This will be the first time in Wisconsin with the trailer. The 1st of 11 states we still need to explore. One down, ten to go. Wisconsin was admitted into the Union as the 30th state. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright was born in this state. Ringling Brothers gave their first circus performance in Wisconsin. Wisconsin becomes the first state to pass an unemployment compensation act. Anchored by two Great Lakes and the Mississippi River, Wisconsin also has more than 15,000 inland lakes. Wisconsin has a population of 5,363,675 and the size is 56,154 square miles.
Wisconsin is also called “America’s Dairyland”. It’s the saying on their license plates. And there is cheese, cheese, cheese everywhere. And we have sampled many different kinds of cheese in this state.
We will be spending 7 days here visiting the state’s capital city and exploring Door County; the spout (surrounded by Lake Michigan) of Wisconsin’s “tea pot” shape.
DAY 34 - 36: AUGUST 8 -14 ~ MADISON:
Madison existed only as a plan when it was selected as the territorial capital in 1836. By 1838 there was one inn and a general store, and construction had just begun on the Capitol. With the completion of the statehouse, Wisconsin’s statehood and the establishment of the University of Wisconsin in 1848, the city began to assume some of its present character. Today Madison is a center for business, cultural arts, government and education. It has a population of 208,054.
We will only be spending a few days here. After 4.75 hours and 259 miles, we arrived at the Madison KOA in a small town outside of Madison called DeForest.
Have you ever seen a pink elephant...a big one...sitting next to a corn field? We did. As we exited the road and turned onto the road to the KOA. We turned back to take a closer look and took pictures.
MADISON KOA
This is a large park with 81 sites. The layout is fan shaped with 4 rows, the last row being the longest. Interior roads are gravel and the sites are grass and out in the open. Some sites have a tree; but very few are shady. It is next to the highway and near an airport so there is lots of traffic and plane noise, all day and night. There is no cable TV, but free wireless internet with a good connection.
Please see our RV PARK REVIEW BLOG under WISCONSIN to see a review and more pictures of this campground.
STATE CAPITAL
We drove about 15 miles to downtown Madison to visit the State Capital. A farmer’s market was going on when we got there. The market was very huge; it circled the Capital grounds and it was all flowers, and produce. There were some craft booths down a side street. The sidewalk was packed (gridlock) but we managed to see every booth and bought some tomatoes, green onions and sweet corn. We also bought a mini bumbleberry pie, yummm.
We then visited the Capital. Another awesome building. This building was the third in Madison and construction for the current building began in late 1906 and was completed in 1917. The Capital is 284.4 feet high from the ground floor to the top of the statue on the dome, 16 feet, 2 inches taller than the national’s capital in Washington D.C. There are 43 kinds of stone from 6 countries and 8 states. When you look up into the dome, you are looking at one of the largest domes by volume in the world.
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| See the Badger? That is Wisconsin's State Animal |
HENRY VILLAS ZOO
This is a city run zoo and is free (but they ask for a donation). This is a nice zoo, considering it is city run. It is well maintained and a zoo in progress. Some renovation and new construction is currently happening. Founded in 1911, the 30 acre park contains more than 700 animals. There is a primate center, tropical rain forest aviary, Herpetarium and a wildlife-themed carousel. This zoo does have giraffe, zebras, rhinos and even polar bears; but no elephants. We have yet to visit a zoo with elephants during this trip.
Mother and Son
OLBRICH BOTANICAL GARDENS
These are beautiful gardens on the shores of Lake Monona. It includes 16 acres of specialty gardens, a 50 foot high glass conservatory and what is said to be the only Thai pavilion and garden in the continental United States. The gardens were stated by Michael B. Olbrich in 1921. Today it is city run and the gardens are free to the public, except for the conservatory. We had about 2 hours to explore the grounds so we quickly walked through the maze of paths and saw the Sunken Garden, Wildflower Garden, Rock Garden, Meadow Garden, Herb Garden and many more. And, of course, we visited the Thai garden. Because it was at the end of the day, we almost had the gardens to ourselves, except for the wedding that was going on at the Event Garden.
These are beautiful gardens on the shores of Lake Monona. It includes 16 acres of specialty gardens, a 50 foot high glass conservatory and what is said to be the only Thai pavilion and garden in the continental United States. The gardens were stated by Michael B. Olbrich in 1921. Today it is city run and the gardens are free to the public, except for the conservatory. We had about 2 hours to explore the grounds so we quickly walked through the maze of paths and saw the Sunken Garden, Wildflower Garden, Rock Garden, Meadow Garden, Herb Garden and many more. And, of course, we visited the Thai garden. Because it was at the end of the day, we almost had the gardens to ourselves, except for the wedding that was going on at the Event Garden.
WISCONSION DELLS
Today we drove north about 30 miles to Wisconsin Dells. The Wisconsin River is 400+ plus miles long and the longest river in this state. The Wisconsin River flows through the middle of this town. A catastrophic flood thousands of years ago cut a channel through soft sandstone leaving behind fantastic rock formations along 15 miles of the river’s length. French trappers called these formations dalles or dells. We visited this town just to take the boat tours on both the Upper Dells and the Lower Dells. There is a dam that separates the two parts so we had to board two different boats. The tour of the dells was relaxing and peaceful and very scenic.
Black Hawk ProfilePancake Stacks
The Lower Dell tour made two stops, both at tourist traps. One was a small hike through narrow cliffs ending at a snack bar and gift shop. Another was a stop and a walk to a formation called The Stand. It is two columns where a long time ago people would jump across the gap from one column to the other. Today they have a trained German Sheppard do the jumping. Then you exit the area to another gift shop.
As for the town of Wisconsin Dells that is on both sides of the sandstone formations; stay away. The town is a tourist trap. Have you ever been to Dollywood? The place is great for cheap thrills. Kids will love it. It’s a play land full of water slides, roller coasters and tacky attractions like miniature golf, Ripley’s Believe or Not, Storyland, etc. The streets and sidewalks are crowded and full of overflowing trash cans. There are no decent restaurants, only fast food. But if you are young and like thrills and tacky, this is the place for you. We were glad to finish the last boat tour and get out town!
DAY 37 & 38: AUGUST 15 & 16 ~ DOOR COUNTY:
Wisconsin is beautiful country to drive through. We tried to stay on country roads and we passed lots of corn fields and dairy farms. These farms are some of the best looking farms I have ever seen. The barns and outbuildings and silos are so nicely designed and well maintained. These places were spotted all over the landscape.Door County is well-suited for growing fruit trees. In 1858 the first Montmorency cherry orchard was planted on the peninsula. At the peak of its season in 1959, Door County was known as Cherryland USA, growing 95% of the US tart cherry crop. Today Door Country harvests an average of 350,000 lbs of tart cherries a year. The wineries feature wines made with cherries and other fruits. The wines are sweet and have names such as “Cherry Blossom, Cranberry Delight; Honeycrisp Apple, Door County Romance (Zinfandel with cherries), Door County Trolley (Riesling with cherries), and Orchard Harvest (a spiced wine using apples that is served hot).
After 4.5 hours and 194 miles, we arrived at Egg Harbor in Door County.
EGG HARBOR RV PARK
This is a nice campground. The office is A-frame and looks to be a former KOA. The sites are tucked in among the trees and they are long and spacious and private. Unfortunately no WiFi at the site. But you can sit in the TV room next to the office and get a strong signal with easy logon. Also no cable TV. Since we are in the trees, I doubt we can get anything with the antenna.
Please see our RV PARK REVIEW BLOG under WISCONSIN to see a review and more pictures of this campground.
DOOR COUNTY is a peninsula that stretches north from the top of the eastern part of Wisconsin, like the spout of the teapot into Green Bay and Lake Michigan. The area is full of small resorts and is known for its fishing villages, beaches, lighthouses, antique stores, farms, orchards and wineries.
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| Lake Michigan |
Frykman Studio and Gallery is located in Door County (Sister Bay). He does a lot of those Christmas sculptures of polar bears and Santa Clause made of resin. I have several of his Holiday sculptures. I never knew that those resin sculptures were really reproductions of his wood carvings. I was very excited to find his gallery and see several of his original wood carvings. Each of David Frykman’s carvings in this gallery is unique because it is an original wood carving, hand carved from Eastern White Cedar, hand painted with oil or acrylic paints, and signed by the artist. Each piece is one-of-one and will not be made into a resin reproduction. We bought one of his small original pieces; a black cat sitting on a pumpkin.
On DAY 39 we drove out of the state of Wisconsin into the next state of Michigan. We will be doing an overnight stop in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, then cross the Straits of Mackinac on The Mackinac Bridge into Upper Michigan.
MICHIGAN FACTS:
Settled in 1668
Entered the Union on January 26, 1837
Michigan has a population of around 9,938,444 and 58,804 square miles.
State Capital: Lansing
State Nickname: Wolverine State, Great Lakes State
State Motto: “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around you.”
State Motto (funny): “Last One Out, Turn off the Lights”
State Flower: Apple Blossom (1897)
State Bird: Robin (1931)
State Animal: White-Tailed Deer (1997)
State Tree: White Pine (1955)
State Gem: Isle Royale Greenstone
State Song: “My Michigan”
DAY 39 - 43: AUGUST 24 - 28 ~ MICHIGAN
This will be the first time in Michigan with the trailer. The 2nd of the 11 states we still need to explore. Two down, 9 to go. Michigan was admitted as the 26th state in 1837. In 1894, the Kellogg brothers create a breakfast food industry when they develop a flake cereal for use at their Battle Creek Sanitarium. In 1908 the General Motors Company is organized in Flint by William Durant. Michigan has a population of 9,938,444 and 56,804 square miles. Mitten-shaped Michigan greets visitors with a hearty hello.
We will be spending five days in this state, starting with an overnight stay in Escanaba in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We will cross the Straits of Mackinaw on the Mackinac Bridge (the 3rd longest suspension bridge in the world). We will not be exploring deep into Michigan. That will have to wait for another trip. We will be spending time in Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island at the tip of the “mitten” and Bad Axe and Frankenmuth in the thumb of the “mitten”.
DAY 39: AUGUST 24 ~ ESCANABA:
Our first stop in Michigan is Escanaba on the shores of Lake Michigan. We drove into the Eastern time zone and lost an hour. We are now three hours ahead of home time. After 4 hours and 156 miles we arrived at the O.B. Fuller Park. This is a County park and campground. The campground is primitive and very small with only 25 sites. We have water and electric hook-ups, but no cable TV and no internet. This will be an overnight stop and we do not plan on any sightseeing in this area.
Crystal, our escaped kitty that was loose for 6 days is now getting sick. We think she has some kind of infection going on because she is lethargic and not eating. As soon as we settled into our campsite at O.B. Fuller Park, we took off for a vet appointment that we had arranged in Escanaba before we left Egg Harbor this morning. Crystal has lost 2 pounds and had a fever of 103 (101 is normal for a cat). She got some fluids and we took home antibiotics. She was too stressed for any blood work. So when we got back to the trailer, we gave her the meds, force fed her some wet food, got her comfortable and now we wait.
MACKINAC BRIDGE:
The next day we left the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and after 4 hours and 160 miles we reached the Mackinac Bridge and drove the 5 miles over the bridge to reach Mackinaw City. This bridge is a duplicate of the Golden Gate Bridge, but it is painted a different color. The bridge is the the 3rd longest suspension bridge in the world. The 1st is in Japan (suspension is 12,826 feet), the 2nd is in Denmark (8,921 feet) and the Mackinac Bridge is 8,614 feet. The Golden Gate Bridge is 4,200 feet. The total length of Mackinac Bridge is 26,272 feet and spans the Straits of Mackinac, connecting Michigan’s upper and Lower Peninsulas and where Lake Huron and Lake Michigan come together.
DAY 40 & 41: AUGUST 25 & 26 ~ MACKINAW CITY
Mackinaw City was once a trading post established by early French settlers. The post became a fort in 1715 and was held by the French, then the British, then the Native Americans, and then the British again. In 1890, the British moved the fort to Mackinac Island. Today the city has a population of 859, a very small city. This is another city where the historic section is full of shops selling junk. We visited a few of the shops and saw each shop had the same items. There was nothing unique or local made. So we stopped looking.
MACKINAW KOA
This is a good size campground with about 80 sites. The interior roads are paved and the sites are dirt and in the woods. Lots of shade and trees. Some of the sites are spacious; others might be narrow and too close to your neighbor. They have cable TV with about 30 stations and wireless internet with a weak signal.
Please see our RV PARK REVIEW BLOG under MICHIGAN to see a review and more pictures of this campground.
Our neighbor at this campground had one of those trailers where a quarter of the trailer was a garage. In that garage was a bright red “hot rod” car that he would attend car rallies with. They were a retired couple and would travel all over the country attending car rallies. He took the car out to show other people and he offered to take us for a ride in it. We didn’t have time for the ride, but I got to sit in it and pretend it was my car.
MACKINAC ISLAND
There are three different ferries that take you to the Island. They are all the same price, so you just have chose. They all are jet boats and go very fast. We choose Shepler’s Ferry. Weather permitting, they go under the Mackinac Bridge and give you a history of the bridge, then circle around to go under again before going to Mackinac Island.
Native Americans called the Island Michilimackinac; “Great Turtle”. But the name was shortened to Mackinac. This limestone outcrop became a frontier outpost in 1780, when the English moved the old French fort on the mainland to the island. It remained the stronghold of the Straits of Mackinac for 115 years.
The island is 3 miles long and 2 miles wide and can only be reached by boat or plane (it has a small airport). This place is well known for their fudge; Mackinac Fudge is sold all over the country. In 1889, Henry Murdick opened the Island’s first “Candy Kitchen”, offering treats such as hand-dipped chocolates, salt water taffy and creamy fudge. By the 1920’s, fudge became Mackinac Islands number one sweet souvenir. The fudge industry thrives today.
Today this island is like being on “Fantasy Island”. The place if full of Victorian style bed & breakfast Inns and is a resort paradise. No cars are allowed on the island. You get around the island by horse drawn carriages or by bicycle. Supplies and equipment is transported by horse and carriage. The garbage is picked up by horse and carriage and the street cleaning machine is pulled by horse and carriage. There are golf carts, but they stay on the golf course at the Grand Hotel and most are electric. The only gas vehicles are one ambulance and a couple of police cars.
There is also a state park. The main street is full of shops. A lot of the shops are candy stores where you can watch them making fudge or taffy at the front window. Unfortunately, like Mackinaw City, the shops all sell the same stuff. Nothing is unique and was saw no local crafts. Very disappointing. But it is nice to look at the outside of the shops. Most have the Victorian look.
We did the carriage tour of the Island and made stops at ”Wings of Mackinac” butterfly garden, Arch Rock, Fort Mackinac, and Grand Hotel. We paid the fees to tour the butterfly garden and the Fort. We spent the whole day here and had a great time. The weather was perfect; sunny with some clouds and in the mid 70’s. It was a beautiful, magical day.
CRYSTAL
We had a bad episode with Crystal on the morning of Day 42; the day we were leaving for our next stop. It looked like she was having a seizure. So we wrapped her in a towel and called around looking for a vet. Being a Saturday, the vets were either closed or booked up. We found a vet about 30 miles away and got an appointment for late morning. We picked up camp and hitched the trailer and headed out. This vet was slightly out of our way, but in the direction we were heading. We got there early and they saw our panic and took us in early.
Crystal had a temp of 105. They gave her an injection to bring her fever down and another injection of a different kind of antibiotics. There was a thought that she might be having a reaction to the other antibiotic. Again she was too stressed out for any kind of blood work. We made her comfortable and continued on with our trip. After 48 hours she did show some improvement.
DAY 42 & 43: AUGUST 27 & 28 ~ BAD AXE:
While surveying the first state road through the Huron County wilderness in 1861, Rudolph Papst and George Willis Pack made camp here and found a much-used and badly damaged axe. At Pack’s suggestion, Papst used the name “Bad Axe Camp” in the minutes of the survey and on a sign he placed along the main trail. By the time Papst returned from the Civil War, the name was on the map. Bad Axe celebrated its first 100 years as a city in 2005. It remains the county seat and is the largest community in Huron County as well as a commercial center for the upper Thumb area.
The author Lillian Jackson Braun who wrote the “Cat Who....” mysteries was a favorite writer of ours. We bought a package of about 8 of her books at an antique store during our cross country trip through Canada. We found more of her books during the trip and when we got home we ordered the rest of them. We read all of them (34 books). The town in her stories, Pick Axe, was based on this town of Bad Axe. Lillian Braun lived in Bad Axe. She was 97 years old and she died a few months ago. So that, of course, is the end of “The Cat Who... mysteries. We wanted to stop in this city so we could see if there was any sign of the streets, shops and the home of the main characters and his two Siamese cats (converted apple barn) described in the books. However, we saw no signs of this author or her books. The people of this city were not too happy with their town being written about in the book, because she did not present the city correctly.
The day we tried to explore this city, we found it to be dead and locked up. It was a Sunday and everything was closed. So we decided to visit a “much talked about” village called Frankenmuth, about 50 miles away.
FRANKENMUTH
Frankenmuth was founded in 1845 by a group of 15 German-Lutheran missionaries who came to the area for the purpose of teaching Christianity to the Chippewa Indians. Franken depicts the province from which the settlers came and Muth means courage in German. The name Frankenmuth means “Courage of the Franconians”. Today, Frankenmuth is a thriving community of 4,900 residents who take great pride in preserving the German heritage. Called Michigan’s Little Bavaria, it’s a cute little town with German style buildings, restaurants and lots of gift shops. Some of the shops are unique with some local crafts in it. The main street was lined with hanging baskets of beautiful flowers.
We had lunch at a place called Zehnders; known for its chicken dinners. The line for lunch was very long and of course the place was very crowded. But the meal was worth the wait. They had a unique gift shop and market place with lots of samples of dips, sauces, etc.
After lunch we walked around and checked out the shops. I found a bead store; Bead Haven. It was a huge place and I bought some Czech glass that I have not seen before. We ended the day by driving over a 239 foot, 230 ton covered bridge made completely of wood which spans the Cass River. It was built in 1979.
This ends PART I of our cross country trip. We will now head north into Canada for PART II of the Charleston’s Trailer Tripping.
