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LMQC’s outdoor bloggers, Teri Stickler and Kaia, celebrate National Take A Hike Day (November 17) with a report on what they discovered at Bellevue State Park, located along the Mississippi River, just north of the Quad Cities!

By Teri Stickler and her Samoyed, Kaia

Happy National Take a Hike Day. Let’s Move Quad Cities!

Take along a friend and burn some calories. Did you know hiking can burn between 400-550 calories per hour? Breathe in some fresh fall air and enjoy the day.

Discovering all Bellevue State Park has to offer

Kaia is ready to explore the sights, sounds, and smells of Bellevue State Park.

To celebrate the holiday, we decided to explore Bellevue State Park in Bellevue, Iowa.

If you have never wandered in that direction, we do recommend the trip. Bellevue State Park, US-52, Bellevue, IA, is located along and high on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River and Lock and Dam #12. From the QCA, it is a little over an hour’s drive.

It’s in the name, but Bellevue’s river bluff views are worth the drive, and there’s plenty to learn, see, and do at a nature center, restored prairie, and, in the warmer months, one of the largest butterfly gardens in Iowa.

The park is organized into two units: The Dyas Unit is three miles south of Bellevue and offers four miles of trails with overlooks and streams, plus public restrooms and camping sites.

The Nelson Unit includes the South Bluff Nature Center (open by appointment) and trails with breathtaking overlooks of the river, including a bird’s eye view of Lock and Dam #12 and downtown Bellevue. This Lock and Dam was built between 1934 and 1938.

Park trails lead to numerous nature and historical sites

Other trails, some paved, some crushed gravel, and some natural, lead through a three-acre restored prairie and to a fabulous Butterfly Garden. Started by Judy Pooler in 1984, it is the first and largest butterfly garden in an Iowa State Park.

There is also a trail to Pulpit Rock. Much to my chagrin, Kaia was anxious to check out that special rock. She had to be “King of the Mountain” and command over all that lay before her! (I felt much better when she got down.)

The Quarry Trail took us to a primitive lime kiln, apparently once common in the Midwest, as they provided lime for stone masonry and chinking of log homes as well as plaster over lathe for interior wall surfaces.

The lime kiln at the park is a small commercial one constructed in the mid-1800s and used until the early 1900s. There are other, larger kilns near Maquoketa, Iowa. There’s a good possibility you have noticed them along the highway when you’ve driven by.

Don’t want to drive but still want to explore the outdoors?

Outdoor blogger Teri Stickler shares her tips for a successful hike.

If you are considering other options to hike, Kaia and I recommend Blackhawk State Park, Scott County Park, Devil’s Glen Park, Illiniwek Forrest Preserve, and Smith Island Nature Trail, along with daily strolls in wooded areas close to home.

A revisit to Wildcat Den State Park and Loud Thunder Forest Preserve should be next on your to-do list.

As you lace up your boots and hit the trails, enjoy the outing wherever it takes you and be grateful for the gorgeous scenery our Quad Cities offers.

“Be Prepared” is more than just a motto

Here are some of my tips for the best hiking experience:

Refuel and rehydrate.
I bring a backpack with a lunch and some water for both of us. Kaia even has her own packable collapsible bowl. We take plastic water bottles not because they are environmentally friendly (they are not), but once empty, they are light to carry, and we always haul out what we take in.

Pay attention to what’s on your feet.
I like to wear the mid-height waterproof hiking boots. They are comfortable and built for any terrain.

Watch the weather – and then plan for the worst.
No matter the weather, I pack a light windbreaker jacket, bandana, and a hat. (When the snow blows and winter arrives, some of those hand warmers are sure nice to have along, too!)

Make sure you can get help if you need it.
And, of course, I take my cell phone. One can “pin” their location while hiking and reach help in case of need.

Take pictures, not souvenirs.
As long as you have your cell phone, be sure to use the built-in camera.

Pack for after the hike, too.
Often, I’ll bring additional items to leave in the car. Socks, sweatshirt, gloves, old towel, doggie brush (in the event we find some stickers!), etc.

If you’ve got room in your pack …
Binoculars are nice to bring along but not always fun to carry all the time. Sunglasses are also nice to have.

The adventure doesn’t stop when you get back home.
Once we’re home, we do a thorough check for ticks. Yes, ticks! Both wood (dog/brown) ticks and deer ticks. They are still out there and active. We will need a good hard freeze before we can put that worry aside.

I have found ticks on Kaia. Generally, I see them on her face. Thank goodness for her white fur. None have been attached. We have been both lucky and wise.

Kaia takes a monthly preventative for ticks and fleas and receives a Lyme Disease preventative shot each spring. She is protected.

Make sure someone knows where you’ve gone.
One more thing, and not a bad idea…but let someone know where you are going before leaving home. A neighbor, family, or friend who can help if needed.

As per the Girl Scout motto, “Be Prepared,” and Happy Hiking Quad Cities!

Check out Teri and Kaia’s pictures from their most recent adventure …

By Teri Stickler and her Samoyed, Kaia

Happy National Take a Hike Day. Let’s Move Quad Cities!

Take along a friend and burn some calories. Did you know hiking can burn between 400-550 calories per hour? Breathe in some fresh fall air and enjoy the day.

Discovering all Bellevue State Park has to offer

Kaia is ready to explore the sights, sounds, and smells of Bellevue State Park.

To celebrate the holiday, we decided to explore Bellevue State Park in Bellevue, Iowa.

If you have never wandered in that direction, we do recommend the trip. Bellevue State Park, US-52, Bellevue, IA, is located along and high on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River and Lock and Dam #12. From the QCA, it is a little over an hour’s drive.

It’s in the name, but Bellevue’s river bluff views are worth the drive, and there’s plenty to learn, see, and do at a nature center, restored prairie, and, in the warmer months, one of the largest butterfly gardens in Iowa.

The park is organized into two units: The Dyas Unit is three miles south of Bellevue and offers four miles of trails with overlooks and streams, plus public restrooms and camping sites.

The Nelson Unit includes the South Bluff Nature Center (open by appointment) and trails with breathtaking overlooks of the river, including a bird’s eye view of Lock and Dam #12 and downtown Bellevue. This Lock and Dam was built between 1934 and 1938.

Park trails lead to numerous nature and historical sites

Other trails, some paved, some crushed gravel, and some natural, lead through a three-acre restored prairie and to a fabulous Butterfly Garden. Started by Judy Pooler in 1984, it is the first and largest butterfly garden in an Iowa State Park.

There is also a trail to Pulpit Rock. Much to my chagrin, Kaia was anxious to check out that special rock. She had to be “King of the Mountain” and command over all that lay before her! (I felt much better when she got down.)

The Quarry Trail took us to a primitive lime kiln, apparently once common in the Midwest, as they provided lime for stone masonry and chinking of log homes as well as plaster over lathe for interior wall surfaces.

The lime kiln at the park is a small commercial one constructed in the mid-1800s and used until the early 1900s. There are other, larger kilns near Maquoketa, Iowa. There’s a good possibility you have noticed them along the highway when you’ve driven by.

Don’t want to drive but still want to explore the outdoors?

Outdoor blogger Teri Stickler shares her tips for a successful hike.

If you are considering other options to hike, Kaia and I recommend Blackhawk State Park, Scott County Park, Devil’s Glen Park, Illiniwek Forrest Preserve, and Smith Island Nature Trail, along with daily strolls in wooded areas close to home.

A revisit to Wildcat Den State Park and Loud Thunder Forest Preserve should be next on your to-do list.

As you lace up your boots and hit the trails, enjoy the outing wherever it takes you and be grateful for the gorgeous scenery our Quad Cities offers.

“Be Prepared” is more than just a motto

Here are some of my tips for the best hiking experience:

Refuel and rehydrate.
I bring a backpack with a lunch and some water for both of us. Kaia even has her own packable collapsible bowl. We take plastic water bottles not because they are environmentally friendly (they are not), but once empty, they are light to carry, and we always haul out what we take in.

Pay attention to what’s on your feet.
I like to wear the mid-height waterproof hiking boots. They are comfortable and built for any terrain.

Watch the weather – and then plan for the worst.
No matter the weather, I pack a light windbreaker jacket, bandana, and a hat. (When the snow blows and winter arrives, some of those hand warmers are sure nice to have along, too!)

Make sure you can get help if you need it.
And, of course, I take my cell phone. One can “pin” their location while hiking and reach help in case of need.

Take pictures, not souvenirs.
As long as you have your cell phone, be sure to use the built-in camera.

Pack for after the hike, too.
Often, I’ll bring additional items to leave in the car. Socks, sweatshirt, gloves, old towel, doggie brush (in the event we find some stickers!), etc.

If you’ve got room in your pack …
Binoculars are nice to bring along but not always fun to carry all the time. Sunglasses are also nice to have.

The adventure doesn’t stop when you get back home.
Once we’re home, we do a thorough check for ticks. Yes, ticks! Both wood (dog/brown) ticks and deer ticks. They are still out there and active. We will need a good hard freeze before we can put that worry aside.

I have found ticks on Kaia. Generally, I see them on her face. Thank goodness for her white fur. None have been attached. We have been both lucky and wise.

Kaia takes a monthly preventative for ticks and fleas and receives a Lyme Disease preventative shot each spring. She is protected.

Make sure someone knows where you’ve gone.
One more thing, and not a bad idea…but let someone know where you are going before leaving home. A neighbor, family, or friend who can help if needed.

As per the Girl Scout motto, “Be Prepared,” and Happy Hiking Quad Cities!

Check out Teri and Kaia’s pictures from their most recent adventure …

Teri Stickler

Teri Stickler

Outdoor Blogger and Co-Adventurer

Meet Teri Stickler. Teri is a retired Quad-City teacher. She thoroughly enjoys the out-of-doors, sharing most of her adventures with her Samoyed companion, Kaia.