Last weekend, we packed the family and my ready-for-a-road-trip suitcase into our trusty Highlander for an exciting and sweaty hiking adventure at Perrot State Park. We like to conquer Brady’s Bluff annually-ish to pay tribute to the treasured spot where Dad proposed to Mom. To celebrate, we arrived at the highest point and said cheers by clinking our homemade peanut butter and jelly crustless sandwiches before enjoying the rest of our fancy lunch of goldfish crackers, veggie straws, and fruit snacks.

And since, for the first time ever, I hiked the trail with my own two legs (instead of hitchhiking – no offense, Genesee) and didn’t whine one bit despite the steep climb and the humid 91-degree weather, the parents took us to Winona to commemorate and cool down with a fun run through the public splash pad and a refreshing dive into a bowl of cotton candy ice cream at the Acoustic Cafe.

Indeed, eating is the best thing about hiking.