Wisconsin Archives

My Wisconsin Time Continues and with FOOD!

June 29, 2025June 10, 2025Posted in blogging, Travel, writingTagged Bratwurst, food, Kringle, WisconsinLeave a comment

Wisconsin is a state with plenty of things to see and do. Past visits, I stopped at many nature centers. This time I traveled down the state’s eastern shoreline along Lake Michigan.

Day 1: Brats and Kringle before my camping time.

While looking for interesting places to visit in Wisconsin, Sheboygan was mentioned as once the “Bratwurst Capital of the World” … in 1970. A judge decided their brat was worthy of the distinction in the battle with Bucyrus, Ohio. At that time they fried the brat, added onion and mustard all in a hard, round roll and maybe with a pickle.

So I stopped at Schulz’s Restaurant, a local restaurant. While they did not know the history, as I mentioned above, I read their menu and discovered this place was mentioned for their bratwurst in 1992 and 1996 in various magazines. I ordered a double patty brat with pickles and asked for mustard on the side so I could add my own. I think next time I will have the brat links, just to try it in a different shape!

Racine, another town, is further down the coast and known for their Kringle, a Danish pastry. I also wanted to travel to my campground for the night. So I googled “where is a a Kringle near me”. Gotta love Google, sometimes. Off to a Pick ‘N Save! Sure enough the bakery person was excited to show me the shelving of Kringles which came from Racine! Yippee, cuts my drive in half!

My next dilemma was which Kringle to buy. The eleven ounce bar-shape seemed a better choice, less for me to eat, than the 14 ounce squashed ring. They really do squash the Danish ring and put icing on top. Next decision: almond or cheesecake. The popular pecan ones were already gone and the bakery person loved the cheesecake pastry. I have plenty of cheese curds in my system and my ice chest; I bought an almond Kringle. I asked how long will it keep. The woman said, once you start eating it you’ll finish it! The Kringle is very sweet and yet as you eat more of it, it doesn’t seem so sweet. I ate it all in 3 days.

Original round, squashed shape of the Danish pastry, Kringle.

Kringle in a different shape and 3 ounces smaller.

Layers of pastry with almond paste within and icing on top … sweet!

Days 2 & 3: No driving for 2 days in a row! I have never done this before when on the road. Why now? The sun is shining, no rain is expected, air quality okay even with the cottonwood fluffy, white tree seeds flying around, excellent wifi at this campground to plan my upcoming stays, do laundry, shower, sketch, read, walk and work on my blog. Longer walks allow my back to stretch and that is wonderful after hours of driving. Yet, the next day I will be off to Springfield, Illinois where there is rain. No worries, I have a plan!

Travel Away From Wildfire Smoke! Hello Door County Wisconsin!

June 26, 2025June 6, 2025Posted in adventure travel, blogging, environment, history, Travel, writingTagged cherries, Nature, travel, wildlife, WisconsinLeave a comment

Canadian wildfire smoke is blowing on the northern Minnesota towns I have been trying to visit once again. In 2023, I was smoked out due to Canadian wildfire smoke. At that time I was literally in the smoky area and drove out of it. My weather app indicated the air quality index for each town I was interested in visiting along with weather alerts. I simply chose to drive south away from the smoke. Traveling away from the wildfire smoke also meant I did not visit the western part of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as I hoped. Maybe another time I will return to the area.

Once across the state line into Wisconsin, I stopped at a cheese shop for cheese curds! Now I need to portion out my snacks so I don’t eat it all too quickly! If you are in the Green Bay area, do stop at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary. They have an incredible nature center with so many exhibits. There are trails to hike around fenced areas where some animals are being rehabbed or now provided homes. Some animals had been pets and now cannot be returned to the wild, thus the sanctuary is now their home. I noticed a couple of groups of young children on an adventure with a teacher/leader and also a teenage group with cameras photographing wildflowers. I loved hiking here and seeing what this place offers; fantastic place!

Have you been to Door County?
I have arrived and am camping in Door County! Often when I mentioned Wisconsin in the past, someone would ask me if I have been to Door County? Wow, 19 communities have truly united in providing a variety of activities: art, theater, a drive-in theater, orchards, wineries, breweries, state park, local parks, open spaces, land trusts, marinas, antique shops, boating, hiking, bicycling, museums, restaurants, dog parks, and you name it, they have it! I think I spent an hour just flipping through their “official destination guide” to map out a plan for my next day visit. (So much to do, so little time. I see they recommend 4 days to visit this county.) I’ll do my best to see the 300 miles of shoreline, lighthouses, marinas and various places in a day.

My jam-packed day in Door County began at Sturgeon Bay. There is a Maritime Museum and tugboats, but I was delighted watching an artist painting a tugboat while his art students looked on … as did I! But the most delicious stop was at Seaquist Orchards. I ate the most delicious slice of cherry pie. Each cherry burst with flavor in my mouth as I watched and learned, on their outdoor video, that they make 20,000 pies a year. They, now 6th generation originally from Sweden, have 1300 acres of cherry orchards. Their first cherry tree was planted in 1912. Tart cherry trees are shaken and collected by machines, whereas the sweet cherries are hand-picked. Informative signage about the family and a huge store to meet all your cherry shopping needs.

Seaquist cherry pie slice, made from scratch … my mouth is watering!

There are numerous places to pull off the road for views of the lake or to travel away from the main route. Each town has its own vibe and some are very walkable, such as Ephraim with all its shops having a view of the waterfront. An off-the-main-road stop I made was at Garrett’s Bay Park. Here was a boat launch for non-motorized watercraft. An interesting sign also about a wooden schooner, the Fleetwing, missing the Death Door’s passage and crashed onto a rocky beach in Garrett Bay. The crew survived and additional gale force winds have left the schooner in pieces. Divers, snorkelers and kayakers can still explore the remnants of the wreckage on the lake bed’s floor.

On the east side of the peninsula, the temperature dropped about 15 degrees. What was a warm morning became a cold 50 degrees with 30 mph winds. I stopped by Cana Island and also Anclam Beach where even the diving Caspian terns were challenged as they dove straight-down into the water to fish. Loved watching them! But alas, my day must come to an end and I return to the campground an hour away, yet still in Door County. The landscape is beautiful and I understand now why people ask if I have been to Door County. Have you been here?

Visiting Lake Kegonsa State Park, WI

August 13, 2021July 19, 2021Posted in TravelTagged birds, Wisconsin1 Comment

Click, click … click, click, click … I recognize the sound and continue to hear it numerous times, so I look from my tent site to my neighbor’s site. He is priming a Coleman stove and unfortunately cannot get the burner lit. That can be the start to a bad day … one needs to have at least one hot cup of coffee! I yell over, “Need a match?” His head nods affirmatively and I walk over with matches and lighter.

My neighbor is here with family and friends, scattered at various sites at this campground, for a memorial service. He told me this yesterday. The person died a year ago from Covid-19 and they are all here to have that memorial service.

While helping to get his stove working his little boy shyly waves to me and talks about water balloons. Thankfully his father translates his words for me to understand he is talking about water balloons. His daughter was still in the tent. Only then did it dawn on me there was no other adult in the group. I never asked who died and now wondered if the memorial service is for his partner. I will never know. The pot with water has a hot blue flame under it soon to be ready for coffee! I wished them a good day!

I left the campground to hike and bird watch at Lake Kegonsa State Park about a half hour drive away. The entrance fee at Wisconsin state parks is based on your license plate. Driver of a Wisconsin plate pays a $9 daily fee, non-resident pays $11. I walked almost all their trails with various cameras depending on what I thought I might see and photograph. I saw numerous birds, butterflies, wildflowers, squirrels, frogs and other people camping, jogging and walking the trails too. No swimming in the lake due to a blue – algae bloom … actually people could not even wade or touch the lake water! Park signs warn of toxins causing harm to humans and pets entering the lake water, such as skin irritations and other effects.

While I walked one trail I saw a woman arrive to the lake’s shoreline by kayak. She hopped out of her kayak into the water to do something and then hopped back in. I wondered if there are other areas of the lake with the same algal bloom concern or if it just is in the park’s swimming area. I don’t know enough about blooms.

On the White Oak Nature Trail there were 2 locations with signs noting “Indian Mounds”. Wisconsin, once the center of a prehistoric culture called “Woodland”, has the largest number of mounds built of any state in the nation and preserved on public and private lands. Much study can go into the how and why of Indian Mounds, especially since some have been here since 5,000 years ago!

Of the many birds I saw there were only 2 new birds for my life list: Eastern wood-pewee and ruby-throated hummingbird. Here are some photos from today: