Old World Wisconsin
Explore Old World Wisconsin
Return to Wisconsin of the late 19th century, when waves of immigrants came to America’s heartland in search of a better life. Explore Old World Wisconsin.
Konkapot Lodge
Konkapot Lodge in Bowler WI is a hidden gem log cabin hotel! It is an authentic Native American-owned lodge, open to the public, and located 10 minutes west of Shawano and 35 minutes east of Wausau.
All 28 guest rooms and suites at Konkapot Lodge have a scenic view of the Wisconsin Northwoods. The spectacular hand hewn logs, sourced locally from Wisconsin fallen timber, create a stunning lodge atmosphere for those that appreciate both simplicity and the finer things in life.
During the course of your stay, you’ll find all of the amenities expected in Northern Wisconsin luxury hotels, the great room and upper mezzanine areas provide a cozy setting for guests to visit and entertain. Visitors young and old enjoy the nostalgia of “playing” a hit tune from long ago on the antique player piano. Others are intrigued by the antiques and Native American artwork that decorate the lodge.
Read MoreSegway the Fox tours
Experience a fun adventure in Green Bay with Segway the Fox tours, a locally owned entrepreneurial company that offers guided tours throughout Northeast Wisconsin on ultra smart, ultra cool Segways. Invented by Dean Kamen, these awesome machines are officially called the Segway Human Transporter, the first self-balancing, electric-powered transportation machine. The Segway Human Transporter is a personal transport device that uses five gyroscopes and a built-in computer to remain upright. They are amazingly simple to operate.
Our group of four started out with a few quick lessons taught by our trainer and tour guide, Al. We learned how to control our Segways, turn, and stop. Then we went over some things you might need to know when out on the road, like directional signals for the group and etiquette for pedestrians. In just a few minutes, we started out on our adventure, The Packer Heritage Trail in downtown Green Bay.
Al was a veritable gold mind of Packer knowledge. Al is someone who genuinely loves his job which is evident by all the stories of ancient Packer history he talks about during the tour. I suggest looking over The Packer Heritage Trail website before taking the tour to familiarize yourself with it all before you go. A little bit of reading ahead of time is bound to enrich your experience.
Along the way, we zipped along the river walk, went over bridges, through underpasses and basically blanketed the older section of Green Bay. We were able to see more in one hour on our Segways than we could have seen in several hours, if walking.
The minimum age and weight allowances are 11 years old and 70 lbs.
The parent company, Glide N.E.W, also operates Segway the Door with tours in many localities, Penninsula State Park, and even a 5-hour tour to Washington Island that includes the ferry ride to the island and lunch.
Watch for it! We plan to do a Segway the Door tour next.
Read MoreSpur of the Moment Ranch
Everything ‘Wisconsin’ starts in Mountain. An easy drive from Milwaukee or the Valley, you’ll find Spur of the Moment Ranch a short hop off Hwy 32 and nestled into the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. With direct access to the multi-use, Nicolet Trail, some of things you’ll be able to do is ride your ATV, ride your horse or cross-country ski. The ranch itself is 12 acres surrounded by forest land; near the Chute Pond Recreational area and Oconto River.
The ranch offers a variety of cabins from 4 beautifully-appointed, cozy, log cabins, a roomy, bunkhouse, 4 rustic cabins and 5 full-hookup, campsites for RV’s, living quarter trailers, and toy haulers. You’ll find plenty of room for your horse including an outdoor style barn with 19 box stalls and 15 paddocks strategically placed around the ranch.
Spur of the Moment Ranch is a friendly place: family friendly, horse friendly, dog friendly, ATV friendly and camper friendly. There are artistically-made firepit circles with chairs outside most accommodations. Creating a fun gathering place for everyone at the end of a busy, active day.
Read MoreKitty O’Reillys Irish Pub
Join Kitty OíReillys Irish Pub and experience Sturgeon Bayís liveliest Pub on the West side. Walking distance from the marina and boutique shops, enjoy the newest version of old Ireland for lunch and dinner and choose from a great selection of food and spirits including some of Irelandís favorite tastes. We offer a large selection of domestic and imported beers, premium liquors, martinis and wines. Kitty OíReillys offers you a fun and exciting experience with a lively pub, a cozy dining room and a beautiful outdoor New Guinness Patio!
Read MoreNatural Air Conditioning on Wisconsin’s East Coast
A couple of us from Relax Wisconsin headed out to the shores of Lake Michigan on Sunday, June 10th, and spent the afternoon at beautiful Point Beach State Forest near Two Rivers. As the thermometer on our van said it was 88 degrees, it was clearly much more comfortable on the beach.
Point Beach offers 127 campsites, a self-guided nature trail, Hiking/Ski trails, picnic areas as well as a sandy beach for family activities. Along the beach you can view Rawley Point Lighthouse (see picture). The lighthouse was originally built in 1853 and was replaced with the current steel tower in 1894.
If you park at the north end of the park, near the concession stand, there is wheelchair access to the beach (see picture).
During our walk on the beach we saw many families enjoying their day. From just laying in the sun, building sand castles, getting buried in the sand (see picture), to flying kites, the possibilities are endless.
To top it off, we ended at the concession stand and we both enjoyed a waffle cone with some delicious Cedar Crest ice cream.
Read MoreGingerbread House
Awesome food is delivered from this historic 1885 farmhouse, The Gingerbread House of Muskego. Sit back with a warm and cozy hot chocolate or perhaps a carmel latte in this tastefully decorated, quaint restaurant. Mornings are a busy time around here. If you need to wait a few minutes then venture upstairs to shop in their affordable, but well-stocked boutique.
The home cooking from the kitchen is sure to please everyone. Everything tastes, looks and smells like grandma’s favorites. Some have called this a ‘girly’ place, but because of the tasty and ample food, my husband says “No way”.
Menu: Fresh desserts, pastries & bakery, full breakfast menu and multiple coffee and drink selections. Afternoon selections include homemade soups, wine, beer, cheese trays and ice cream.
Be sure to check out their facebook page! You can fill up on the pictures alone!
Read MoreLaura Lake Campground
Laura Lake Campground- If you could create an ideal campground, what would it include? For setting, maybe it should lie between two beautiful lakes. Of course, the lakes would be clear, with good fishing and excellent swimming. There would need to be a trail (about two miles) circling one of those beautiful lakes for scenic walks. And, naturally there would be no development on either lake. Sound perfect? Don’t bother creating it. It already exists at Laura Lake.
Read MoreWillow River State Park
With 2,891 acres of prairie, forests, and panoramic river scenery, Willow River State Park offers year-round recreational and scenic attractions in western Wisconsin. Located 5 miles northeast of Hudson on County Road A, the park has a campground, a boat launch, and a 400-foot beach and picnic area centered on 172-acre Little Falls Lake. Willow River State Park draws more than 300,000 visitors each year.
Read MoreFox Valley Christmas Lights Tour
What could be better on a pre-Christmas evening than to take in a Christmas Light Tour in the Fox Valley? We looked at quite a few and found this awesome display was the best one by far. It is a bit hard to find at 830 Rusty Court in Kaukauna, so you might want to locate it here before you go.
Their hours are 5-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 5-11 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Jan. 6.
Load the little ones in the car and go!
Santa greeted us with a great sense of humor, apparently I had been ‘naughty’ back in March, but had made up for it since then. A small donation is requested that will go to their favorite charity. In fact, each of our stops this evening were supporting a different organization. How cool!
Here is the video with the syncronized Christmas Light Display, enjoy!
If the video does not open, you can also watch it here: https://youtu.be/4kocuL-J5LE
Second runner up went to a non-syncronized show at 511 Janssen Street in Combined Locks. It’s worth your time to check that one out, too!
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