18 Miles at Governor Dodge, Peru 2027 Is Live, and Why We Scratch Off Parks

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” — John Muir

I think about that line every time I lace up my boots before sunrise. You go out looking for exercise, or a break from your inbox, or just twenty quiet minutes, and you come home with something else entirely. A clear head. A story. Proof that you can still do hard things.

That’s the whole point of what we do here.

Tomorrow: [Sep 11]18 Miles at Governor Dodge

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to join us, this is it. Tomorrow morning, our group is meeting at Governor Dodge State Park to hike the Horst Trail, all 18 miles of it. We start at 8 AM sharp.

I won’t lie to you, this one is a big day. It’s shaping up to be a hot one, so bring more water than you think you need, real food (not just a granola bar and hope), and shoes you’ve already broken in. Toss your raincoat in your pack too, just in case. If 18 miles feels like too much right now, that’s fine too. Come for the first few miles and turn back whenever you need to. There is no wrong way to show up.

We’re meeting at the park entrance, in the parking lot.

What I love about Governor Dodge is that it doesn’t try to impress you all at once. The trail winds you through oak and pine, drops you down into quiet valleys, then opens up over the water at Cox Hollow and Twin Valley Lakes when you least expect it. By mile ten you stop checking your watch. By mile fifteen you’re just walking, and something in your shoulders finally lets go.

That’s the part I want you to feel this weekend. Not the mileage. The letting go.

Gear I’m Actually Using Right Now

Every week I want to tell you about one piece of gear that’s earned its spot in my pack, no fluff. This week it’s my wool hiking socks. Eighteen miles will find every weak spot in your gear, and your feet are usually the first to complain. A good wool blend regulates temperature, fights blisters, and doesn’t hold onto stink the way cotton does. If you’re joining us tomorrow and you’re still hiking in cotton crew socks, do yourself a favor and swap them out tonight.

Peru Is Officially Open for Registration

I have to tell you something. Registration for our Peru trip just went live, and I’ve been sitting with this one for a minute because it’s personal.

It’s been four years since I was last in Peru, and Machu Picchu has been calling my name ever since. I’ve been putting it off, telling myself there would be a better year, a slower season, more time. There isn’t going to be a perfect year. There’s just this one.

So we’re going back. June 15, 2027, and I would love for you to come with me. If Peru has always been on your bucket list, this is your sign too. It’s a small group; it’s built for women who want the real cultural experience and not just a photo at the top, and registration is open now at wiadventurefamily.com/peru-2027.

Let’s cross this one off together.

A Word on Mental Health

I get asked a lot why I build so much of this business around getting outside, and the honest answer is that hiking has done more for my mental health than almost anything else I’ve tried. There’s research behind it, sure, time in nature lowers cortisol, eases anxiety, improves mood. But you don’t need a study to tell you that. You already know the feeling of walking into the woods carrying something heavy and walking out having set some of it down.

If this week has been a lot, and for a lot of us it has, consider tomorrow your permission slip. You don’t need a reason to hike 18 miles. Sometimes you just need the trail.

Explore All 50 Parks, One Scratch at a Time

A lot of you ask where to start once you catch the Wisconsin outdoors bug. My answer is always the same: get the Wisconsin State Parks scratch-off poster. All 50 parks are on there, and there’s something genuinely satisfying about scratching one off after you’ve stood in it. It turns “I should get outside more” into an actual list you can check off, and it makes a great gift for the outdoorsy person in your life who says they already have everything.

Grab one at wiadventurefamily.com/product/wisconsin-state-parks-scratch-off-poster and start your own map of Wisconsin.

See You on the Trail

If you’re coming tomorrow, reply to this email or send me a message so I know to look for you. Governor Dodge State Park, entrance parking lot, 8 AM. Bring your raincoat and your best attitude for this long hike, and let’s go earn this one together.

Hike local. Travel global. See you out there.

Dini