Time, Beauty, and Grief: A Hike Through Wisconsin's 50 State Parks

A woman turning 65 ends up with one of her hiking boots in the grave as she embarks on a Quest to complete five miles in all 50 Wisconsin State Parks in one year. Life is remarkably similar to taking a hike. You can prepare and have all the right gear yet still struggle on the journey. Part trail guide part memoir and part conversation on the adventure of becoming a senior citizen; this engaging collection of essays offers you fresh perspectives on the parks and new insights into your own coming-of-age. The first and only book to include every one of the 50 state parks it is filled with love for Wisconsin's outdoors and culture. This life-affirming story will encourage you to reject ageist stereotypes and live more fully and colorfully. With its central themes of hiking reclaiming lost things the fickle nature of time and the liminality of growing old it will inspire you to develop a Quest of your own!Betsy Korbinyr's Time, Beauty, and Grief: A Hike Through Wisconsin's 50 State Parks was selected by the Wisconsin Center for the Book as the 2025 Wisconsin entry in the "Great Reads from Great Places" program of the Library of Congress. Read more