Fryedays Off

20 mile Mammoth March Wisconsin. Yesterday Kristi and I checked another adventure off the list by tackling the 2026 Mammoth March Wisconsin through the Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest! 🥾🌲
This was our 3rd Mammoth March in 3 years, and without a doubt, it was our favorite one yet.
The weather couldn't have been better—sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s. The course was what we'd call a solid moderate challenge. The first half kept us working with constant rolling forest hills, then it opened up into fields, gravel sections, and the occasional boardwalk. With around 900 feet of elevation gain, our legs definitely knew they were earning those miles!
One of the coolest parts was hiking sections of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, which stretches over 1,200 miles across Wisconsin. It made the whole experience feel even more special.
We even had a few horses along the route cheering us on... or maybe they were just wondering why anyone would voluntarily hike all that way when they could get a ride. 🐴😂
We crossed the finish line in about 7½ hours, tired, a little sore.
Of course, no 20-mile hike is complete without a proper reward, so we made a mandatory stop for ice cream on the way home. 🍦 Pretty sure those calories don't count after a hike like that... and we're sticking to that story.
Anyone else out there take on a Mammoth March this year?

Proud parents time! 🥹❤️ One-third of Fryedays Off is leaving the nest to create her own amazing adventures and memories, all while pursuing her future career. She’s currently providing eye care to remote villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in Southwestern Alaska! 🩺👓✈️

An afternoon exploring Bush's Visitor Center. We wandered through the museum, learned way more about beans than expected😂, grabbed lunch at their café, and of course did a little damage at the general store.
Then we headed over to Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery for a little shine tasting… 🍹So many fun flavors and lots of laughs.
Good food, fun stops, and great memories made.

👻 Did You Know? Hidden deep in the Smokies is the famous “Tunnel to Nowhere” a massive 1/4 mile tunnel that was supposed to lead to a road… but the road was never finished.
Now it just disappears into the mountain, surrounded by fog, forest, and a whole lot of Smoky Mountain mystery. Walking through it definitely gives off spooky movie vibes
The Tunnel Bypass Trail Loop ended up being such a fun hike and just enough creepy atmosphere to make it feel like an adventure. Definitely one of the more unique hikes we’ve done in the Smokies.

Up visiting family in Wisconsin this past week. The trees were in full bloom.

We stopped by the Harry Hampton Visitor Center and checked out the famous mosquito meter (lucky us—it was only at a 1 that day 😄). Then we hit the Boardwalk Trail loop—part of it was under construction, but still totally worth it. We even hung out for a bit just watching a woodpecker doing its thing, which was oddly relaxing.
If you’re traveling near Columbia SC (which is a cool little city) and looking for something a little different, this park is definitely worth adding to your list. It’s peaceful, unique, and such a fun way to connect with nature.

Spent the day paddling through Congaree National Park and honestly… this one lived up to the hype 🚣‍♂️
We booked a guided kayak tour with Carolina Outdoor Adventures and they absolutely crushed it. About a 3-hour trip with a small group (maybe a dozen of us), and our guide Billy—along with his crew—made the whole experience super fun and incredibly informative. You could tell right away he genuinely loves teaching people about Cedar Creek.
Paddling the blackwater through that old-growth floodplain forest was unreal… massive bald cypress, water tupelo, and towering loblolly pines everywhere you look. It honestly feels like you’re floating through another world. Cedar Creek winds right through the heart of the park’s wilderness, and it’s one of the best ways to experience it up close. Wildlife sightings didn’t disappoint either—some fisher spiders, multiple snakes, a couple owls, turtles… probably would’ve missed half of it without the guides pointing them out.
Bonus: we hit it early enough in the season that the bugs hadn’t shown up yet. Weather was bit overcast and perfect for paddling.
If kayaking isn’t on your list of things to do while visiting Congaree… it should be.
And if you go, highly recommend going with Carolina Outdoor Adventures—they made the whole experience that much better.

Stopped by Newfound Gap to reenact this family photo taken 78 years ago. The original is Alexa’s grandmother and great-grandmother—Kristi’s mother and grandmother.

After a long, exhausting morning of egg hiding, the Easter Bunny met up with us at the Tiki Bar for a margarita. 🐰🍹🌴 Happy Easter everyone.