I started today with my mom (and support crew) on the Green Circle State Trail, which makes a loop around Stevens Point. It is a collection of multiple trails that has been a community effort to get started and has been such a resource today! The Green Circle is the only state trail that goes in a circle.
The trail passed by lots of sculptures, including fun light posts along the river!
From Stevens Point, I took the Tomorrow River State Trail east through the countryside towards Manawa. Tomorrow River is a 29-mile crushed limestone path that made for easy, fast miles and was lovely to ride on.
I finished the day on the Newton-Blackmour State Trail, which runs 22 miles from New London to Seymour. The highlight of the trail, in my opinion, is the statue, giant grill, and information signs about “Hamburger Charlie,” who Seymour residents believe invented the hamburger in 1885 at the Outagamie County Fair when he was selling meatballs, but fairgoers wanted something more portable – so he squished them between two pieces of bread and the hamburger was born!
The giant grill was used to grill the world’s largest hamburger in 2001. The town of Seymour clearly embraces the heritage.
Today is also Columbus Day and Indigenous people’s day. It’s controversial, but I think it’s not black and white. There are things to celebrate about both Columbus and Indigenous people. Christopher Columbus, and many explorers like him, were the originally adventurers and free spirits. For them, life was about seeing new things; about discovery and constant learning and challenge. There is a lot to celebrate in living an adventurous, exciting life – full of learning and challenging yourself. For me, Christopher Columbus also represents the nation’s first immigrants, spreading cultures and seeking a new and better life in a new world.
However, there was also a lot of righteousness, discrimination, and exploitation that is part of the European colonial heritage that is not to be celebrated.
On the other hand, there is so much to respect and celebrate in the indigenous cultures of North America – the people who were here first, learned to live with and respect the land and, for the most part, each other. Some of them taught what they knew to the new settlers and wanted to find ways for a peaceful coexistence. We celebrate their history, their culture, and their continued persistence in the face of overwhelming change. One constant has always been native peoples’ advocacy for sustainable land practices that can maintain ecosystems for centuries or longer.
Today, let’s celebrate both things – adventure and respect for the land!
– Sarah
Today at a glance
Day 12 | Stevens Point to Appleton
Mileage: 110
Explore Nearby
Dunn County, WI | Managed by: Landmark Conservancy
Originally intended to be a nuclear power plant site, the Meridian Barrens were protected and made public through Knowles-Nelson funding. Visitors can now hike, fish, and hunt on the land.
Eau Claire, WI | Managed by: City of Eau Claire
Eau Claire's Pheonix Park boasts a walking labyrinth, an outdoor amphitheater, the Eau Claire Farmers Market, and the Chippewa River State Trail trailhead. Knowles-Nelson funds allowed for Phoenix Park’s development and expansion.
Chippewa County, WI | Managed by: WI DNR
Tom Lawin Wildlife Area is a 2,282-acre public hunting and wildlife preserve. It's also a birding hotspot, with visitors frequently spotting waterfowl, shorebirds, American bitterns, harriers, and short-eared owls. Knowles-Nelson funded land purchases for the preserve’s expansion.
