Devils Lake

An Unforgettable Weekend Getaway at Devils Lake

We took an overnight trip over to Wisconsin and here is what we did! 

We drove about 4 hours to Devils Lake and Arena Wisconsin! Here are all the things we did! 

Stay: Brisbane House

Excerpt from brisbane.net by Samantha & Bruce Crownover

"This three-story stone house was built in 1868 by William Henry Brisbane, in Arena, Wisconsin. Brisbane was from Beaufort County, South Carolina, and dozens of years prior to the Civil War, he became an ardent abolitionist. His family had inherited 33 enslaved people and he came to realize slavery was wrong and immoral. Driven out of the south, he and his family landed in Arena after 1835. Unique for Wisconsin, the shape of the house recalls those typical of the south. The many tall windows and doors on all four sides provided cross ventilation. As some southerners moved northward, they settled in states such as Indiana, Iowa, and Illinois, and the building style they brought with them became known as “I-style." The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990 and on the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places in 1996 for this architectural significance. The adjacent building, the summer kitchen, was likely built around the same time or slightly after the house, as well as the granary or barn, which has collapsed.Before this stone house was built, its land was home to many Native Americans, including the Fox and Sac Indians. The irony that Brisbane was a vocal opponent of oppression as well as possibly the first white settler on this site, is not lost on us. Yet, ever since its limestone blocks were carved out of the surrounding bluffs, this one-of-a-kind house has been well-loved by many families, notably the Thudiums, Triers, and Learns/Chaffees. We will love it just as well and can’t wait to share it with you."

We loved the Brisbane house. This property had like 8 -11 rooms, im kidding but it was a whole lot of house for just two people. The house had a fire pit with free wood, grill, and all modern appliances. The first night we stayed around the house. We started with a picnic dinner with food we brought from home. I don't like wasting good food plus we are glad we did this because we didn't see any stores nearby. This place is truly secluded! We then explored the on site private trail in the back of the house. We watched sunset from this ridge and headed back to watch Ghost: Power Book 2. Tariq and the gang was a perfect background noise for our comfy cabin night. We went to bed early because we had lots of adventures ahead of us and I was tired from playing passenger princess all day. 

Devils lake climbing guides: We booked a half-day talis scrambling tour. It was a happy medium between hiking and climbing, no heights or harnesses required. When we arrived our guide got us suited up with helmets and safety briefing. We learned the basics about scrambling. As we were hiking up to the talis field, I fell right on my stomach. The lord did not order my steps. I got up quickly but I got back down there so I can get some footage. I landed right on the helmet... ouch! We then laughed and kept going. We then scrambled for about 2 hours until we took a break to watch the climbers and eat a snack. I had so much fun, I always felt safe and comfortable. This experience allows me to move out of my comfort zone a little when it comes to hiking!

Hike: We hiked the Devil's Doorway loop. It was rated hard on all trails. For parking you will wanna pay at the rangers station or leave your national park pass in your window. This trail features a 2 mile loop with 580 feet of elevation. That's something for the midwest! On this trail you will see the Devil's Doorway rock formation which we climbed with the assistance of our guide. And you will see the balanced rock with miles and miles of views of southern Wisconsin. 

After spending half the day in Devils lake we went to Pewitts Nest. It was supposed to have a waterfall but it was completely inaccessible. It looked like we could do cliff jumping and exploring at one point but the park put up fresh new barriers. We honestly didn't see anything at this spot, we walked on the river rocks for a little before we headed back to the car. I later found out this is a swimming hole in the summer and people usually swim to the waterfall. That makes so much more sense, duh!

We also hiked the Gilbaltar Rock trail located in Merrimack, WI in the Gilbaltar Rock State Natural Area. It was only a short drive from Pewitts Nest. This trail is rated as moderate on Alltrails but we found it quite easy. Especially after what we just did with Devils Lake Climbing Guides. But this trail is under 2 miles out and back. After the 300 feet climb you can see miles of views from the cliffside rocks. 

After like 12 hours of hiking and climbing our basic asses went to pizza ranch. I love this place because it reminds me of my older sister. She lived in the middle of nowhere in Minnesota, but they had a Pizza Ranch, and we would order all the time. I haven't been in over 10 years but it was just as good as the last time. We ate an entire pizza and wings then knocked out. The next day we explored...

Cave of The Mounds: We discovered this commercial cave a few years ago thanks to my friend Richard click here to read more in my separate blog post... because it does deserve its own post. 

Eat at the world's largest Culver’s:  y’all know we ride for Culver’s, it’s our favorite fast food after hiking spots. Ain’t nothing special about this particular location except it’s the world's largest lol. This is on the way back to chicago. Imagine minding yo business playing passenger princess then yo man crosses like 32 lanes of traffic to get off the interstate cuz he saw the world's largest Culvers sign! I think they even messed up our order but we still had a blast cuz we just like that!