Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for wisconsin
Air Adventure in Oshkosh
By Linda Tancs
AirVenture Oshkosh in Wisconsin is the largest annual gathering of aviation enthusiasts. A summer staple, this year’s festival kicks off today through July 31. Some of the world’s top air show performers, including national aerobatic champions, longtime favorites and some talented Oshkosh first-timers are coming to this year’s event. One notable (returning after 30 years) is the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, one of the most popular military aerial demonstration teams in the world. A favorite reunion spot for aircraft clubs, the festival also spotlights milestone anniversaries (30 to 75 years) of aircraft types from across the spectrum, including homebuilts, vintage aircraft, warbirds, aerobatic aircraft and ultralights. More than 10,000 planes will descend on the runways of Wittman Regional Airport, giving much anticipated bragging rights to both national and international pilots. For spectators, several airports served by major carriers are a short drive to all the fun.
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World’s Largest Talking Cow
By Linda Tancs
Larger than your average Holstein, Wisconsin’s Chatty Belle in Neillsville is the world’s largest talking cow. Sixteen feet high and 20 feet long, the fiberglass replica is equipped with a voice box, the operation of which has been leaving Belle much less chatty these days. So much for the dairy lecture. Her much smaller son Bullet (at a size befitting an actual Holstein) was also removed from the premises due to vandalism. What does remain nearby is the Wisconsin Pavilion from the 1964/1965 New York World’s Fair, used today as a radio broadcasting center.
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An Open Door in Wisconsin
By Linda Tancs
Resembling the jagged blade of a knife, Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula separates Lake Michigan from Green Bay. Its sandy reefs and shoals present a hazard for mariners, especially around the treacherous strait between the tip of the peninsula and Washington Island. The number of shipwrecks in this area accounts for its moniker, Death’s Door. It should come as no surprise, then, that lighthouses adorn the area. Some are accessible during the summer months. But three (at Plum, Pilot and Chambers islands) can be reached only during Door County Maritime Museum’s annual Lighthouse Festival in June. Those opportunities include a highly anticipated cruise through the middle of Death Door’s Passage to a tour of the ruins of an 1848 lighthouse, a visit to an 1868 lighthouse and a hike to the 1837 Pottawatomie Light (Wisconsin’s oldest). Tickets for these three tours go on sale the first week of April and sell out quickly.
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The Newport of the West
By Linda Tancs
Southwest of Milwaukee, Lake Geneva is a resort city located on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin. Its lakeside “cottages” evoke the splendor of Newport Rhode Island’s mansions of the Gilded Age–hence, the area has earned the nickname “Newport of the West.” It’s also the one place in the country where mail is traditionally delivered to the lakeside estates from boat to dock by swift-footed jumpers whose goal is not to miss the boat as it plies the lake without missing a beat. Legend has it that over 70 species of evergreens are planted on Black Point, one of the most historic mansions ringing the lake. Other landmarks include The Oaks (where First Lady Nancy Reagan was once squired) and Maple Lawn, the oldest mansion.
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The Wurst of It
By Linda Tancs
Sheboygan, Wisconsin’s claim to fame is the bratwurst. Not surprising, considering that the spicy little sausage emigrated to the area with its German settlers. Sheboygan celebrates its annual Bratwurst Days tomorrow through Saturday, a tradition begun in 1953 to celebrate the city’s 100th anniversary. Don’t miss the brat eating contest on Saturday. Where else can you see the best of the wurst? Park at Memorial Mall and take the free shuttle.
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A Norse Afternoon of Fun
By Linda Tancs
Wisconsin winters are pretty harsh. Just days ago a winter storm covered much of the state and wreaked havoc on schools and transportation. That’s enough to give anyone the winter blahs. In Stoughton, they have a cure for the cold weather blues. Put on your dancing shoes! This Sunday marks the annual Norse Afternoon of Fun with the Stoughton Norwegian Dancers, now in their 60th year. Just 25 miles south of Madison, the Stoughton festival celebrates the best of Norwegian culture with colorful Norwegian costumes, folk dancing, and food. Norwegian immigrants settled in Wisconsin and surrounding areas in large numbers, attracted by the prospect of land ownership and farming opportunities. The City of Stoughton is known for its Syttende Mai (May 17) celebration of Norway’s independence. It’s also known as something a bit quirkier: the birthplace of the coffee break. Who knew?
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The Toilet Paper Capital of the World
By Linda Tancs
Green Bay, Wisconsin, home to the 12-time National Champion Green Bay Packers, is known as “Titletown” to football fans everywhere. They might be surprised to learn of the small city’s other title: toilet paper capital of the world. That’s because the first splinter-free toilet paper was produced there in the early 1900s. And the paper industry is still one of the area’s largest employers. Not bad for Wisconsin’s oldest little city.
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The Beauty of Late Ice
By Linda Tancs
Anglers in training take note: if ice fishing seems out of sync with winter’s transition to spring, then you’ll be missing out on some great catch, especially around Oconomowoc, Wisconsin’s lake district. Don’t worry about sledding into thin ice at the river’s heartland to jig for bluegill. Life is returning to the shallows, and so are the fish. That means you should, too.
DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION
The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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Cranfest Draws Big Crowds
By Linda Tancs
In the tiny town of Warrens, Wisconsin, cranberries outnumber humans 3 to 1 (at least). But this is the heart of cranberry land, after all, so it shouldn’t be all that surprising. However, the human population swells to over 100,000, during the world’s largest cranberry festival, which takes place during the last full weekend in September in this little hamlet (population: less than 400). Now in its 37th year, Cranfest offers three miles of booths with everything from arts and crafts, flea markets and antiques to a farm market. After all that walking, you’ll be hungry. Why not indulge in some pancakes with cranberry syrup and some deep-fried cranberry fritters. Of course, you can take a tour of a working cranberry farm, too. Best of all, the proceeds from the event go right back to the community–civic pride at its best.
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The Wisconsin Apostles
By Linda Tancs
At the northern tip of Wisconsin’s Bayfield peninsula sits a string of 21 islands–the Apostles–waiting for exploration. Actually, the Ojibwe tribe beat you to their exploration, by about 600 years. In fact, members of the Ojibwe Nation still call this part of the world, and the rest of the Great Lakes, home. One of the most spectacular features of this area is the mainland sea caves, a heaving jut of sandstone best seen by boat. Sandstone, by the way, was a big export of the islands, ferried around to the largest midwestern cities in the 19th century to build some of their best known landmarks. Native Americans used this earthly treasure to create culturally significant imagery. You can learn more about their artifacts from the Wisconsin Historical Society.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it on sites such as StumbleUpon, vote for it, or bookmark it. Thanks for your support! Travelrific® was featured as Blog of the Day on NJ.com!
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