The Amazing Milwaukee Race creates a unique one-day “Amazing Race” experience that utilizes the city landscape as its racecourse.

Showcasing Milwaukee landmarks and engaging local businesses, the race is a sequential treasure/ scavenger hunt. The race has various challenges with clues and activities that must be completed to make it to the finish line.

Requirements to participate in the race:
•All participants must be over 21
•A fun attitude and a sense of humor

Duration
The race starts at 11:00 am, and shuts down after 5:00. The closing ceremony will occur at 5:00 PM or after the last team checks in. A team’s end time will be recorded when both members have crossed the finish line. Determination of arrival order is at the sole discretion of the race organizers and staff.

Course
The racecourse is designed around several areas in Milwaukee. Plan to cover 4-10 miles on foot. The course is predetermined, but not designated for the racers. Each clue will tell you the next part of the course.

Start Line
Next Act Theatre
255 S. Water St.
Parking – We recommend people use the Third Ward Parking structure on Chicago and Water St. but street parking near the theatre is available

Transportation
Teams may only travel by foot or public transit:
You may walk, run, or use public transportation to get from one clue location to the next.
•Teams may not use any form of private transportation or accept any rides, unless otherwise stated during the race. This includes taxis, private cars, motorcycles, in-line skates, escorts, pedi-cabs, bicycles, helicopters, horses, or any other form of private transportation.

Conduct
During the race every team MUST:
➢ Obey all local laws, regulations, and traffic laws. Participants are solely responsible for their actions and the consequences of those actions during Your Amazing Milwaukee Race.
➢ Comply with the directions of The Amazing Milwaukee Race organizers, local authorities and property and/or venue owners and managers.
Competing safely is our number one concern. Please watch for all oncoming traffic. There is no set course and there will be no blocked off streets for you to race through. Please obey all traffic laws.

During the race teams MAY NOT:
➢ Interfere with other teams or block their progress.
➢ Engage in unsportsmanlike or illegal conduct, including but not limited to verbal or physical aggression towards the public, local officials, other participants, or The Amazing Milwaukee Race staff, or acts of vandalism, theft, or harassment.
The Amazing Milwaukee Race organizers reserve the right to disqualify any participant or team for any reason at any time. All rulings of the race organizers will be final.

All participants are required to sign a video and photo release.

Clues
Clues are obtained in the order the course dictates. Teams will have no idea where they will be asked to go or what they will have to do until they receive their next clue. Teams do not have the option to skip a clue. Keep your clues – All clues need to be turned in to win the race.

Clues will take on different forms- some will be direct, and others will be indirect; some clues will be physical, and some will be mental.
As previously stated: “The Amazing Milwaukee Race creates an ‘Amazing Race’ experience.” We do our best to provide an experience inspired by the TV show, including:
•Route Info: Tells you where to go, sometimes tells you how to get there.
•Roadblock: Only one team member is allowed to complete the task.
•Detour: A choice of two or more tasks.
•Intersection: A task that must be completed with another team.
•Bunching: A locale or situation that is meant to slow first arriving teams to give remaining teams a chance to catch up.
There may be some frustrating elements along the course- all meant in the best of fun. Just like the TV show, the race is controlled chaos.

Teams will need to check in at various checkpoints. If more than one team is present at a clue site at the same time, the teams will complete the activity in the order in which they arrived. The Amazing Milwaukee Race organizers reserve the right to delay any team until the previous team has completed the activity before allowing the next team to begin.

amazingmilwaukeerace@gmail.com

Why Dogsled?

The answer is simple…because it’s fun. Dog sledding is a way for those who love dogs to get out in the wilderness and have a great time.

Our Alaskan Huskies love to run and we feel privileged that they like to bring us along on their journeys. The huskies are friendly, energetic dogs that love people and love to run even more.

Traveling in the back country is an amazing experience. You get to do and see things you can’t see from the road. When you travel by dogsled, you don’t hear an engine roar or smell the exhaust. Instead, your journey is quiet except for the gentle jingle of the dogs’ collars and the sound of you and the dogs breathing.

We offer one hour rides and half and full day adventures where you can learn to mush your own team.  The rides, weather permitting, are between December 15 and March 31.

For more information or a reservation Email Mish or call 715-771-0416. It is best to email since they check it in the morning or evening.  If you call you will need to leave a message.

Just imagine going to a museum that is filled with spinning tops, yo-yo’s, gyroscopes, spin toys, spinners and an area of hands-on-science.  What a great place to spend a day!

You will be able to see 2,000 items on exhibition of antique and modern spinning tops, yo-yos, patches, Duncan items, gyroscopes, diabolos, and unusual spinner toys.  What is a Duncan item?  Well it’s a wooden toy such as a spinning top spinner yo-yo.  Some of them were made to whistle while they spun.  Ok, so then what is a diabolos?  It is also called “the devil on two sticks” becasue it is a juggling prop consisting of a spool which is whirled and tossed on a string tied to two sticks held one in each hand.

You will be able to view some videos about spin tops and learn spinning science facts.  You will have the opportunity to play and exeriment with 35 different hands-on toy tops and spinning top games.  You will also have a chance to see a live presentation of spin tops, yo-yos and gyroscopes by Judith Schulz, the Top Lady and toy top collector.  She will certainly show you some new things to try with tops and spinning toys that you may not hav thought of before!

Since the museum is not open every day you will need to call ahead for the schedule.  Space is limited and reservations are only a phone call away so call and make a day of enjoyment!  Be aware that it is truly a museum for ages 4 – 104.  Not for younger children than 4.

The Top & Yo-Yo Museum Admission/program/tour is 2.5 hours for true fun.  Cost: $11 per person of all ages.  Parking is free.

The museum does not accept credit cards so be sure to have cash if you want to buy anything from the gift shop.  If you use travelers checks the entire amount of the check must be spent in the shop, no change for travelers checks.

The museum is handicap accessible.

Is there another hands-on museum there, too?  
Yes, the hands-on LOGIC PUZZLE MUSEUMis in the same buildings as the Spinning Top & Yo-Yo Museum, but with its own separate hours. The Logic Puzzle Museum is great for families, individuals, groups, math clubs, scout outings, field trips, tour groups, adult tourists, family reunions, birthday parties, and mystery tours. 50 hands-on brain & mechanical puzzles try try to solve, ring bells when you solve one, see the exhibit, plus make a puzzle to keep! Best for ages 5-105.  A 1.5 hour visit. Call for hours (262) 763-3946    

Phone: 262-763-3946

Location: 533 Milwaukee Avenue, historic downtown Burlington, Wisconsin 53105 

Email: thetopmuseum@hotmail.com

When Wisconsin was a territory the First Capitol was established in Belmond.  The legislature of the time met during a cold fall and winter of 1836 and built the framwork that would evolve into the state of Wisconsin 12 years later. 

During the time from October 25 to December 9, 1836 these men put 42 laws on the books, established a judicial system, called for roads and railroads and established Madison as the permanent capital city.

With the establishment of Madison as the permanent capital city Belmond suffered as businesses left the area.  The town did maintain a post office and serveral other businesses until 1867.  At that time residents set up a new town along the railroad tracks which became Belmont and the older town came to be known as Grandview.  This small community was named Leslie.

There are two buidlings on the First Capitol site used during the 1836 Territorial Legislative session.  The first was the Councfil House where the legislators met.  The second buidling was a lodging house for the legislators.

Both of the structures were eventually used as residences.  The lodging house was the home of territorial Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Dunn.  Both were later converted into livestock barns.

In 1910 the Wisconsin Federation of Women’s Clubs began raising funds for the restoration of the buildings. In 1924 the Council House was moved to its current site and restored. In 1956 the lodging house was moved to the site and restored. During this time it was operated by the Department of Natural Resources.

In 1994 the site became part of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Admission to these buildings is free.

From June 15 – Sept. 5 they are open Wednesday – Sunday from 10 am – 4 pm.

First Capitol is located 20 miles east of the Mississippi River on CR-G, near the city of Belmont and US-151.

Address

First Capitol
19101 County Highway G
Belmont, WI 53510

First Capitol’s lodging and council houses both have wheelchair ramps. Due to the scale used in historic buildings, access is somewhat limited. Reasonable accommodations can be made for individuals requiring wheelchairs for mobility. For more information regarding access to site buildings, grounds and programs please contact First Capitol at 608-987-2122.

This village has you touring 37 buildings consisting of five large display buildings, including a one-of-a-kind exhibition hall with forty glass-front display cases filled with items from the distant past.  There are five historic log buidlings that will have you remembering what you have read about from pioneer days, only now you will have a real feel for what it was like for the pioneers to live in that timeframe. 

Along your way down Pioneer Street you will come across an early railroad depot, country school, dentist office, doctor’s office, jail, blacksmith shop, newspaper office, library, meeting house, general store, post office, historic Ebenezer Lutheran Church, entertainment pavilion. There are ample rest areas, modern rest room facilities plus a gift shop filled with numerous hand crafted items including beautiful hand-loomed rugs. Now open is the Cultural Arts Building with food and inside and outside seating.

You will see a farmstead which consists of a log house, barn, “nine-sided” crib silo, windmill, treadmill, and Hennigan stump puller.  You will also see the Soo Line “Whistle Stop Depot.”  Looking inside you will see how the depot agent worked, the pot bellied stove, telegraph operator’s desk and some of the supplies he needed to work.  You will also see the large control handles for the semaphore signal just outide of the depot alonside the railroad maintenance motor car.

Display Buidling 13 holds hundreds of early 1900 items, plus a horse drawn Phaeton and sleigh.  The Hedin HOme was built in 1890.  Here you will see the furnishings arranged as they were when the house was occupied by the Hedin family which consisted of a mother, father, grandmother and eight children.  The upstairs housed four bunks plus a loom.

The Dentist Office has the furnishings he would have used from the foot operated dental drill to the 1883 dental chair and numerous dental supply cabinets and instruments.

Everyone is always interested in the General Store.  In this one you will find hunreds upon hundreds of items found in old time stores throughout America. 

The Post Office was built in 1937 using the saddle and notch construciton method and was moved to the museum in 1973.  The equipment came from various area offices to make this one complete.

Ready to do to the Doctor’s office?  You will see instruments and equipment used by early physicians and make you grateful for the medical care available today.

Visit the library where you will see several furnishing that were used in some of the early businesses.

One of the most important buildings in most communities was the Town Hall and there is one here that was the original school built for a community that no longer exists.  It was then used for a Town Hall for many years.

A church is the heart of a community, the Ebenezer Lutheran Church was built in 1908.  The congregation constructed the frame building including the alter, alter rail, pulpit and pews.  It is still used for weddings.

The Meeting House is a 17′ x 25′ log house built in 1877.  The construciton is of chamfer and notch.  Prior to building a church, the clergy would travel to the community and hold the servies in desginated homes such as this log house.

The newspaper office is there for you to tour as well as the blacksmith shop which contains a forge bellows, gasoline engine power, line shafts,m and numerous antique hand tools. 

Every community (almost) had a saloon and this one is no exception.   The Saloon building arrived at the museum in July 2004.  It had been the office of the Northern Granite Co. which dated from 1908 and was located on 5^th Street in Barron. The saloon features an 1896 back bar from an early saloon in Prairie Farm, which is the oldest village in our county, along with a section of bar from The Coach Bar in Poskin, which dates back to the 1930′s or earlier. Featured also are numerous smaller items found in a saloon. Inside the saloon you may read the history of the Northern Granite Works in our county.

The GAs Station was constructed in 1931 and operated continuously by the original owner for 42 years.  The hand operated gas pumps are restored as well as the building.  the interior is much like it was when the station was operating.

Need a jail? The Dallas Jail is here for you to see.   The jail was constructed of native sandstone in 1903 during the laying of the Soo Line “Blueberry” tracks from Barron to Dallas. 

The Barron Jail is here too, the cell came from the old brick City Hall/Fire Department building in Barron.  It was constructed in 1907.

The Barbership even has the vintage 1880′s red and white striped barber pole.  The school was built in 1905 and contains single and double desks for grades one throug eight.

There are many more buildings for you to see, taking a walk through times gone by. 

Admission:
Adults: $6.00; Children 5 – 12  $3.00; under 5 free admission
Group Tours (35 or more people) $4.00 Each
Season Pass: $20.00

Weddings, and Church Services:

$100.00 Refundable Church security deposit

$100.00 Rehearsal Donation (2 hour limit) $50.00 per hour over
$200.00 for Wedding/Church Service Donation (2 hour limit) $50.00 per hour over

Reservations Call: 715-458-2080 (museum) Caroline  715-642-1327 (cell)
                            Sandy  715-418-3718 (cell)

Cultural Arts Rental Fees

$100.00 Refundable security Deposit

$150.00 Use Donation (3 hour limit) $50.00 per hour over

Museum Hours:

Season: Memorial Day through Labor Day
Thursday through Sunday 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Special hours on event days
The Museum will open on other days for tours by appointment.

museum1@chibardun.net

Phone: 715-458-2080 pr 715-642-1327 (cell) or 715-418-3718 (cell)

The Pioneer Village Museum is about 2 hours East of the Twin Cities, about 1 hour North of Eau Claire and about 2 hours South of Superior. 

When traveling from the West, take Hwy 8 through Barron and turn left on County W. From Hwy 53 at the Cameron-Barron exit, go West on Hwy 8 to County O (County O is 18th St). Turn North on County O to County W. Turn Right or East on County W.

From Hwy SS or Cameron or coming from the East on Hwy 8, take Main Street West through Cameron to the Museum. There is a large sign with an arrow on it next to the Museum.

Do you want the thrill of rafting but want to do it in the Midwest?  Then you need to come to Wisconsin and go to Thorntons and either raft the Peshtigo River or the Menominee River.  Both of them will give you a thrill although the Menominee is for more experienced rafters or those with more courage.

Exciting Peshtigo River Rafting trips are run daily and are guaranteed to include crashing whitewater rapids, gentle stretches of river, and some the most scenic wilderness in the state of Wisconsin. The Peshtigo River allows you to enjoy its spectacular beauty and bountiful wildlife along the 5-mile river trip, which hold some the most challenging whitewater in the Midwest.  Daily trips April through October offer from class II to class IV rapids ranging from crashing whitewater to gentle stretches that last only long enough for you to catch your breath and enjoy the spectacular beauty and wildlife of the area. All trips are run in the latest equipment available for whitewater rafting, guided and all gear is provided.

Go fishing in the morning and Peshtigo white water rafting in the afternoon! Thornton’s Resort provides some of the best Class A musky lakes in the state of Wisconsin. Located in Marinette County, Thornton’s Resort is only a short distance from some of the best fishing in the area. You are able to fish for walleye, bass, northern pike, and muskellunge in one of the 204 lakes and flowages or 100 miles of the Menomonee River that are found in this part of the state. If trout fishing is your forte, enjoy fishing in the highest concentration of trout streams in Wisconsin.

The Menominee River offers class IV rapids and is a guided trip, run in six to twelve person self-bailing rafts. The Menominee River is a scenic 50 minute drive from our resort and begins at the beautiful 200′ cliffs bordering Wisconsin and the U.P. Down river you will experience the famous “Piers Gorge” which we run twice. Price is $47.00 per person and includes all gear and guides.

Location: W12882 Parkway Road
Athelstane, WI 54104

Phone: 715-757-3311

If you have always wanted to take a helecopter ride then this is one that you will truly enjoy.  All the flights are narrated by the pilots to point out places of interest and to help you get the best angle for your photographs.  Yes, be sure to take a camera along.

Fly High operates at the Baraboo Airport and has for the past few years.  You will be flying in a Robinson R-44 Raven1 helecopter which has a proven record of safety and reliability.

The tours/rides from the airport offers 6 different tours ranging from 5 miles to 50 miles.  Custom flights are available, offering rates from minutes to hours.

#1 INTRODUCTORY FLIGHT

This 5 mile flight is great for first timers. See the
Bluffs & Dells from a great vantage point.
$25/person

#2 LAKE DELTON FLIGHT

Enjoy this 10 mile tour over Lake Delton, Kalahari,
Great Wolf. If you are staying at one
of these resorts you must see them from the air!
$45/person

#3 MIRROR LAKE FLIGHT

This 15 mile tour begins by heading east to the
Wisconsin River then up the river past the “Rocky
Island Region”, Lake Delton, Dells Dam, Noah’s Ark,
and over to Mirror Lake. This is by far
our most popular flight. $65/adult • $60/child

#4 Upper Dells FLIGHT

If you forgot your camera on any of the earlier flights,
don’t forget it on this 20 mile tour to the Upper Dells.
This is a great flight to see Chula Vista.
$85/adult • $80/child

#5 BARABOO BLUFF FLIGHT

Sit back and enjoy this spectacular 25 mile tour over
breathtaking Devils Lake then over to the Merrimac Ferry,
past Devils Head Resort and over the scenic Baraboo bluffs.
This is Wisconsin at its finest and the Pilots favorite.
$105/adult • $95/child

#6 THE ULTIMATE FLY HIGH TOUR

See it all with this 50 mile tour. The Upper Dells area, Wis. Dells attractions, resorts, hotels, parks, golf courses, Lake Delton, Devils Lake, Mirror Lake, Baraboo bluffs, Devils Head Resort, Merrimac Ferry & beautiful Lake Wisconsin!
$205/adult • $195/child

All tours require a 2 person minimum or 3 person maximum.  Reservations are required.  WEIGHT LIMITS WILL BE COMPLIED WITH PER FAA
(280 LBS PER SEAT 580 LBS TOTAL)

Fly High Helicopters Wisconsin
Baraboo Airport
S3440 Hwy 12
Baraboo, WI 53913
(608) 712-7796

Email Information To: info@flyhighwi.com

Paperweights have captured the artistic fantasy in many people, the unique designs the detail and the uniqueness of them make for a fasinating time at the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum.  Here you will be able to enjoy the collection of the founder of the museum, Evageline (Hoysradt) Bergstrom.  Her memories of a paperweight her grandmother had when she was a small girl instilled the desire to pursue the collection and eventually donate it to the city of Neenah.

The museum was begun with a legacy and a charge-to build a mueum after Evangeline passed on.  In April of 1959 the museum opened to the public.  Because of the interest in the museum it was expanded upon three different times.  It now greets more than 20,000 visitors each year.  The glass collection numbers over 3,000 objects for your enjoyment.

Along with the paperwieghts there is a Germanic glass drinking vessel collection and two other glass collections that rotate on view periodically.  They also have temporary exhibits throughout the year.

The majority of the pieces on deisplay are permanently shown on the first floor galleries.  Along with historical pieces you will be able to see contemporary glass which were created in the Studio Glass program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  There are also Victorian glass baskets for you to enjoy.  From Vasa Murrian to Amberina, opaline to opalescent, satin to spattered and spangled, this collection rpovides a comprehesive look at the surface treatments applied by English and American artisans.  The majority of the pices are in basket form, but there are some vases, pitchers, and rose bowls, all beautiful pieces for you to enjoy.

The museum offers classes, exhibits and events for those that are interested in glassware.  The museum also offers tours for both children and adults.  Guided tours provide a general overview and expaln how glass and paperweights are made.  The tours are age appropriate.

There is a museum shop where you can purchase different pieces of artistic glass.

Bergstrom-Mahler Museum
165 N. Park Ave
Neenah, Wisconsin 54956

Telephone:  920.751.4658

E-mail:  answers@bergstrom-mahlermuseum.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10am-4:30pm, Sunday 1-4:30pm
Shop hours the same

The Village of Wales boasts a long and full history. Its name was derived from its first Welsh settlers, the Elias Family and other early farm families, who emigrated from Britain to the area in the 1840. Today, the Village still incorporates its heritage by proudly displaying the Welsh red dragon depicted on the national flag of Wales, England.

In 1880, the arrival of the Chicago Northwestern railroad and the erection of a train station brought increased activity to Wales. These were driving factors in the Village establishment in 1882.

In 1895, the Elias family built their distinctive new home on Main Street, which still stands majestically in their original Victorian style in downtown Wales. The Elias family home later became residence to the George Webb family, the business entrepreneurs and creators of the well known George Webb casual restaurant chain. Now known as Pedal’rs Inn, the home continues to provide the century-old tradition of hospitality as a bed and breakfast for local visitors.

Commerce began early in Wales when the James General Store opened its doors in 1882 on the corner of Main and Elias Streets and began providing the community with food and dry goods. Businesses continued to burgeon in the area and soon included a shoemaker, blacksmith, hardware shop and meat market.

Today, the Village area continues to grow and develop. New and emerging businesses, an increasing residential population and developmental improvements all continue to carry the legacy of a flourishing community, making Wales a desirable place to visit, reside or own a business

Wales is easy to get to, just 25 miles from downtown Milwaukee, three miles south of I-94 and situated around two major county highways, Hwy 83 and 18. Today, the Village of Wales covers 1,443 acres and has 2,655 residents and nearly 100 businesses. Bordering communities such as Genesee Depot, Dousman and Delafield also offer an abundance of recreation choices and attractions. Nestled in the Kettle Moraine, Wales is surrounded by rolling hills, woodland areas and multiple lakes including the nearby beautiful Lapham Peak Park and Upper and Lower Nabobin Lakes.

Everyone has seen the squirrels that run around our yards, regardless of what part of the country we live in, but have you ever seen a WHITE Squirrel?  The town of Olney has them, they are just waiting for you to come and see them and admire their uniqueness.

There are a couple of ideas of how the squirrels ended up in Olney, both of the hypotheses are well documented and substantiated by eyewitnesses from the time, which is around 1902.  One of the stories says that a hunter shot a mother squirrel as she was headed to her nest and when she fell two babies fell out of the nest to the ground.  They were white.  Because they were different he put them in the pocket of his game bag and took them home to his sons who bottle fed them and raised them.  After being confined in a cage at a local pub in Olney for sometime they were released into the wild in Tippit’s Woods.

The other story is that a cream-colored squirrel and a white squirrel were captured on a farm about 6 miles southeast of Summer.  The farmer that captured them raised several litters and then took a pair to Olney in 1902.  Apparently both stories agree that the squirrels were on display at the tavern until released into the wild following a law being passed prohibiting the containment of wild animals.

In about 1941 there were 800 white squirrels.  Each year there is a count held of both white and gray squirrels in the area along with the number of cats.  The squirrel population dropped to below 100 and so the city council amended its ordinance which disallowed dogs from running free to include cats not being allowed to run free either.  There is hope that this will help to increase the white squirrel count.

The community has been in numerous newspapers and on TV with the story about the white squirrels which attract the attention of those that want to see something different of nature.  If you want to see them it is best to watch early in the morning.  It is suggested that you see them in their natural habitat such as the Olney City Park, Millers Grove (which is located on the south side of East Fork Lake) and in several of the neighborhoods around town that have mature trees and feeding stations.

In 2009 the squirrel count had the white squirrels at 111 but the hopes of increasing that number depend on the predators such as hawks, fox and cats being discouraged from coming to where the squirrels are.  The community has asked that pet food not be left outside due to predators eating it and that doors to sheds and out buildings be closed to keep the predators from using them for shelter and to raise their young.

Enjoy relaxing on 50 secluded acres of Wisconsin’s northwoods. Trek with the llamas, sit and relax on the deck or visit
one of the many attractions in the area:
Hunting, fishing, swimming, tubing, canoeing, golfing,
cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, dining, shopping,
visiting historical sites, hiking the national forests…
are just a few of the local activities.
Come and meet the llamas of Storybook Farm!

Enjoy an adventure with your family hiking through 2 miles of wooded trails with one of the most gentle creatures on earth!

The llama trekking is available until the snow falls and again in the spring when the trails dry out.

A typical visit will include meeting the llamas, and pairing up with a compatible trekker. Once on the trails you have the chance to fine tune your llama training skills so at the end of the trek you will be ready for the obstacle course. The trail is about 2 miles long and is one of the best groomed trails in the area. The obstacle course includes turns, jumps, a bridge and various other maneuvers. This is a great family adventure.

You can come for an hour, spend the day or stay overnight at the B&B.

We’ve had trekkers as young as two years old take our llamas trekking!

LIFE IS FULL OF OBSTACLES!

We have a mini obstacle course set up for those daring adventurers that want a little more excitement!  There are national competitions for doing obstacles. The obstacles on our mini course encompass some of the mandatory obstacles for llamas competing in either the obstacle class or the public relations class.

Backing up…
And listening intently!

Over the bridge?

An easy jump!

Llama Trekking & Obstacle Course!
General rates: $15.00 per llama
They can take up to 14 trekkers.

Check out their seasonal prices.

Group rates are available:

Team building competitions are available for up to 30 people.

They also do parties!!  What a great change of pace for a party. 

If you think trekking is a boring walk through the woods…you just haven’t done it!  Treks are what you make them…a peaceful nature hike or a rowdy, romping adventure!

Either way, you’ll have to hone your skills to compete on the obstacle course.  Or, for groups…take a mini trek and do some team building competitions…that’s a riot!

Contact Jim Hirdler, Owner, at 715-339-3614

Email: bonniescrias@aol.com

Location: N 9479 Deer Lake Lane
Phillips, WI 54555

Telling the history of the Oneida people begins during the “Time of Great Abundance” in 1633.  At that time there was nothing to worry about, there was plenty of food and water.  The people lived together in a perfect society without out-side diseases or viruses.  It was a time of peace for the people.

From 1634 – 1783 the people saw many different rulers of the nation with the inflow of the white man to the area.  One of the things that invaded the people was the onset of Small pox.  This communicable disease was brought by both the European and Africans when the slaves came to South Carolina in 1783.  The small pox disease wiped out 50% of the Cherokee Nation.  It moved from the East coast to the land of the Oneidas, the Mohawks, the Cayuga, the Onondagas and Seneca.  This dreadful disease reeked havoc among the people leaving many dead.  It is rumored, and many believe it is true, that the US Army provided Native people with blankets that may have been deliberately infected with small pox to help to wipe out the “Indian Problem.”

During the time of the Revolutionary War the Oneidas and Tuscarora sided with the Colonists.  Following the War the tribal Oneida belt with the 6 diamonds was created to signify the coming together of the 6 Iroquois Nations which had split up during the war.

The time of the Assimilation on Two Fronts fran from 1881 – 1917.  During this time there was established the Oneida Band.  This band offered a way for Oneida to earn an income.

In 1887 the Dawes Allotment Act was passed by the US Government.  The purpose of this bill was to assimilate the Indians into American culture, stripping them of their tribal identity and turning communal lands into individual homesteads.  As a result of the allotment, the Oneida Nation lost control of all but a few hundred acres of the reservation.  Much of the land that belonged to the Oneida people was taken over by non-Indians.

The story of the Oneida can be learned at the Oneida Museum.  Spend some time and get to know the history and the story of these people.

Winter Hours (September – May)

Tuesday – Friday 9am – 5pm

Summer Hours (June – August)

Tuesday – Saturday 9am – 5pm

Admission

Children under 18 $1.00

Elders (55+) $1.00

Adults $2.00

Tours: Please call 920-869-6534 for availability and pricing

Guided Tours at the Oneida Nation Museum
General Information:
Our guided tours include an oral presentation of all exhibits and displays by cultural education staff and generally last 45 – 60 minutes. Tours can be altered to accommodate audience special needs or age groups upon request. Please discuss such requests with the cultural education staff when scheduling your visit. To facilitate questions and to ensure your comfort and enjoyment it is our policy to divide groups of 30 or more. For groups not immediately touring the museum, we offer a selection of interactive activities. These vary seasonally and with the availability of materials. Our current options will be discussed with you prior to your visit.
Cost:
Group tour cost per person: $3.00
Group tour cost with additional crafts: $5.00

Location

Address:W892 County EE

DePere, WI 54115

Phone: (920)869-2768

The tour allows you to see several behind-the-scenes areas.  The tour guides will lead you through the Lambeau Field Atrium, up to the exclusive Club Level for a look at the Legends Club, then down through the players tunnel and learn about the Green Bay Packers.  Tickets are sold on a first-come first-served basis for each day’s available tours.  Tickets go on sale at 9 AM Monday – Saturday and 10 AM on Sunday.  During Training Camp the tickets go on sale at 8 AM.

Stadium Tour Ticket Prices

• Adult Combo (18-61): $19 for Stadium Tour & Hall of Fame Admission
• Adults (18-61): $11
• Seniors (62+): $10
• Military (with valid military ID): $10
• Youth (12-17): $10
• Student (with college student ID): $10
• Children (6-11): $8
• Children (5 and under): FREE
• Lambeau Field will host its 54th season of football in 2010.  The stadium had a facelift in 2003 expanding the only true retro-look in the entire league.  The stadium can be used all year, not just during the games.  Enjoy the Packets Hall of Fame and other functions.

Just outside the Atrium in the Robert E. Harlan Plaza, named in honor of the former team CEO (1989-2007), are bronze statues of team founder Curly Lambeau and legendary coach Vince Lombardi.

If you are lucky you can get tickets to the Miller Lite End Zone where you have a fabulous view of the field, open seating, beer vendors with little or no lines and heating for cold weather games.  Along with that there are live radio broadcasts during the game.  The Miller Light End Zone Party Deck holds up to 300 Packers fanatics.  Only those 21 and older are allowed into the area.

Parking

Game Day Access Map (PDF)

The Lambeau Field parking lot opens four hours prior to kickoff. With the exception of a limited number of first come, first served parking for people with disabilities, the entire stadium lot is sold out to holders of season parking passes. Reserved season parking customers must enter the lot at the entrance indicated on their parking pass and follow the directions given by the parking attendants. No busses, R.V.’s or oversized vehicles are allowed in the Lambeau Field lot. For information on season parking, or to be added to the waiting list for season parking passes in the Lambeau Field lot, please contact the Packers Ticket Office at 920-569-7501.

Tailgating Tailgating is a time-honored tradition at Lambeau Field and while we encourage you to have a good time, please do so responsibly. Those utilizing the Lambeau Field parking lot will be permitted only one parking space per vehicle and we ask that you limit the space used for tailgating to allow for vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Grill cooking with charcoal or L.P. gas is allowed; however, all grills must be supervised while in use and be fully extinguished before being left unattended. Separate containers are available in the lot for hot charcoals, recyclable items and trash.

Location:

Green Bay Packers, Inc.
Lambeau Field Atrium
1265 Lombardi Ave.
Green Bay, WI 54304

Phone: Main Switchboard 920.569.7500 Tickets: 920-569-7501

The opportunity to feed the giraffes is between 10 AM and 1 PM and again from 2 PM to 5 PM.  It costs $1.00 for 2 giraffe crackers and is available at the giraffe stand.

The NEW Zoo is located 10 miles northwest of downtown Green Bay, within the Brown County Reforestation Camp.  Together they sit on 1560 acres which serve over a half a million visitors each year.  The NEW Zoo occupies 43 acres of this land.  There are hiking trails, biking and nature trails that will have every outdoor enthusiast so pleased they will come back time and again.

There are 92 exhibits with over 215 live animals.  The NEW Zoo is divided into several themed areas including the North American Plains, Wisconsin & Northern Trails, Africa, Australia, a Children’s zoo and an education building.  The Zoo offers self-guided tours through dozens of animal exhibits as well as the educational programs for your enjoyment.

If you visit in the winter you can enjoy snowshoeing and cross-country skiing through the miles of unbroken forest land.

The miles of trails, picnic areas, trout ponds, and animal exhibits provide fun and enjoyment for the whole family. Visit the observation tower to see a good portion of the animal exhibits and lush habitat.

The NEW Zoo is open 7 days a week.  Here you can escape the everyday life and have a fun day in nature and looking at the variety of animals in the zoo.  You can take the KC Stock Safari Train around the grounds for just $2 per person, weather permitting.  The train runs from 10 AM to 5 PM.

Zoo Hours: 9 AM – 6 PM

Admission: Children 2 years and under are FREE, 3 – 15 $3; Adult (16 and over) $5; Seniors (62 +) $3; Families $15.

Location: 4378 Reforestation Road
Green Bay, WI 54313

Phone: 920.434.7841

You will probably want to visit the Observation Building/Resch Conservation Wing to be able to see live birds of prey, live songbirds, fruit bats, a boa constrictor, native fish in their tank, the animal nursery window (a favorite of everyone), and use the public restrooms that are available there.  You can buy corn to feed the ducks and geese for $1 a bag but please, only feed them the corn, nothing else!

In 1935 the Sanctuary began as a waterfowl rehabilitation site and today it continues to receive over 4,000 inured, orphaned and sick animals each year.  All those that can be released back into the wild are released.  Those that cannot survive in the wild may be used by the staff as wildlife education ambassadors.

In the Nature Education Center you can participate in hands-on exhibits, see the Whistling Wings Art Gallery, the Estuary Room, spend some time in the library and again there are public restrooms available here. 

When you are on the Wildlife Habi-Trek trail you will get to the Woodland Building and grassland Habitat where you will be able to witness wolves, cougar, bobcat, fisher and otter in the outdoor environment.  Indoors you will see flying squirrels, mice and voles, mink, opossum, turtles and snakes.  Then on to the Grassland Habitat where you will see White-tailed deer, wild turkey, coyotes, crows and ravens, be able to climb the observation tower and more.

There are a number of nature programs that you can participate in while you are in the area so check to see what will be going on while you are visiting.

Location:
Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary
1660 East Shore Drive
Green Bay, WI 54302

Phone: 920.391.3671

Hours: April 15 – Sept. 15 8 AM – 7:30 PM at the Nature Center; Observation Building, Animal Care, Injured Animals 8 AM – 6:30 PM daily (call 920-391-3685); hiking trails from 8 AM to 4:30 PM daily; Woodland Building and Habitrek 9 AM – 6 PM daily.

From September 16 – April 14 hours are Nature center 8 – 4:30 daily, Observation building 8 – 4:30; hiking trails 8 – 4:30, Woodland Building and Habitrek 9 – 4:30 daily.

Just across the road from the wildlife sanctuary is Bay Beach Amusement Park. Entertaining more than 1 million guests each season, the park has 16 amusement rides with ride tickets just 25 cents each. Bay Beach has been a summer tradition for 50 years.  In addition to the fun rides, the park consists of approximately 45 acres with 7 shelters, a dance hall, rest rooms, picnic areas, and playground, softball and volleyball areas.

This park has a fascinating history that make it well worth visiting, along with the Amusement Park the history shows how a piece of land can take on a life of its own.  Originally purchased in 1892 by Mitchell Negedlo to be developed into a private beach resort named Bay View Beach, the idea was sound according to today’s standards, but with the roads being in such poor condition and the land swampy and mosquito infested it just didn’t take off.  Since the mode of transportation at that time was the horse and buggy getting through to the area after a rain was impossible.  Due to this Nejedlo sold the land to Captain John Cusick in 1908. 

Cusick bought a steamboat and began transporting passengers from their dock just south of the Walnut Street Bridge to the new dock at Bay View Beach. The boat could haul up to 400 passengers. The dock extended 570 feet into the bay and was 8 feet wide. At the end where the boat anchored, there was a covered pavilion 30 by 30 feet.

Swimming became popular at Bay View Beach and the rental of swimsuits at 10 cents apiece became a gold mine for Cusick. On a good day the bathhouse took in as much as $450.00, and even though the suits were never quite dry or free of sand, people kept wearing them anyway.

The original pavilion was two stories and had two large winds.  The downstairs center portion housed the dining rooms and a kitchen.  The west wing served as a roller skating rink and the east was a dance hall.

There was a roller coster built in 1901 and torn down and replaced in 1929 but it was dismantled in 1936 due to insurance issues.  Along with the roller coaster there was a Shoot-the-Chutes ride which was an early version of the log ride that is at many parks today.  It cost the rider 10 for the ride but due to disastrous freezing and ice breakups the ride was destroyed after the 2nd or 3rd season.

By 1910, Bay View Beach had become a favorite recreation spot. In 1911, Frank Murphy and Fred Rahr bought out Cusick and incorporated their park with Cusick as manager. Several rides were added including a large roller coaster and a merry-go-round. Cusick was willing to try anything to draw a crowd. His attraction included balloon ascensions, baseball games and nightly dances in the pavilion.  When Cusick left Bay View Beach in 1916 the park fell into a slump.  In 1920 Murphy and Rahr donated the 11.66 acres to the city with the stipulation that it had to be used as a park and playground.  The city shortened the name to Bay Beach and leased out the operation until 1950 when the Park and Rec department took over control.

The facility was busy with dance night where teens from all over Green Bay would come to dance.  It is said that as many as 1,759 dance tickets were sold in one evening.  During the 40′s dances were offered two nights a week and for 15 cents teens could divide their time between roller skating in the west wind and dancing in the east.  Such greats as Glen Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Tony Pastor, Tiny Hill and finally Lawrence Welk played there.  By 1972 teen dances had phased out and were discontinued.

Today the rides are for everyone but focusing on the little ones you can make plans for them to ride in the Pony ride, Lady Bugs, the boats, the Granny Bugs, the little jeeps in bright colors, a race car, or the Sky Fighters.  For the adults there is the slide which slide down on a burlap sack on the 100 foot slide, the Bay Beach Train, the bumper cars, the Ferris wheel, the Helicopter, the Scat, the merry go round, scrambler, tilt-a-whirl and the Yo-Yo.

There is no admission charge and parking is free. Ride tickets are $.25 each, with the rides requiring one or two tickets per rider. Tickets can be purchased from the ticket office on the park grounds during regular operation hours.

Tickets for the live pony rides must be purchased at the pony ride site. Regular ride tickets will not be accepted at the live pony ride.

Hours for the park vary so check for times for the days that you want to attend.

Location: 1313 Bay Beach Road, Green Bay, WI

Phone: 920-448-3365

Email: jeanse@ci.green-bay.wi.us

Amenities on board include two richly appointed, heated and air conditioned Salons, two full-service bars, a full galley, men’s and women’s restrooms, and two open air decks. Foxy Lady II is U.S. Coast Guard Certified for up to 149 passengers.

There are a number of cruises for the visitor to the area to enjoy, from the lunch cruise which is a 2 hour narrated adventure where you will be able to make your own sandwich from the buffet set up to the Lock-Thru lunch which is a 4 hour adventure through the DePere Locks.  If you would rather go later in the day there is  Cocktail Cruise that is a 2 hour cruise with drinks and snacks available for purchase.  On the Thirsty Thursday you can have the same cocktail cruise but with two-for-one drink specials.

Maybe you want to try something like the Margarita Madness cruise which is 2 hours with a taco bar buffet.  You can also learn about the points of interest on teh Fox River during the 1 1/2 hour cruise which is a sight-seeing cruise.  There is also a Dinner Cruise, Itailian Buffet Dinner Cruise, the Captains Bruch or Hors D’ Oeuvres Cruise or the Friday Night seafood Buffet from which you can choose.

Phone: Call (920) 432-3699

Location: 1270 Main St., Green Bay, WI 54302

Fur Trade history is shared at the park with information about how the locaiton between the Mississippi and the Saint Lawrence Rivers made “LaBaye” a logical place for a fur trader to settle down.  By the 1720’s bands of voyageur canoes set out each spring from Quebec, the capital of New France, bound for the Northwest with a cargo of French trade goods. Iron pots, axe heads, knives, needles, mirrors, and other metal goods were popular with the woodland tribes who had only used wooden and bone implements. Flintlock muskets, gunpowder, and shot helped to hunt animals for food, while Indians snared the fur bearing animals whose pelts made fine felt hats back in France. A trader at LaBaye could exchange last year’s cargo of metal, guns, cloth fabric, and blankets for a boatload of fine furs which he would take to the “rendezvous” at Mackinac. There in early summer traders from the great Lakes would meet the Montreal brigades who would take their furs back to Quebec in exchange for another winter’s worth of trade goods. The French fur traders were reliant on the native groups for food, a trade route, hunting grounds, pelts, and companionship. Out of this companionship grew the Meétis culture, a mingling of French fur traders and the Indian culture.

There is a cabin for you to see from circa 1800.  This cabin was actually discovered when a house was being torn down in order to construct the Tilleman Bridge.  It is constructed in the French style of piece-on-piece, meaning one log upon the other.  There are grooved upright logs set in the ground at the corners, dorrs, and windows.  The cracks are chinked to give it a tight fit.

Location: 2640 South Webster Ave., Green Bay Wisconsin 54301

Phone: 920-448-5150 (office hours are Monday – Friday 8 AM – 4:30 PM)

Email: info@heritagehillgb.org

START JUNE 15; PASSENGERS WATCH JUMPERS HOP ON AND OFF PIERS TO DELIVER MAIL

At Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, “e-mail” translates into “energetic mail” delivery. Agile mail jumpers leap from the passenger boat to mailboxes, dockside. The catch? The boat never stops and the mail never comes back undelivered. It’s the only marine mail delivery of its type in the country and passengers get to go along for the ride.

Beginning every June 15, at 10 a.m., daily, young swift mail jumpers hop from the side of the moving tourist boat to mailboxes on resident piers to deposit the mail and then dash back to catch the boat. A boat load of 150 passengers watch the non-stop action on the 2.5 hour mailboat tour and applaud the jumper- a “stamp” of approval- as she or he leaps back and forth. You could call it a first-class tour where the jumpers take their job in stride.

Talk about “pier” pressure! On Sundays, the jumpers deliver big, bulky newspapers to resident piers. At one dock, a golden retriever dashes to the end of the pier to carry the Sunday paper up to his master.

In between close to 65 jumps, the mail hopper “addresses” the passengers as he or she describes the historic estate homes along the shore, once owned by Chicagoans of fame and fortune, including the Swifts, Maytags, Bordens, and Wrigleys. Mail jumpers hope for a dry run, but that’s not always the case. An unexpected swim sometimes results. The daily mailboat tour extends through September. On Sundays, newspapers are “jumper” dockside.

Cost to ride the historic Walworth II Mailboat is $29 for adults, $27 for seniors age 65 and over, $21 for students age 14 through 17 and $16 for children ages 4 through 12. Group rates are also available.

Lake Geneva Cruise Line offers a variety of options including a combination narrated hike and boat tour, ice cream socials, Dixieland dinner cruises, Sunday champagne boat brunch, Black Point estate tours, private charters and more.

A unique way to see the shoreline hmes up close is to take a hike along eight miles of shoreline and then hop aboard one of the passenger boats for the rest of the tour. The up-close-and-personal self-guided tour follows a designated shoreline footpath with elegant mansions and manicured gardens to the right and Geneva Lake, beautiful boats, and lavish boathouses on the left.

Walkers buy cruise tickets at the Lake Geneva Cruise Line ticket office, Riviera Docks, downtown, before hiking over to the village of Williams Bay. The tour boat gives walkers time to walk the trail and then picks them up at the Williams Bay pier for the narrated boat cruise. Reservations are required. Additional walk and cruise options are available.

The unique tour is made possible because of an old law that requires the winding lake path around Geneva Lake be maintained and open to the public. As long as walkers stay on the path, they are not trespassing. Walkers should wear sturdy shoes because the walkway, originally a Native American Potawatomi footpath, ranges from stone, brick and wood planks to concrete ramps, sandy beach, steps, and packed dirt.

For more information  (800) 558-5911

Lake Geneva Cruise Line offers cheap cruises , and a variety of options including a combination narrated hike and boat tour, ice cream socials, Dixieland dinner cruises, Sunday champagne boat brunch, Black Point estate tours, private charters and more.

The Zona Gale Young People’s Theatre is a series of programs operated by the Portage Center for the Arts, Inc.  The programs provide students with the opportunity to study with understanding from professional guest artists and teachers from Wisconsin and around the nation.  It is developed to encourage highly motivated and gifted students in the theatre to consider majoring in theatre at the university level and to involve post secondary former students in returning to help with youth theatre activities.  The program is committed to producing new dramatic works and classics of relevance by, with, and for children, youth, and the young at heart of all ages.  Our specific mission is to provide quality live theatre and theatre education experiences to young people, families, and schools, with affordable public performances, tours, and workshops.

Each year they sponsor programs for the youth of our community, with workshops and a summer’s end production to give our youth a taste of the arts and the fun of live theatre.  There are sessions for young children and for young adults.  Therefore, if you don’t get to the produciton in 2010 check back in following years and make time to get involved, you will be glad you did.

About “into the Woods”:  many familiar fairy tales have been transformed into countless ballets, films, and operas.  From Sergei Prokofiev’s Cinderella to Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et la Bete to Gioacchino Rossini’s La Cenerentola, the magic of fairy tales have inspired myriad works for the stage and screen.

In the mid-1980′s, when a Broadway musical tended to be either a widely-acclaimed hit or a failure, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine were interested in creating a lighthearted, funny musical that would appeal to the middle group—a musical that would entertain a wide audience, but would not necessarily be a box-office smash. Lapine, who had loved fairy tales when growing up, at first conceived of a musical based on an entirely new fairy tale, but the notion of combining several already-cherished fairy tales in one work was rife with possibilities for slapstick humor and witty lyrics.

The resulting musical, Into the Woods, premiered on Broadway in 1987 and was heralded with three Tony Awards and nine nominations. In 1988, it was named best musical by both the Drama Desk and the New York Drama Critics Circle.

However, not all reactions to Into the Woods were favorable.

Rather than continuing the tradition of fairy tales with happy endings, Lapine and

Sondheim have kept true to Grimm’s original versions in Into the Woods, exploring some of the more dark and complex elements of fairy tales, thereby exploring some of the more dark and complex elements that occur in life.

 Take the risk, engage your students in drama in the classroom and take them to experience live theatre – learning motivation, creative potential, and community will emerge.  Dates for this wonderful show are August 13, 14 ,20, 21 at 7:30; August 15 & 22 at 2:00 pm.  Seating is General Admission; Adults $12/Students $7.

301 E. Cook St.
P.O. Box 866
Portage, WI 53901
Phone: 608.742.5655
Fax: 608.742.0246

Research into the history of the property Green Bay Botanical Garden (GBBG) has been developed on, reveals a horticultural past that ties the plans for the property into a kind of horticultural continuity. The NWTC property, or as it is commonly known, the old Larsen orchard was originally part of a vast acreage owned by the William Larsen family of Green Bay.

This acreage lay within the Town of Hobart, on what was once Oneida Indian Reservation land. According to a 1951 edition of “The Wisconsin Magazine,” William Larsen founded a wholesale fruit and vegetable business in 1882. He marketed the produce in the surrounding Green Bay area and expanded his business into a canning operation and founded what we know today as Agrilink Foods.

The Brown County register of deed office reveals that the 65-acre GBBG site was acquired by Larsen, parcel by parcel, in the early part of the 20th century. The earliest plots were bought in 1909, the latest in 1915. According to James Wagner, former treasurer of the Larsen Co. (now Agrilink Foods), apples from this orchard were canned into applesauce by the company during WWII. Apples were also sold at the company apple store, located near Larsen Co. on North Broadway. Later, the orchard became a pick-your-own operation, which was in business until the property began to be sold off.

After years of horticultural use, the property entered a transitional stage. In 1969, NWTC bought a 198-acre property, including the Larsen orchard on which the school was built. The orchard property was upgraded in the late 1970’s to encourage passive recreational use by the general public. Under the direction of NWTC, the US Army Corps of Engineers built a wetlands walkway and a lookout tower, established cross-country ski trails, and constructed the drainage system that resulted in the creation of the pond. The orchard site became a place for the general public to ski, hike, walk, startle a browsing deer, photograph a wildflower, and to enjoy seasonal changes.

In March of 1978, the nucleus group which later became Green Bay Botanical Garden came onto the scene. The group (named Plants in the Urban Environment) met to find ways to promote plants in Green Bay. A botanical garden sub-committee was formed which included Robert Mongin as chair, Jim Beard, Roger Murphy, Jerry Landwehr, Ray Pagel, Dave Parsons, Paul Hartman, Glenn Spevacek, and Sister Nivard Schaefer. This group began looking for possible botanical garden sites. Thirteen sites were chosen by November of 1978 including UWGB, the Wildlife Sanctuary, Brown Co. Mental Health Center and NWTC. Eventually the group selected NWTC as the top site based on detailed examination of criteria.

In March of 1982, Glenn Spevacek became chair of the group which developed bylaws, seated a board, and incorporated as a non-profit organization. Green Bay Botanical Garden, Inc. continued to pursue a garden site. Hartman says, “We started over completely, with an open mind as to what would be the best site.” The group looked at over twenty sites and measured them against the criteria. NWTC again was selected as the most suitable property in the spring of 1986. In November of 1987, NWTC approved the lease proposal.

As the site passed into the hands of GBBG, they not only inherited a piece of property with a horticultural tradition, but they began to build their own horticultural history. They will be the special stewards of the land. The botanical garden will be the next and final phase for the “old Larsen orchard”. Its history is ending, the Botanical Gardens is just beginning.

The statues line streets of Lombardi Avenue District that were named in honor of the legends of Green Bay football, among them: Lombardi Avenue, Bart Starr Drive, Tony Canadeo Run, Reggie White Way, Brett Favre Pass and Holmgren Way. Statues on “the Walk” are in two styles, each representing football formations; 11 trapezoid-shaped statues with football finials line Lombardi Avenue east of Lambeau and document, in decade increments, various eras in Green Bay football history beginning in 1895, with the inception of the game, and ending in the present day.

Another 12 rectangular-shaped statues with steel numeric finials honor individual legends and one other statue honors Coach Vince Lombardi. The Walk begins at the corner of Lombardi Avenue and South Oneida Street, traverses Lombardi Avenue east, past Holmgren Way and Reggie White Way, to Bart Starr Drive, Tony Canadeo Run and Brett Favre Pass.

The project was sponsored by the Oneida Tribe of Indians of WI whose tribal members were early pioneers of the game of football in Green Bay in its semi-pro era. The granite material for the monolithic monuments symbolizes both the Seven Blocks of Granite of which Coach Vince Lombardi was one and also the “People of the Standing Stone,” the name for those of Oneida descent.

Information about the Oneida Tribe of Indians of WI, its people, practices and philosophies is also included on statues on the Walk, making the experience one of both cultural relevance and historical significance.

The Walk of Legends is free and open to the public.

Photos may be taken by the statues.

Phone: (920)328-8516

A WORLD OF FLAVORS AWAIT YOU! You are invited  to “Come in and Smell the Spices”.
The owners would like to personally invite you to enjoy a truly amazing sensory experience! The shop is located in Ashwaubenon/Green Bay; across from Bay Park mall in the Village at Bay Park (JC Penney) shopping center, and next-door to Seroogy’s Fine Chocolates. There you will find a wonderful array of more than 120 Spices and Herbs from around the world: including True Ceylon Cinnamon from Sri Lanka, whole Vanilla Beans from Madagascar, authentic Spanish Mancha Saffron, West African Grains of Paradise, Aji Amarillo Pepper Powder from the Peruvian Amazon, Sassafrass, Green and Brown Cardamom Pods, Lavender, Lemongrass, Juniper Berries and six different types of Paprika. However, they are most famous for their 60+ custom Seasoning Blends that are hand-mixed right in the store! They have tasty meat rubs such as their best selling Backwoods Hickory and the popular Espresso Steak Rub, blends for fish and seafood, cultural offerings like our Greek, Tuscany, Korean BBQ, Thai Coconut, Mexican Mole’, Jamaican Jerk and Chinese 5-Spice Blends, a variety of Curries and a large assortment of “salt-free” blends.
They also offer a variety of Teas; including such traditional favorites like Oolong, Darjeeling, and Earl Grey. For those who prefer more unique flavors, we have selections such as Pear Caramel, Black Chocolate, Mango, Green Tropical and the very popular Mystic Dragon. The Bombay Chai is considered one of the finest Chais available: and the Almond Cookie, and Cinnamon Spice teas are perfect for the Holidays or as a dessert-style beverage following a special meal.
For birthdays, weddings, house-warmings, Holidays, and other occasions, the assortment of Gift Boxes, Spice Racks, Mortar and Pestles, Salt Cellars, and Tea Accessories make wonderful and unique gifts that your special someone will always remember…..and appreciate!
They also offer naturally flavored sugars such as Raspberry, Coconut, Strawberry, and even Espresso Sugar to name a few. Try adding some to your favorite tea as a flavorful sweetener, or use as a topping for cookies and muffins! For fun, rim your favorite drink glasses. The possibilities are endless (and tasty)!
They have over two dozen Sea Salts from around the world, including mineral salts, cooking salts and smoked salts. They also carry the latest salt sensation: Bolivian and Himalayan salt blocks and platters.
The list of the offerings is impressive, but to experience the store for yourself is worth a thousand words. Stop in and enjoy the hospitality offered by the owners and staff.
Gary and Diane Smits,Owners
Phone: (920)405-6666
email: greenbay@spiceandtea.com

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This house was built in 1856 to be an Indian fort, and later was used as part of the Underground Railroad.  There are 12 rooms in the home which features 9 passageways and a hand-dug underground tunnel.  The house is a private residence now (and has been) but the owners do provide showings for a fee when reservations are made in advance.  

The house is on the National Register of Historic Homes.  The house was a wedding gift to Edwin Brown and his bride Ruth Pier and was their home until his death in the battle of Antietam, in 1862. 

Although there are other houses that are far prettier than this one to look at, few have the history of this home.  It sheltered slaves as they made their way to freedom.  It is at the head of Fond du Lac’s Historic District, and artifacts from the era.

The Upstairs Study contains memorabilia from the Women’s Relief Corps, a group formulated of dedicated ladies who originally went out onto the battlefields providing food, water and first aid to the soldiers in battle.  Today this organization would be called the Red Cross or the Salvation Army, providing assistance to the soldiers.  The house was named as a post of the Women’s Relief Corps during the Civil War.

In the south bedroom you will see the “Indian Lookout” windows.  As you look at the room you will see that part of the room is set up on a platform.  Here is an area that was the entrance to a “secret room” for the slaves.  One even left a message that you can see.  You can crawl in and see for yourself.

Inside the house are displays of porcelain dolls, hats, early cookware, vintage china, heirloom clothing and much more.  You can check out the hat pins, jewelry fancies, perfume bottles and seasonal collectibles all here.  Keep looking and you will find antique tools, vintage photo equipment and kerosene lamps all to help you grasp the lifestyle of the era.

The Historic Octagon House is open April – October on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1 – 5.  Guided tours are given at 2.

While you are visiting you can “play dress up” in period cloths although there is an additional fee for this.

Location: 276 Linden St, Fond du Lac

Phone for tours: 920-922-1608

There is a fee charged for tours.

Enter the world of the 7th oldest operating brewery in the nation.  It all began when brewer Matthias Leinenkrugel brought his family to the US from Germany in the 1840′s.  Although the family originally settled in Sauk City the third son, Jacob, traveled north to Chippewa Falls.  He was convinced that the lumberjacks and lumber-booming economy of the area was an ideal location for his own brewery.  

The brewing of Leinendugel’s Beer began for Jacob in 1867 and has been continued for 140 years and five-generations.  With all the trials they have survived, such as prohibition, WWII and some really fierce competition it has grown to become the leading craft brewer in the Upper Midwest.

They offer in addition to their year-round offerings—Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat, Honey Weiss, Berry Weiss, Red Lager, Creamy Dark, Original, and Light, they also offer seasonal beers—Oktoberfest, Apple Spice, and Big Butt Doppelbock.

The beer brewed by this brewery is a handcrafted beer of great taste.  If you are looking for a high-quality full-flavored beer then you really want to try one of theirs.

The brewery was built by Jacob and his friend form Sauk City, John Miller.  When it was first begun there were no employees working the brewery except for Jacob and John.  Jacob brewed and kegged 400 barrels of beer the first year and John delivered it using a small cart and one horse.  At the time both families lived in the brewery in a building 24 ft by 50 feet.  Not such a huge area for a brewery and home but it was a start.

A few years later John and Jacob both built their homes on brewery property.  There were 17 years that they two were partners in the brewery but in early 1884 John sold his interests to Jacob and the firm began a period of single proprietorship.  At that time Jacob employed just 8 men.

In 1890 a four-story brewhouse was erected and production increased to 200 barrels a day.  With the construction of an ice house with storage underneath the facility provided cellage for 8,000 barrels of beer.  In following years a three-story malt house, a bottling house, barns for the delivery horses and a copper shop were added.

Jacob died in 1899.  Following his leadership the second generation began running the brewery.  Matt Leinenkugel became the president of the company.

To survive the years of Prohibition  the brewery started making soda water.  At the end of prohibition Leinenkugels’ was the largest bottler of soda water in the area.

With the death of Matthias in 1926 and his associate Henry Casper in 1927 the running of the brewery moved on to Susan Leinendugel Mayer who served as president until 1929.

When Prohibition was ending the brewery demanded upgraded equipment so the family mortgaged their homes to help buy it to revitalize the brewing operation. For the next 71 years the brewery would be in a constant state of upgrading.

Tours of the brewery began around 1967.  With the demand of tours and wanting to taste the beers produced by the company becoming more demanding the brewery build the Leinenkugle Hospitality center in 1979.

You are invited to come and tour the facility and sample the brews.  The tours start and end at the Leinie Lodge and if FREE.  To maintain the tradition of old-world hospitality they request that you call in advance for the tour.

Directions: From Chicago/Milwaukee on I-94:

Take I-94 West to Eau Claire, exit 70 (first Eau Claire exit) Highway 53 North
Go North 12 miles to Highway 124 North
Follow Highway 124 into Chippewa Falls
From Twin Cities on I-94:

Take I-94 East to Chippewa Falls, exit 52 – Highway 29 East
Follow Highway 29 East 20 miles into Chippewa Falls
Take exit 72 (Business 29). Travel approximately 4 miles into Chippewa Falls.
Follow Highway 124 North signs
From the East on Highway 29 (Wausau)

Take exit 79 (Seymour Cray Blvd.), turn right onto Businees 29 and follow signs to Downtown and Highway 124 North.
Continue traveling on Highway 124 through Chippewa Falls, turning right onto E. Elm St.
From the North (Superior)

Take exit 99 off of Highway 53 North (County Highway S), turn left at the bottom of the exit.
Travel 2 miles to the roundabout intersection at Highway 124, take Highway 124 South, travel 2 miles turning left on E. Elm St.
Once in Chippewa Falls:

Follow Highway 124 to the Elm St. intersection.
Turn onto E. Elm Street., (you’ll see the Leinie Lodge on your left)
Free parking is located behind the Leinie
Lodge.

Tour Hours:

Monday-Thursday & Sat.:
Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with tours every half hour from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Friday:
Open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. with tours every half hour from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Sunday:
Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with tours every half hour from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Leinie Lodge is closed Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Maximum 15 people per tour. Reservations recommended. Parts of the brewery tour are outside; please dress appropriately for the weather. The tour involves a lot of standing, walking and stair-climbing. We offer a video tour as an alternative.

To make a reservation, please call:
888-LEINIES or 715-723-5557

Phone: (888-534-6437) or (715)723-5557

This lighthouse was built in 1880 and is the oldest and tallest in operation on Lake Michigan.  The Lighthouse was fully automated in 1964.  Caretakers live in part of the Dwelling with the other part being used as a town hall with the grounds being open to the public.  The grounds are open every day of the year for your enjoyment.  You can go anytime between sunrise and 11 p.m. when it is closed.

The tower is open on the second Sundays in June, July, August, September, and October. Due to the high demand to see for miles at the top of the lighthouse, reservations are necessary. Tours run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and there is a $10 per person admission.   Those interested in a tour should contact Friends of the Wind Point Lighthouse at 262-880-8266.  Twelve people at a time can climb to the top every 20 minutes.  The Tour to the Top dates are: July 1, Aug. 5, Sept. 2 and Oct. 7.

The funds raised are used for the Friends of the Lighthouse to maintain and preserve the structure and to offer educational programs to schools. So if you normally spend your weekends indoors, watching TV or or playing games like Partypoker, now is your chance to enjoy a day by the sea. The tower stands over 100 feet tall and would certainly make a striking picture for photographers who are interested in 19 Century architecture.

In addition to seeing the expansive view, climbers can expand their minds and learn about lighthouses. Guides will answer questions and back down on ground level, a small building, which used to house the fog horn, has been turned into a maritime museum. Glass cases hold a range of Wind Point artifacts. Kids can push a button and sound a fog horn.

The tower is 108 feet tall and is attached to the keepers dwelling by a covered passageway.  The dwelling was home to the Head Keeper and two assistants and their families.  To get to the tower top you need to climb 144 cast iron steps, each individually anchored to the walls and supported by a central column, this leads to the lantern room.

With the addition of a fog signal in 1900 and powered by steam the signal could be heard from a distance of 40 miles out in the lake.

The tower originally was outfitted with a kerosene-fired Third Oder Fresnel lens but in 1924 it became the second station of all the Great Lakes lights to be electrified.  Then in 1964 the electrified Fresnel lens was replaced with a DCB-24 Aerobeacon with an output of 2,000,000 candle power.  Since the station towers 110 feet at its focal plane the light is visible for a distance of nineteen miles.  In 1964 the fog signal was dismantled and removed.

The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.  In 1997, the National Park Service awarded ownership of the property to the Village of Wind Point although the Coast Guard still maintains the light as a public navigation aid.

The village of Wind Point had leased the buildings from the Coast Guard since 1964.

For more information on tours to the top of the lighthouse, please contact Jeff or Missy Peterson 262-639-3777.

Location: Won Wind Point, 3.5 miles north of Racine, WI.

Travel Instructions: From Highway 32 roughly 3 miles north of the harbor in Racine, turn east on Three Mile Road and follow it to where it turns left and becomes Lighthouse Road. Follow Lighthouse Road for just over a mile. You will pass through a golf course and the lighthouse will then be down a short road on your right.

The lighthouse caretakers are Mike and Susan Arts.

Taste these delightful wines produced from Wisconsin cherries, cranberries and honey.  Of course there are the wonderful grapes that grow on the 16 acres located on the hill tops surrounding the winery which produce the wineries fabulous line of grape wines. 

The variety of wines available at the winery will have you wondering if you can try and then buy them all!  There is the dry red and dry white grape wines which begin the line for this winery.  You have the choice of semi-sweet red, white and blush to also tempt your taste buds and for the sweet tooth among you there sweet grape wines, fruit wines and mead (honey wine) to finish off the choices.

Take the time to take a tour of inside the winery with tours offered from April through October.  There are full-guided tours discussing grape growing and care plus the in-depth steps to wine making.  You will learn how the equipment works to produce the quality the winemaker insists upon.  Then take a hike to the grape vines at the top of the hills and see just how the whole process begins.

Glen, Mary and James Spurgeon will welcome you to their winery.  The hospitality you will experience will make you glad you chose to visit here.  Join them for samples of their wines, eat some of the finest cheeses produced in Wisconsin, eat a grilled buffalo burger from 11:30 – 4:00 pm. 

Come to the winery during harvest time and see how very busy everyone is preparing the grapes and fruits for the production.  Maybe you will be there in time for the Harvest Festival in October.  There will be hayrides through the vineyards if the weather permits, free winery tours, free Taste of Wisconsin: wine, jelly, wine salami and wine cheese spread made form their premium wines.  There will also be live music as well as the grilled buffalo burgers.

Location: 5 miles west of Highland on County Hwy Q (follow the signs)

Hours: 10 – 5 everyday January 2 – December 23 except Easter Sunday and Thanksgiving Day.  Other times by appointment.  If you have a group of 15 or more they request that you call in advance.

Spurgeon Vineyards & Winery
16008 Pine Tree Road
Highland, WI 53543

Phone: (608) 929-7692
Free: (800) 236-5555

If you are looking for one of the most exciting types of fishing available for you it may well be steelhead fishing in the Lake Michigan tributary streams.  Here you will find the steelheads (rainbow trout) that have come in from the open waters of the lake to the tributaries to spawn.  While they are there, for the short period of time they are there, they are in range of the fly or spinning rod.

Wisconsin stocks three different strains of rainbow trout and each run at different times of the year.  Two of the strains are the Ganaraska and the Chambers Creek River.  These two have later winter/early spring runs that typically occur between late February and Mid-April.  Occasionally the runs are later depending on how soon it begins to warm up.  At the first warming the fish will show up.

Fishing for these fish is a real challenge.  It is similar to hunting and fishing at the same time.  The fish are very wary so it takes real patience and talent to get them to take the bait.  You really have to stalk them very carefully.  They are uncomfortable in the small tributaries so they get easily spooked.

Reeling the fish in is also a challenge.  Since they are often between 10 and 18 pounds they certainly can take a line and snap it if you don’t play them correctly.  You had better be ready to run with them, its part of the hunt.

Wisconsin has many Lake Michigan tributary streams that support fine steelhead runs. The most popular streams for steelhead fishing along Lake Michigan include the Kewaunee, Root, Oconto, Manitowoc, Menominee, Milwaukee, East Twin, Peshtigo, Ahnapee, and West Twin rivers. Smaller steelhead streams include the Pigeon, Little, Pike, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic rivers; Stony, Oak, Heins, Sauk, Whitefish Bay, Fischer, Silver, and Reibolts creeks.

The DNA gives the following assistance to those wanting to try for steelheads.

"When to go: Although spring rains bring steelhead into our streams, they are hard to catch until water levels recede and clarity increases to the point where you can see the fish, they can see your bait, and they have enough water depth to feel comfortable in a “small” tributary stream. When water levels are “just right,” make sure you’re out fishing. Start early, best fishing is at just daybreak.

What to bring: You’re going to need waders and a landing net of at least two feet in diameter. A fishing vest with lots of pockets is great to have. Use a magnet-style, landing net holder that keeps your net on your back and out of the way while you’re fishing but within easy reach when you need it.

What to use when you can’t see the fish: A long spinning rod spooled with at least a 10-pound test is best for fishing runs and pools where the fish congregate. Try drifting a spawn-sac or small tube jig suspended by a bobber so that your bait floats just off the stream bottom. Add sinkers sufficient to get your bait just rolling along the stream bottom. Your goal should be to drift your bait right into the face of that unseen steelhead lying along the bottom. Set the hook at the slightest unusual movement of your bobber. Many anglers tip their jig with a wax worm or two.

What to use when you can see the fish: A long and stiff fly rod with at least a 2X (10-pound) leader works best. Watch for fish in early mornings and evenings as they build their “redds” or gravel spawning nests at the head of riffles. Keep your profile low, use polarizing sunglasses and wear dark clothes. Steelhead can see color and are easily spooked. Quietly and slowly get into position below and off to the side of the fish you see. Tease the fish with a fly or spawn sac by repeatedly tossing your fly upstream and letting the fly drift as close to the fish as possible. Commonly-used flies are the egg-sucking leach as well as any brightly-colored spawn sac imitation. Use sinkers on your leader if necessary to get the fly at the exact level occupied by the trout. Local bait shops will easily help you select the “hot” flies to use. Be courteous and don’t intrude into another angler’s territory or spook any fish he or she may hunting.

Keep your expectations realistic. Like all fish, sometimes steelhead bite and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes their strike is quite reserved; other times they literally jerk the rod out of your hand. Don’t get discouraged. Even the best steelhead anglers are constantly trying new methods to meet the conditions they face. Watch successful anglers and imitate their methods. Should you finally hook one, be prepared for a downstream run across an uneven and rocky stream bottom.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Randy Schumacher – 414-263-8672"

Come to Wisconsin and take the challenge, you will be glad you did.

This National Natural Landmark is an excellent way to get introduced to caving in the Midwest. The cave is recognized by the Chicago Academy of Sciences as "the significant cave of the upper Midwest." 

Here you will be able to view a wide array of colorful stalactites, stalagmites, columns and other formations.  Since the cavern began forming over a million years ago it has some of the stunning beauty that only such limestone caves can hold.  Imagine the time it took for the large caverns to be dissolved within rock that itself is believed to be over 400 MILLION years old!

The lower part of the Cave was formed by the rushing water of an underground stream. The Cave is a great display of both chemical and mechanical processes of cave formation.

When the heat of summer gets to be too much for comfort a visit to the Cave will be a wonderful relief since the temperature inside is 50 degrees. There are also park-like grounds for you to enjoy on a hike or picnic.  Then the rock garden is another place to enjoy visiting while at the Cave.

There are two large hills which have long been Wisconsin landmarks and therefore the name of Cave of the Mounds (the Blue Mounds.)

The Cave of the Mounds was discovered by accident on August 4, 1939 when workers were removing high quality limestone from a quarry on the Brigham Farm blasted into the cave.  The cave was opened to the public in 1940.

Tours last approximately 1 hour although extended programs are available year round for schools and groups.  Tours depart rain or shine.

Tour schedule:
Winter (November – March ) Weekends – on the hour, 10 – 4 (last tours leaves at 4).  Weekdays – Hours vary, call 608-437-3038 to find out if there are any on the day you wish to visit.

The Cave is closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve and Day.

Spring: Friday before Memorial Day Weekend: Weekdays – On the hour, 10 – 4 and weekends – 30 minute intervals from 9 – 5. (last tour at 5)

Summer: Memorial Day Weekend – Labor Day Weekend: Weekdays and weekends 30 minute intervals, 9 – 5 (last tour 5)

Fall: Tuesday after Labor Day Weekend – Weekdays – on hour 10 – 4 and Weekends 30 minute intervals from 9 – 5.

Cost:
Adults $14, Children (age 4 -12) $7, Children (3 and under) Free with paid adult.
These rates may change without notice.

Location: 20 miles west of Madison just off US Highway 18 and 151 between Mount Horeb and Blue Mounds.

Specific Directions:

Coming from……. 

Madison: Take the Beltline, Hwys 12/18 to exit 258, Hwys 18W/151S (Dodgeville exit, also know as Midvale Blvd or Verona Road). Go 25 miles. We are just 5 miles West of Mount Horeb. Exit on Cave of the Mounds Road (no exit ramp). We are 1/2 mile north of 18/151.

Fun Fact

The Cave was discovered in a routine quarry blast.

Learn more fun facts.
 
Milwaukee: Take I-94 West towards Madison. Just east of Madison, take exit 4A, I-90E/I-39S towards Janesville.  Go 4 miles. Then take exit 142A, Hwys12/18 West (also called the "Beltline"). Continue 7 miles to exit 258, Hwys18W/151S (Dodgeville exit, also known as Midvale Blvd or Verona Road). Go 25 miles. We are just 5 miles West of Mount Horeb. Exit on Cave of the Mounds Road (no exit ramp). We are 1/2 mile north of 18/151.

Chicago: Take I-90 North, bypassing Rockford and Janesville. Just south of Madison, take left hand exit (#142A) Hwys 12/18 West.  Go 7 miles to exit 258, Hwys 18W/151S (Dodgeville exit, also know as Midvale Blvd or Verona Road). Go 25 miles. We are just 5 miles West of Mount Horeb. Exit on Cave of the Mounds Road (no exit ramp). We are 1/2 mile north of 18/151.

Rockford: Take Hwy 51 North to I-90 West towards Madison.Just south of Madison, take left hand exit (#142A) Hwys 12/18 West.  Go 7 miles to exit 258, Hwys 18W/151S (Dodgeville exit, also know as Midvale Blvd or Verona Road). Go 25 miles. We are just 5 miles West of Mount Horeb. Exit on Cave of the Mounds Road (no exit ramp). We are 1/2 mile north of 18/151.

Wisconsin Dells: Take Hwy 12 East towards Madison. Cave Just past Sauk City take 78 South into Mount Horeb. At the roundabout, turn right onto Hwy. ID (Also called Main Street or Springdale Street). Take this out of Mount Horeb for about 5 miles and turn right on Cave of the Mounds Road.

The Apostle Islands are a group of more than twenty islands on Lake Superior found just off the Bayfield Peninsula in northern Wisconsin. The islands were the spiritual home of the Chippewa natives that lives in the area. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore also encompasses 12 miles of mainland waterfront.

Seeing all of these wonderful and different islands by canoe or kayak can be an incredible experience. However, you should keep an eye on weather conditions and if it appears as though a storm is coming in or that the water is getting choppy, you should immediately make your way off the lake. It is always better to err on the side of caution.

Before heading onto the lake, you should have a map of the island and a distance chart so you can plot your course. You can travel to any of the islands, such as Devil’s Island, Cat Island, Manitou Island, and Otter Island. You can find campsites at these islands, but make sure you have the proper permits before you set up camp!

Another feature that you might want to check out while paddling around the islands is the sea caves. Be careful not to get too close, however, as the waves can make your canoe extremely difficult to control. Only approach the sea caves when conditions on the water are calm. Devil’s Island is a great place to get a look at some sea caves. You can also check out the lighthouse on its shores.

Some of the islands are home to black bears, so you should always be sure to have your food stored securely and away from your campsite whenever you are stopping on an island, whether you are camping or just stopping for lunch. Also, anything that you bring with you to the islands, you should take back out with you – no littering.

The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is open to the public year round, but hours that the visitor center is open vary depending on the season. When you first come to the islands, it is a good idea to visit Bayfield Visitor’s Center. You can learn more about the islands’ histories and pick up camping permits if you plan to stay overnight. You can park at Little Sand Bay or Meyer’s Beach, which will cost a small parking fee.

With so many places to paddle to, the Apostle Islands are sure to bring you back again and again.
 

When traveling through the beautiful north woods of Wisconsin, you will find a wonderful place to visit. Peck’s Wildwood Wildlife Park is located very close to the town of Minocqua, and makes a wonderful place for the whole family to get away and have a fun day. People love that they can get very close to the animals here – it makes for a great experience and great photos.

You will encounter hundreds of different animals, birds, and reptiles while walking along the beautiful, landscaped trails at the park or taking the safari train ride. You can see bears, mountain lions, coyotes, fox, lynx, wolves, and more. You can even attend one of the Discovery Programs and learn all about the different types of wildlife they keep at the park.

Many of the animals at the park are from North America, but quite a few do hail from other places around the globe. Zebras, camels, and kangaroos, are always popular with visitors.

One of the most popular places in the park is the nursery, where you and your own little ones can meet some of the cutest and funniest baby animals around. You will see a variety of different animal babies in the nursery, including ferrets, skunks, owls, bears, and woodchucks.

Another fun attraction is the boat rides, which will whisk you past an authentic Native American dwelling, around a beaver house, and past some lifelike recreations of bears, alligators, and snakes.

In addition to visiting all the animals, you can even try your hand at fishing. You can fish for trout in their trout pond, and you don’t even need a license. You only pay for the fish you catch. The staff at the park will even clean the fish and put them on ice for you. You have a great day at the park AND catch your own dinner!

Don’t forget to check out the Wild Den gift shop and grab a couple of fun souvenirs to remember you trip to this great wildlife park. If you get hungry, you will also find snack stands where you can quench your thirst and stop the rumbling in your belly. If you prefer, a picnic area is available where you can eat your lunch.

Pecks Wildwood Wildlife Park is open May through the middle of October, and is located near the picturesque Lake Minocqua. It is just a short drive from the park to town.
 

Harley Davidson Museum – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

With 105 years of history under its belt the Harley-Davidson motorcycle will be honored with this new museum located in Milwaukee!  The museum opened its doors in July of 2008 to showcase the legendary Harleys by showing over 150 motorcycles, historical photos and biking apparel.

Are you an Elvis Presley fan?  Did you always want to see the Harley 1956 KH model purchased the year he had a #1 hit with Heartbreak Hotel?  You can see it at the museum!  Remember the movie Easy Rider?  There is a replica of the “Captain America” chopper from this 1969 movie just waiting for you to see.  There were two originals but they were destroyed during the filming of the movie so the replica is all that is left.

You can join the museum as a member and receive the benefits that are member directed only, or you can go to visit the museum without becoming a member, either are welcome.

When the museum construction began the organizers decided that the appropriate manner to “break ground” was to have a Harley do the work.  With this in mind they had “Legendary Harley-Davidson dirt track racer Scott Parker performed a burnout on a XL 883R Sportster motorcycle sending dirt flying off the spinning rear tire.”  What a statement that makes to the dedication of having Harley-Davidson motorcycles the total focus of the museum.

Situated in downtown Milwaukee this 80 ft tall structure lets everyone know that Milwaukee, where the motorcycles are built, is proud to have such an outstanding museum to offer the public.

The museum offers a 20-acre Menomonee Valley oasis; the grounds feature green open spaces, more than 700 trees and native plants, and park benches providing a relaxing setting and beautiful views of the riverfront – all free of charge and accessible to the public 24 hours a day.  The H-D Museum wants this to be a family environment honoring the history and remembrances of the Harley-Davidson impact on the culture of a series of generations.

The first floor of the museum is dedicated to the latter half of the 20^th century with its stories of designs, corporate changes, motorcycle displays and a feeling of euphoric joy at being among the world’s number one motorcycle history!

The second floor begins your tour by riding "The Road," a chronological gallery of one-of-a-kind motorcycles that bring to life the primary exhibit timeline.

Location & Hours of the Museum:

Harley-Davidson Museum is located at 400 Canal Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Summer Hours: May – October are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 9-6 and on Wednesday from 9 – 8.  Weekends are from 9-6

Winter Hours: November – April are weekdays from 10 – 5 and weekends from 9 – 6.

Admission: Adults 18 – 64 are $16; Children 5 – 17 are $10; Children under 5 are FREE.  Students (with ID) and Seniors over 64 are $12.

Come to the museum to meet others that are Harley lovers or to get the Harley bug yourself.  It’s not just a motorcycle, it’s a Harley-Davidson!

H-D Museum, HD Museum

Museum of Historic Torture Devices – Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

Be so glad you are not forced to experience these items personally.  This is a collection from all over the world and located in downtown Wisconsin Dells.

The displays include such things as Ÿ The Rack Ÿ Thumbscrews Ÿ The Inquisitor’s Chair Ÿ The Cucking (Dunking) Stool Ÿ The Breaking Wheel Ÿ The Heretic’s Fork Ÿ Iron Gag Ÿ The Dreaded Chinese Death Cage Ÿ Many More.

All of these things were legal at one time and were frequently used by powerful governments, armies and religious institutions to punish, kill, interrogate, humiliate, and maim those that didn’t agree with their way of thinking or didn’t follow their instructions. 

There are over forty shocking exhibits describing implements of suffering used in nearly every corner of the globe. Exhibits include torture devices, graphic images and detailed descriptions.  The descriptions are in English and Spanish.

There are new displays that arrive on occasion, the newest is the John Wayne Gacy: The torture King of Chicago.  There aren’t a lot of things relating to Gacy in this display, but still, it will take you back to the time of this very evil person and the horrific things he did.

This may not be the most gentle museum you will ever attend, but chances are it is one that you won’t soon forget.

Open: Mid-May through Mid-September 11 AM – ?

Rates: Adult $6.99 plus tax; Children under 12 – $5.99 plus tax.

Location: 740 Eddy Street, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

Phone: 608-254-2439

Email: kkarissa@centurytel.net

Mid-Continent Railway Museum – North Freedom, Wisconsin

As of July 4, 2008 the railway museum is closed due to the flooding that hit Wisconsin this spring.  Check their website: www.midcontinent.org for updated information on this attraction.

When the museum and train are working here is some information on the attraction.

This is the opportunity to take a seven-mile, 50 minute round-trip ride on a former branch line of the Chicago & North Western Railway through the scenic Baraboo Hills.  The 1915 steel coaches give you the true feeling of this bygone era.

The authentically-attired conductor calls the “all aboard” and the train trip will begin.  The depot that you will leave from was built in 1894.  When you get to the end of the ride you can get on the platform and look inside the cab of the locomotive from a viewing platform.

Your train fare includes admission to our Coach Shed which is filled with restored wooden passenger, freight cars and displays from the turn of the century.

There are specialty events such as the Dinner Trains, Autumn Color Weekend rides, Pumpkin special, Santa Express and Snow Train.  Check out the site for more detailed information.

Fares: Adults:$13; Student (13-18) $7; Children (3-12) $7; Children under 3 Free; Senior Citizens (62 and over) $11; Caboose: Adult $15/Child $8 (limited availability)

Cab ride: $30 (limit one person, subject to availability)

Adult Groups: $9 per person; Child groups: $6 per person, incl. adult supervisors.

Train fare includes admission to museum grounds and displays in the depot and the Coach Shed.

Direction: Located at North Freedom. About one hour north of Madison and ½ hour south from Wisconsin Dells.  From I-90/94, take Wisc. Hwy, 33 west to Baraboo.  From the intersection of US Hwy 12 and Wisc. Hwy 33 in Baraboo, take Wisc. Hwy 136 west toward Rock Springs about 4 miles.  Turn left on Cty. Hwy PF to North Freedom.  Follow the signs west from the 4 way stop in town.

There is ample free parking.

Phone: 608-522-4261

Email: inquiries@midcontinent.org.

Address: E8948 Diamond Hill Road, North Freedom, WI 53951

Extreme World – Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

If you are interested in going to an amusement park while you are in the Dells then you will want to visit Extreme World where you can ride on the Skycoaster, try bungee jumping or any number of other rides.  Join your kids driving the Go-Karts and enjoy the laughter that will follow.

Discover what you feel while freefalling 100 feet at speeds of u to 60-65 mph and then recovering barely 6 feet off the ground and going soaring 90 feet in to the air again in less than 4 seconds!  You have to have a pretty strong stomach to handle this ride!

Now do you feel like a REALLY scary ride?  The go to the ejection seat.  At 130 feet, the bungee jump is the only jump in the Midwest that provides an ankle-harness free fall.  You will fall toward the ground at up to 40 miles an hour and just as you reach the ground you will feel yourself decelerate and rocket instantly back into the sky.  You will “bounce out”, and then you and the elevator are lowered back to the deck.

Don’t want to have your ankles hold you back?  Try the Terminal Velocity where you do an unattached, controlled free fall.  You will ascent to the top in a special elevator.  A staff member activates the descend system and releases you after a short countdown.  Airtubes and break suspensions around the double net stop your fall so softly that you will feel no impact.  Upon landing, the entire device is lowered a short distance to the ground.   

The ride on the Terminal Velocity : $34.95 for the first drop, $20 for second drop, there are no second drops on Saturday nights.  Same pricing for the Ejection Seat and Bungee Jump.

Go-Karts are $7.75 per ride.

Skycoaster rides are: $19.95 one ride, $10 for the second.  No second rides offered on Saturday nights.

Hours: Summer Hours (Memorial Day – Labor Day) 10 AM – 10 PM

Address: 1800 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin 53965

Phone: 608-254-4111

Email: info@extremeworld.com

Open: Year-round (indoor activities)

Ghost Out-Post Haunted House – Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

This place will offer you the scare of your life!  It’s dark, there is a man-eating rat after you, and the maze has you trapped with a bunch of twisted torture victims!  You will begin your adventure by hearing the executioner read a victim his last rights, then witness his gut-wrenching execution.  The on past more executions and encounter the results of cruel justice as the lurking creatures scare you of your senses!

This attraction is not for the timid.  They have an enhanced and improved the Boris and Ernie show, a new unique animatronics talking duo of ghouls and more.

It is open daily.

Rates: Adults $8.95 (plus tax), $7.95 for children under 12 (plus tax) and children under 3 are free.

Please keep in mind that this is NOT appropriate for young children…it’s scary so don’t give your children nightmares….thanks.

Location: 633 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin 53965

Phone: 608-254-2127

Email: ghostoutpost@msn.com

Dells Mining Co. – Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

Want to go digging for gems?  This place was established in 1989 for the purpose of mining natural precious and semi-precious gemstones from all over the world.

You can sift through the gem rich soil and find all your gemstone treasures.  You keep everything you find!

There are several types of gemstones found: amethyst, blue topaz, garnet, ruby, emerald, sapphire and many more.  You will get assistance with your dig to make sure that you don’t miss any of the gems.

There is a Rock Shop that you can buy the special souvenir or one of a kind gift.

The pan fee bucket costs $15.00

There are two locations: highway 12, next to Noah’s Ark, open mid-May to Mid-September 9:30 AM to 9 PM 7 days a week- rain or shine.

The downtown location is open year round.

Address: 427 Broadway, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin 53965 and 1480 Wisconsin Dells Parkway, Lake Delton, Wisconsin 53940

Phone: 608-253-7002

Ice Age Trail – Baraboo, Wisconsin

This is one of the eight national scenic trails in the United States.  The trail spans approximately 1200 miles in Wisconsin.  There are only about 575 miles of the trail open to the public now for hiking, snowshoeing, and skiing.  The trail was established in 1958, there was the establishment of the Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation.  It is a volunteer based organization whose mission is to preserve Wisconsin’s cultural and glacial heritage for the education, and enjoyment for present and future generations.  There are 24 chapters and have over 5,000 miles.

The Baraboo Hills Chapter portion of the trail lies nestled approximately seven miles south of Baraboo.  The trail begins at the Merrimac ferry and Lake Wisconsin, continues for approximately four miles through Riverland Conservancy’s wetlad and prairie before traveling along the bluffs surrounding Devil’s Lake.  A spur of the trail, which is approximately 4.4 miles in length begins on Hwy 113, and concludes at Parfrey’s Glen.

If you are interested in more information about the foundation contact 608-254-8784 or email shirleytollaksen@msn.com

Devil’s Lake State Park – Baraboo, Wisconsin

The park is located along the Ice Age Trail with spectacular views from 500 ft cliffs.  There are miles of hiking trails, swimming areas of which there are two large sandy beaches, mountain bike trails, cross country ski trails, mountain climbing and a great place to picnic or camp.

Get out your fishing pole and enjoy the quality fishing available at the park. The fish in the lake are: Rainbow trout, Brown trout, Brook trout, Common Carp, Northern Pike, Blacknose dace, Spottail shiner, Spotfin shiner, Mimic shiner, Bluntnose minnow, Fathead minnow, White sucker, Yellow bullhead, Brown bullhead, Channel catfish, Burbot, Lawer, White bass, Smallmouth bass, Largemouth bass, Gree sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Bluegill, Rock bass, White crappie, Black crappie, Walleye, Yellow perch, Iowa darter, Johnny darter.  A Wisconsin fishing licenses are required.

There are over 29 miles of trails which are good for the varied skill levels.  Not all of the trails are surfaced and there are some with steep climbs or descents and stairways may be encountered.  There is a 1 mile interpretive nature trail and 1.5 miles of trail that are accessible for people with disabilities.

The trails are not maintained for winter hiking, you can hike but be aware that you will be working with the wonders of nature.

Bicycles are allowed only on the Uplands Loop and the connector trail between the Steinke Basin Loop and the North Shore picnic area.

There is wonderful boating available with boat launches at each end of the lake.  Row Boat & Canoe rentals are available at the Chateau on the north shore of the lake during the summer season.  To find out about the rentals call the Chateau at 608-356-3381.  For lessons on kayaking are available at KayakQuixotica.com or email: derrick@kayakquixotica.com

If you are a rock climber it will be a wonderful place to visit.  There are a number of good cliffs to challenge your skills.

There is Cross-Country Skiing, sledding, ice skating, ice fishing hiking, snowshoeing and more including the candlelight hike & ski in January of each year.  Winter at the park can be so much fun!  During the winter, bathrooms are open by the South Shore Concession building (concessions would be closed.)  At the North Shore, bathrooms are open in the Visitor Center and the Headquarters Building.  The date of the actual water shut-off and turn-on is usually mid-April and mid-October, but these times may vary according to the weather by 1-3 weeks either way.  Call the park to find out current information at 608-356-8301.

Address: S5975 Park Rd., Baraboo, Wisconsin 53913

Phone: 608-356-8301

Hours: Devil’s Lake is open from 6 AM to 11 PM daily.  Visitor Center hours are from 8 AM to 11 PM daily in the summer and 8 AM to 5 PM in other seasons.

Timbavati Wildlife Park/Storybook Gardens – Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

Are you interested in experiencing an up-close and personal encounter with a variety of animals such as kangaroos, tigers, ant eaters, giraffe, zebra, alpaca, muntjac, white lion, colobus monkey, lemurs, binturog, Yellow headed Vultures, Kookaburra, African Crown Cranes, Spurthiged Tortoises, White neck Raven, Crab eating MaCaques, MaCaws, and others.

There are daily interactive shows that are both entertaining and educational.  The show times are 11:15 AM and 2:15 PM.  Show times may vary, call for information.

You may be able to feed the giraffe, a baby zebra or sit next to a 60 pounds tortoise.  There are even camel rides for you and the opportunity to get your pictures taken with the camel.  The white lion is a rare animal.  There are less than 200 known White Lions exist in the world, and only a handful in the US.

Visit the baby animals too, they are so cute!

If you are a “bird person” you will enjoy seeing the White necked Ravens, Tawny Eagles, Kookaburra, Scarlet MaCaws, Swainsons Toucan and Cackler Geese.

Admission: Adults $11.95, Ages 2 -12 $9.95 and under 2 are Free.

Open: 9 AM – 7 PM May 1 – September 15, after September 15 call for yours.

Address: 1500 Wis. Dells Parkway (Hwy 12), Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin 53965

Directions: From the South – Take 90/94 to Exit 92 (Hwy 12) Follow Hwy 12 past Noah’s Ark and turn right.

From the North – Take 90/94 to exit 87.  Turn right on Hwy 12.  Proceed 3 miles to Timbavati which will be on your left.

Phone: 608-253-2391

International Crane Foundation – Baraboo, Wisconsin

You are invited to visit a world renowned conservation center.  You will meet the ancient family of cranes at ICT.  You will be able to see the world’s rarest crane…the Whooping Crane….in a tranquil wetland.

There are both paved and unpaved trails that wind through acres of restored tall grass prairie delighting birders, nature enthusiasts, walkers, and photographers of all ages.

The crane is an outstanding example of why we want to preserve the ecosystems.  Watching them in their natural habitat is a wonderful unique experience.

This is a family-friendly, handicap accessible, guided torus, new education center, art exhibit, gift shop and picnic area.

General Admission: Adult: $8.50; child $4; Senior Citizen $7 and children 4 and under are Free.

Location: E11376 Shady Lane Rd., Baraboo, Wisconsin 53913

Open: April 15 – October 31.

Email: cranes@savingcranes.org

Wisconsin Opry – Baraboo, Wisconsin

This is Wisconsin’s oldest live family 2 hour Country Music Show.  Sizzlin’ fiddles and smokin’ guitars rip through the air at this show.  Enjoy the foot stompin’ songs and the beautiful melodies of the ballads of gifted vocalists.  Enjoy the antics that are unique to each and every show. 

The artists that perform at the Country Jubilee on special Sundays throughout the season are from Nashville, bringing the big talents right to the Wisconsin Dells for your enjoyment.  Past artists have included Kitty Wells, Porter Wagner, Bill Anderson, John Anderson and many others.  Bringing in a little bit of Nashville to the Midwest is a great way to enjoy the vacation of your dreams.

The Opry was established in 1979 focusing on country, bluegrass and gospel music.  The shows are: Matinee, Tuesday’s only.  Dinner Shows: 6 pm dinner, 8 pm show on Monday thru Saturday.  Closed on Sundays (Except for Special Sunday Nashville Shows. These are held May thru September only.)

Pricing: Dinner & Show: Adults – $30.50 (for children call for current children’s pricing.)

Show Only: $18; Nashville Show: Call for pricing; Nashville Shows with Lunch: call for pricing.

Old Fashioned Country Christmas is an annual event for your enjoyment, call for current information.

Reservations are required for dining.  Wisconsin Opry’s fabulous fare will satisfy even the heartiest of appetites.

Email: wisconsinopry@yahoo.com

Phone: 608-254-7951

Address: E10964 Moon Rd., Baraboo, Wisconsin

Open: May – October

Tommy Bartlett Show – Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

For 55 years the Tommy Bartlett Show has been providing first-class family entertainment.  The show features thrill performers who entertain on the state of the Bartlett amphitheatre, Comedic Juggler TJ Howell, The Nerveless Nocks’ 65 foot Wheel of Destiny, Mr. Sound Effects, Wes Harrison, Juggling Jokester Dieter Tasso and Cirque Equinox Aerial Spectacular.  Then there is Aqua T. Clown that will entertain you!

Lake Delton and the Tommy Bartlett Show offer you a fantastic array of thrill performers, singers and comedians.

The show runs daily, rain or shine, 4:30 and 8:30 pm through Labor Day.

Information: 608-254-2525.

Admission: General $15 for adults; $8 for children 6 – 11; Senior Citizens (65 over) $12 and children 5 and under are free if they sit on your lap.

Deluxe Seating: Adults $15; Children 6 – 11 $12; Senior’s $16 and Children under 5 $4

Reserved Seating: Adults $22; Children 6 – 11 $15; Senior’s $19; Children under 5 $7.

Directions: From Chicago- Take I 90/94W toward Rockford.  Continue to Wisconsin on I-90 toward Madison.  At Madison I-90 and I-94 merge and become I-90/94.  Take Hwy 12 (exit 92).  Follow ramp to the right – travel 2 ½ miles on Hwy 12W.  Take right at 4^th traffic light continuing on 12W & 23N.  The show is located ¼ mile on right.

From Milwaukee: Take I-94W toward Madison.  At Madison, I-90 and I-94 merge and become I-90/94.  Take Hwy 12 (Exit 92)  Follow ramp to the right – travel 2 ½ miles on Hwy 12 W. Take right at 4^th traffic light continuing on 12W & 23N.  The Tommy Bartlett Show and Tommy Bartlett Exploratory are located ¼ mile on the right.

From Minneapolis/St. Paul: Take I-94E toward Madison.  Take Hwy 23 (Exit 89)  Take left at traffic light onto Hwy 23N.  Travel 1 mile to intersection of Hwy 23 N & 12 W.  Take left at traffic light.  The show is ¼ mile on the right.

From Green Bay: Take 41S to Oshkosh, from Hwy 41S, take Hwy 44W to Ripon.  In Ripon, take Hwy 23W.  Take I-39S (Hwy 51S) to the Wisconsin Dells exit, Hwy 23, Contineu to Hwy 23W to Wisconsin Dells.  Go through town and cross the Wisconsin River Bridge.  Take lift on Hwy 23S & 12# at next traffic light.  ¼ mile on right.

Dells Comedy Club – Wild 4 Hypnosis Show – Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

Here is an opportunity to hear uncut, unrehearsed humor from Rich & Elizabeth Wylde with their talent in audience participation comedy. 

It is the largest comedy club and home of theWild 4 Hypnosis in the Midwest.  The shows last 75 to 90 minutes with good CLEAN hypnotic fun which acceptable for all ages; don’t be afraid to take the kids with you to this.

If you want to go to an adult humor show then you want the Adult Hypnosis Show “Wild” which is “R” rated.  The Vegas style show begins with a Guest Headlining Comedian to get you started.  Each of the feature shows lasts at least 2 hours.  Please keep in mind that this show is NOT appropriate for children.  Attendees must be at least 17 years of age to attend the Adult show.

There are alcoholic beverages available for those that wish to have one during the show.  There are cocktail waitresses serving the drinks.

Smoking is NOT allowed during the family show but IS allowed during the Adult show.

The hypnosis portion of the show is a time when there is audience participation show.  Only audience members that are interested in participating will be invited to come on the stage, but remember you are attending an audience participation show so consider yourself part of the show.

Kids are admitted free for the family show, that is kids 10 and under.

Cost: Wild 4 Hypnosis is the same price for both the Family and the Adult shows.  Each adult ticket is $23.  You can purchase your tickets online and save $3 per person. 

Directions: Off exit 87 on the parkway.  The parking lot is shared with Deer Park & Ghost Outpost.  They are across the street from River Park & Water World in the Old Dells Auto Museum.

Tickets: 608-253-9453

Email: club@dellscomedyclub.com

Open: year around

Dells 4D Special FX Theater – Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

If you want a different experience in a movie you will want to go to this 4D theater.  This fourth dimension in your movie experience will make you feel the movie come alive as you sit in your personal interactive special FX seat.  Be in the movies without even standing up!!

Enjoying a movie in a new manner will enhance your vacation experience.  Take the kids or go with adults to see their expressions during the movie, you will have something to discuss for days!

Location: 119 Broadway, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin 53965

Phone: 608-254-2184

Admission: $9.95 with ages 2 & under FREE

Email: ripley@blissnet.com

Dells 4D Special FX Theater – Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

If you want a different experience in a movie you will want to go to this 4D theater.  This fourth dimension in your movie experience will make you feel the movie come alive as you sit in your personal interactive special FX seat.  Be in the movies without even standing up!!

Enjoying a movie in a new manner will enhance your vacation experience.  Take the kids or go with adults to see their expressions during the movie, you will have something to discuss for days!

Location: 119 Broadway, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin 53965

Phone: 608-254-2184

Admission: $9.95 with 2 & under FREE

Email: ripley@blissnet.com