Fall Getaways in Wisconsin: Families, Couples with Dogs, and Girls Trips

Fall does not need a perfect plan. It needs a door and ten minutes.

Hello friends,

I woke up at the river house this morning and took my time. The birds were chirping. The river was so calm. The leaves on the trees were bright. That was the whole plan for this weekend: to be here in silence and take it all in.

Sometimes we forget that the small, little things are the things that actually matter. Fall in Wisconsin is short, and it is already slipping by. So this week, pick one yes and do it before the clocks change on November 1. Camp, book the lake house, or just meet me on the trail.

Your Yes for Families

Shorter days quietly pull down our moods, and kids feel it too. Daylight is free medicine.

Camp this fall. State park campsites are open right now, often around $20 a night. Want more comforts? Kinney Lake Campground in Marion has cabins, a heated pool and hot tub, playgrounds, and kayak rentals. Call ahead to confirm fall dates. Cold comes up from the ground, so bring a good sleeping pad and tuck a hard water bottle of hot water into the kids’ sleeping bags. Let your kids pick the park, then scratch it off on my Wisconsin State Parks Scratch Off Poster.

Read It Before You Hike

Some kids stay inside because they are scared. Of the dark, the steep part, the unknown. I wrote Sunset Hike for that child. Armani helps her friend Kayla face her fears on a family hike at sunset. It is about friendship, being brave, and noticing the little things. Read it the night before your next walk, then ask, “What is one little thing you noticed?”

Get Sunset Hike on Amazon

Know Before You Go

It is hunting season in Wisconsin, so know where you are going. Call ahead and ask about hunting at your park or trail. Wear blaze orange, and put your kids and your dog in it too. Tell a family member your plan and when you will be back. Have your map ready, because signal fades. Leave no trace: pack out everything you bring in, and leave the rocks and leaves where they are.

Your Yes for the Girls

Text the group chat today. Pick one weekend before Thanksgiving, split a lake house, and go. My pick is the Good Time Inn in Lake Tomahawk, far from the city and right on the water. There is a fire pit, a dock, a fireplace, and a sunroom for slow mornings. Dogs are welcome. Split six ways, it is about $41 a night each before taxes and fees. Grab coffee at Bake Me Happy in town. The north is past peak color, so think sweaters and fireplace weather.

See the Good Time Inn

Your Yes for Couples (and Dogs)

Trade the city for the Driftless. Stay in a timber frame guesthouse near Viroqua with a wood stove, a private deck, and a fire pit. Dogs are welcome. Start with coffee at Wonderstate in Viroqua, roasted right in town. Then sip a flight on the vineyard patio at Branches Winery in Westby, where leashed pups are welcome. Call ahead because fall hours shift, and bring a leash because the yard is not fully fenced.

See the guesthouse

The Coffee Rule

Everything is better with coffee outside. Fill your thermos with boiling water and let it sit five minutes. Dump it, then add your coffee, and it stays hot for hours. Kids get hot chocolate in their own little thermos.

Hike With Me This Month

Four community hikes are on the calendar, and you do not need to RSVP for any of them. Just show up, ready to take care of yourself. Bring 2 to 3 liters of water and a snack, and dress for the weather. Hiking poles are highly recommended. Dogs on leash are welcome.

• Wednesday, October 14, 9:00 AM: Devil’s Lake fall-color hike, 6-7 miles around the lake. Meet at the South Shore parking lot near the bathrooms, off South Lake Road. You will need a state park vehicle pass.
• Friday, October 16, 8:30 AM: Gibraltar Segment, Ice Age Trail, 9.6 miles round trip. Meet at W12430 McCubbin Ln, Lodi.
• Wednesday, October 21, 9:00 AM: Table Bluff Segment, Ice Age Trail, 5.8 miles out-and-back. Meet at 8877 Table Bluff Road, Cross Plains.
• Wednesday, October 28, 9:00 AM: Cross Plains Segment, Ice Age Trail, 6 to 7 miles. Meet at the Ice Age Trail Alliance office/Parking lot, 2110 Main Street, Cross Plains. This one closes out the Mammoth Challenge.

Also This Month: Marinette County Waterfall Camping

October 23 to 25. This is your last call. We are chasing waterfalls all day Saturday and splitting the group campsite cost. Email me at wiadventurefamily@gmail.com by Monday, October 12, because I close it then. Going on your own? My Marinette County Waterfall Guide has the loop map, GPS pins, and itinerary for $4.99.

Last Spots on Our 2027  International Trips

These are going fast, and they go to the first women who say yes.

• Yoga and Safari retreat in South Africa, July 7 to 17, 2027: 2 spots left.
• Drakensberg, Tugela Falls and Safari, March 18 to 27, 2027: 2 spots left.
• Peru, June 15 to 25, 2027: 3 spots left. Registration closes November 1.
• Patagonia, Chile, 2027: 2 spots left

Email me today at wiadventurefamily@gmail.com and tell me which trip you want.

Your Challenge

Pick one yes. Do it before November 1.  Forward this to the friend who always says “we should do that sometime.” Sometime is this month.

See you on the trail,

Dini

Hike Local. Travel Global.