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Posts Tagged ‘Wisconsin’

  1. Lake Mills

    October 3, 2014 by admin

    IMG_7974We recently headed out to a nearby city’s library book sale. It was a beautiful Fall day and even though we had never been to the city of Lake Mills, the idea of an exploration along a country road was enticing enough for this TRFamily.

    Tip: Why not slow down and explore that place you always just drive through on your way to somewhere else.

    IMG_7990The library is an impressive stone building that was constructed in the late 19th century. It is situated right off the city’s Commons Park. The book sale was held in a small house owned by the library on the back of the property. At $2 a bag of books, we were quite pleased to rifle through the offerings. In addition to our bags of books, we scored a good supply of FREE books on tapes that include Arthur stories and a German Language series for kids.

    IMG_7996After the sale, we decided to look for lunch. There was a smattering of cafes across the green space and we headed that way. Timber Creek Pizza Co seemed a great choice and it didn’t disappoint this sometimes picky family. They have tons of choices at fantastic prices. Service was friendly, accommodating, and fast.

    Full of good food, we decided to explore the Commons Park and its massive band shelter before heading home. But on the way out of town, Rock Lake Park on County Rd B caught our eye. It offered a small playground, a fun hand operated water pump drinking fountain, and a secret tunnel passage. It was a great way to end our visit in Lake Mills.

    No matter where you live, there is probably a town or area that you haven’t really investigated. Give it chance.  Get out there and explore!


  2. How Do You Like Them Apples?

    September 28, 2014 by admin

    IMG_2310Fall!  One of our favorite seasons in the TR family.  The air is cool and crisp!  Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner.  Bugs are dying by the truckload!  And apples are ready for picking.

    FullSizeRender.jpgWe love apple picking.  We look forward to it every year.

    Walking through rows and rows of trees, seeking out the perfect pieces of fruit that we can take home, is a memory none will soon forget.  And when you find that perfect apple, and take a big bite standing under the tree it grew on- well that’s just out of sight!  It’s a great combination of outdoors activity, good eats and good fun!

    With our bounty of apples we’ll make pies, tarts, and maybe applesauce?  Who knows?  We have plenty of apples to work with.

    Our orchard of choice is Door Creek Orchard.  They have a great selection of different varieties of apples in a beautiful, hillside setting. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the prices excellent.  They also have cider and grapes available and Black Welsh Mountain sheep to admire.IMG_2313

    If you don’t live near Madison, find your own local orchard and give it a try.  You’ll come home with  tons of fresh fruit and good stories, too!


  3. Make The Best Of It

    September 26, 2014 by admin

    IMG_7431Everything that we set out to do as a TR family doesn’t result in astounding success with high fives all around. A few of our adventures fall just short of the mark, and some others are utter failures. But we never give up. We have found that if you don’t allow yourself to take some risk, you won’t reap as many rewards.  And one point of heading out on a jaunt is to spend time together- we can always find a way to pull some fun out of any experience!

    We recently headed out to the town of Racine, WI. We had read that their local art museum (RAM) was hosting a fairytale inspired exhibit. And then we discovered that Racine has a small Heritage Museum that is free to visit. Sounded like a great combination for a day trip!

    But it didn’t quite work out that way…

    After paying to gain admittance, we found RAM was smaller than we had hoped and the fairytale exhibit was a bit esoteric for our kids.  But we had a great time when we discovered an unexpected display on pop-up books- including some titles we all recognized.  We also enjoyed an avant garde clothing display, where everything was made from recycled food containers (like juice boxes and sugar packets that were sewn together.)

    Nonetheless, we didn’t spend a tremendous amount of time at RAM and headed up the street to the Heritage Museum.  This museum also not very big, nor particularly geared for kiddoes.  It didn’t take us long to cruise through their exhibits.  Soon enough we found ourselves back on the sidewalks of Racine.

    But our eyes are always open for an unexpected treat, and our family is accustomed to the fact that not every jaunt is going to knock it out of the park.  When we head out to an unknown place, we tell the kids quite clearly: “We don’t know what to expect.  We’ve never been here before.”

    Knowing our proximity to the Lake Michigan shoreline, we looked for a chance to continue exploring Racine in that direction.  We found a parking spot near a marina and walked along the pier for a bit.  We also stumbled upon a little memorial to the Underground Railroad.IMG_2170

    Recharged with some fresh air, we headed for the S.C. Johnson Company factory.  An architecturally unique building, designed in part by Frank Lloyd Wright, it seemed like a fun place to visit.  But it was not to be– tours are permitted only when scheduled in advance and are talking tours aimed at adults only.

    Ah well.

    We decided that it was time for lunch, knowing that some food would help everyone refocus.  We found a fantastic meal at Z’s and finished up our trip to Racine.

    By keeping our spirits up, and our eyes open, we were able to take aways some good memories of Racine.  When our research turns up some more places to check out in that town, we’ll head back.  And if it doesn’t work out– we’ll still find a way to make it a worth while trip.


  4. In Racine, Head for Z’s!

    September 12, 2014 by admin

    A recent trip to the Racine area left us hungry and ready for lunch.  Our pre-trip research had suggested a place named Z’s might be a good choice, so we pointed ourselves in the right direction and went to check it out.IMG_7443

    We’re glad we did!

    Z’s Grill and Custard is a Wisconsin custard stand with a few twists:  They are open all year round and they have way more than custard on their menu.

    IMG_7440Z’s opened a few years ago with a goal of transforming a seasonal custard stand into a year round restaurant.  But even though Z’s offers traditional local fare like burgers and dogs, they also incorporate the owners’ family favorites like hummus, tabbouleh and house-made soups and chili.

    What a delight to be able to walk into a place on the outskirts of a town and order a vegan wrap, or a grilled cheese on a fresh pita!  Everyone in the family found something they loved.

    We were impressed immediately by the friendly service.  The warm greeting we received was a fantastic start.  The Staff were happy to answer any questions.  They took care of us and made sure all our food was to our liking.

    Z’s prices are quite reasonable also.  Our total bill was right in line with our typical Saturday lunch bills.  Kids and adults were happily fed and we’re looking forward to stopping at Z’s again the next time we find ourselves in the area.


  5. Backroad Bonus: MUGS, in Ripon, Wisconsin

    September 5, 2014 by admin

    Although we do have our list of go-to chains that have decent vegetarian/vegan options on their menus, we do so love to find new places that are off the beaten path and that might serve up a good meal.

    After several trips to the Ripon, Wisconsin area, we finally stumbled upon a good lunch stop downtown.429920_10150597134698106_1715193449_n

    Located just a few blocks off the Ripon College campus, MUGS is a coffee shop/ sandwich shop that fits the bill for our family.

    MUGS is a cozy place that is well suited for studying, or just settling in with good book or the daily crossword. From the number of large tables in the dining area, we imagine many Ripon students head to MUGS for study-time and group project planning. (We arrived prior to the start of fall semester, so there weren’t any crowds.)

    We loved seeing several vegetarian and vegan choices from grilled cheese to a delicious hummus veggie wrap. All this served up with great coffee and fresh-made chocolate milk. They also have Chocolate Shoppe ice cream on hand, along with a small number of desserts.

    The pricing fits the student budget too- which means it works well for our hungry family. Most sandwiches were under $5 and included a side of chips. Large coffees were around $2.  The friendly staff was helpful and accommodating.  They didn’t hesitate to modify their grilled cheese for our Bluey.  We could see ourselves as regulars if we lived in the area.  As it is, MUGS will be our go-to cafe when we are next in Ripon.


  6. The Secret Garden

    June 29, 2014 by admin

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    As much as we love finding new places to go on our jaunts, we frequently find ourselves returning to a spot we have already visited.  It’s a great opportunity to explore further— to follow that hallway you didn’t investigate, to climb that hilltop to see the view from up there.

    IMG_6507We recently returned to Delaney’s Surplus.  It’s a cluttered shop of various spare parts, abandoned equipment, and such.  We had a great time there on our first trip, but our visit was in the middle of winter and quite cold.  So we hadn’t explored the big back open lot with large items, too numerous, or too dirty to bring into the shop.  This time, we went in early summer in order to peruse the outdoor area.

    And were we glad we did!

    We found lots of cool things outside:  huge bins of door knobs, candleholders, giant crystal plastic lampshades for street lights, strange wired pieces that would make great trelises for our garden, and much much more.  Not only that, we stumbled upon the secret entrance to Dr. Evermor’s Garden.

    Dr. Evermor is legend in these parts.  His metal sculptures made from repurposed scraps are found all throughout the Wisconsin area.  Driving up to Devil’s Lake or Baraboo brings many people past the front of Dr. Evermor’s garden, with it’s giant birds and other odd creatures guarding the gates.  The gates which are IMG_6534always  closed.

    We have long wanted to visit Dr. Evermor, but we never found the garden open.  Until we found the back door.

    Around the back of Delaney’s is a short path connecting it to the sculpture garden.  Follow the path and you will find yourself surrounded by small metal insects, gigantic birds, dinosaurs and, of course, The Forevertron.  The Forevertron is a massive piece, the center focus of the garden.  It is amazing.  Can it launch you to the heavens using magnetism?  We’re not sure, but it is awesome to see.

    Our inventive, artsy, tinkering family loved walking around the many sculptures and finding the hidden treasures tucked here and there.  We’re sure we’ll go back and attempt to see the things we may have missed.

    And this trip to Delaney’s will remind us to really look around each time we go somewhere , whether we’ve been there before or not, and to explore and discover the hidden bits that we might not otherwise see.