If you’re like me, there’s one place you’ve heard about since starting school at UW-Eau Claire.

“Have you ever been to Mount Simon?”

Be honest. We’ve all been asked this question probably over a thousand times. Or if someone didn’t ask us about it, we heard about their experience at the park.

We’ve all heard about how gorgeous it is. We’ve all heard about how cool it is to go cliff jumping. We’ve all seen the stereotypical Instagram photos of people hiking to the top, the view from the top… probably every view we ever would want to see.

Of course, I still wanted to go. Weekend after weekend I’d think about getting up early and taking in a sunrise or sunset on the top of Mount Simon.

When I finally made a concrete plan to check out Mount Simon on Sunday, quite honestly I wasn’t that excited. Although I’d never been there myself, it felt as if I’d already been there. I’d heard nothing but good, and I’d seen all the artsy Instagram photo possibilities. Did I really need to go there myself after all the hype?

The answer is yes. Yes, check out Mount Simon. Regardless of how basic you feel, go.

I finally made the trek up to Mount Simon late Sunday afternoon – the perfect time for such an adventure.

For one, it was a Sunday. And if you’re anything like me, Sunday is anything but “the day of rest.” Oh no. Sunday should really be called “the day of stress” as I anxiously await the hectic week ahead by procrastinating on homework. A relaxing Sunday is a thing of dreams in my book.

As I took in the incredible view atop Mount Simon, I realized this was the perfect way to start my week. Hitting the “refresh” button is sometimes more important than actually completing our most mundane Sunday tasks.

I climbed the slight incline feeling like I was carrying the weight of the world and walked down feeling lighter. I was ready to conquer whatever school would surely throw at me this week.

My friend and I left for our Mount Simon adventure just the right amount of time before sunset. As we took in a killer view of Eau Claire, we also enjoyed a beautiful sunset. The best of both worlds.

We took a longer way down, exploring the gorgeous surrounding nature. A city girl at heart, I did not think Mount Simon would prove to be all that exciting to me. But it really was.

Although there obviously was not the hustle and bustle of the Twin Cities or New York, I felt content wandering around for the hour we took to explore. Peace settled within me.

So regardless of how basic you feel doing it, or if you haven’t already gone, recharge your batteries and experience Mount Simon on a Sunday night. You won’t regret it.