clambered onto his birdseed-encrusted popsicle stick. They also liked his shiny necklace and would perch on his back and peck at it. We had to be careful walking, as many birds were also picking seeds off the ground. Eventually we sat on a bench and watched in awe as the birds climbed on our shoes, landed on our heads, and paid full attention to that budgie stick. Finally our need for water and the restrooms moved us on.

As we boarded a tram car for a “guided safari” we were shocked to realize we’d already been at the park for almost five hours. We could have easily spent another hour watching the six playful otters as they chased and wrestled with each other, slid into pools, and climbed on their raft. However, we made our way to the exit at last, knowing we still wanted to go biking.

By the time we reached the bike trail, we had found our second wind, and we had the place to ourselves, along with the turtles, a toad, and several deer. When we left on Sunday, we agreed that the bike trail and wildlife zoo make a great weekend trip for all ages.