Weekend Getaway: Fall in Wisconsin (and a little bit of Iowa)

 Our daughter lives in New York and we live in Denver. We usually get together about 3 times per year - which I'll go on the record as saying that it's never enough for me - and this year we hit a record setting four times as I was able to spend my birthday with her for the first time in about 10 years. Last year she suggested we meet somewhere in the middle for a long fall weekend so we looked at flights and picked Milwaukee. Then we came up with an itinerary that included driving over the border into Iowa. We got to see our daughter and she checked visiting two more states off her list. Win-win in my book. So here's what we got up to in Wisconsin (and a little bit of Iowa) on a lovely fall weekend:

Lake Geneva Cruise

Geneva Lake is a 5000 acre freshwater lake about an hour south of Milwaukee. The resort town of Lake Geneva sits on its shores and there is a public footpath - meaning anyone can walk it- encircling the  lake at about 26 miles long. The lake is also known as the only place in the world where mail jumping is practiced, an unusual mail delivery system where teens jump from the mail boat onto boat docks to deliver the mail - while the boat is still moving. 

One of the most popular things to do on the lake is to take a narrated boat cruise on a restored vintage boat and hear the stories of the lake. Prior to colonial settlement, the lake was home to a band of the Prairie Potawatomi. After the Civil War, the town became a haven for wealthy families from Chicago. These families began constructing mansions on the lake and it became known as the Newport of the West. Some of these famous families were the Wrigleys, Schwinns and Swifts - of chewing gum, bicycle and refrigerated train car fame. 

We enjoyed a one hour afternoon cruise listening to the history of the lake and seeing all the spectacular houses. I found it to be very interesting and one hour seemed to be just the right length of time to see the lake. I highly recommend that you book ahead - as soon as you know your dates - as these cruises sell out just about every day that they run. (We had a long line to get on and there was a long line waiting to board when we got off)

A popular spot for wind surfers

After - or before - your cruise you can stroll around Lake Geneva and enjoy a beverage or meal with a little shopping. We were headed on but we decided to lunch at Culver's - the most famous fast food chain from Wisconsin. Known for butterburgers, cheese curds and fresh frozen custard, I'd have to say it was one of the most delicious fast food meals I've ever had. And besides, when in Rome....or Wisconsin.

Wisconsin's Supper Clubs

Most states have cafes, bistros, diners of chophouses. But only Wisconsin has the iconic Supper Clubs. There are about 250 scattered throughout the state and they represent a sense of community and feeling at home while dining.  The expectation of visiting a Supper Club is large portions, old time family recipes, friendly bartenders and decor representing the area.Some offer prime rib night, some offer fish fries and Schwarz's Supper Club in St. Anna can seat and serve some 700 diners.

We enjoyed Buckatabon Supper Club in Milwaukee. It has a fun "North Woods" decor and atmosphere - complete with a bear statue to greet you, named Booyah -and we were lucky to dine outside on the patio- it was a little chilly but still do able. (The name rhymes with Chuck and Robin and comes from a couple lakes in the far Northwest of the state) Wednesdays and Fridays are Fish Fry days and Prime Rib is always on the menu. Mr. UR chose the prime rib while I went with the soup of the day and. The food was good, atmosphere was great and I loved the quirkiness of this fun supper club. My first visit to one and it definitely did not disappoint.

Prime rib dinner with yorkshire pudding

New Glarus, Wisconsin (and New Glarus Brewing)

Settled in 1845 by Swiss immigrants, New Glarus is a "showcase of Swiss heritage, architecture and cuisine". With only 2200 residents, New Glarus is "America's Little Switzerland." What a wonderful little town.

We drove from Lake Geneva to New Glarus - after our stop at Culver's - and headed straight to New Glarus Brewing. New Glarus Brewing, founded in 1992, was founded by husband and wife team, Daniel and Deb Carey, with Deb raised the capital for the brewery while Daniel took the Master Brewers Class and Exam at the Institute of Brewing in London. That makes Deb the first woman to found and operate a brewery in the United States. They are an employee owned brewery and their beer is sold only in Wisconsin. You can't purchase it in any other state - one way they have remained small and true to Wisconsinites. In 2018, they were named one of the top 50 breweries in the US. 

After hearing such a success story and the fact that you can get it Only in Wisconsin, a visit was in order. One of the unique things about New Glarus is that it is only open on weekdays. So we had to make sure we were there on the Friday of our trip to grab a tasting. And the one beer we had to try was their Spotted Cow Farmhouse Ale. Their flagship beer is found in 40% of refrigerators in Wisconsin and is the best selling draft beer in the state. 

The New Glarus campus is huge with lots of outdoor seating, a gift shop, the tasting room along with the brewing facilities. We had to circle the parking lot several times until we could find a space to park. It was an enjoyable afternoon with a beer tasting and good weather in a nice outdoor space. I'm really glad we went out of our way to visit this Only in Wisconsin brewery.

Next up: Strolling the streets of New Glarus. We went into an adorable family run shop that sells Wisconsin items - Hutch and Hide. Billed as a modern mom and pop, I loved this store and purchased a few Christmas gifts to take home. We had a drink at the unique Ott Haus Pub and Grill - part store and part bar and met up with a few locals. Our stomachs were crying hungry by now so we tried the cheese curds and specials at the hopping Tofflers Pub & Grill. A really fun little town with friendly Midwesterners and Swiss atmosphere.

When in Wisconsin - cheese curds!

Fenelon Place Elevator

We couldn't cross from Wisconsin to Iowa - and over the Mississippi- without stopping at the unique Fenelon Place Elevator. Also known as the Fourth Street Elevator, this funicular railway has been called "the world's steepest, shortest scenic railway." Located in Dubuque, Iowa, this funicular railway, at 296 feet, carries passengers 189 feet from Fourth Street up to Fenelon Place (hence, the two different names) Once at the top, you have views of downtown Dubuque, the Mississippi and three different states - Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois.

Built in 1882 by a former State Senator who wanted to go home for lunch to his house on the top of the bluffs - and also have time for a nap - it was modeled after incline railways in Europe. The elevator caught on fire in 1893 but was rebuilt by a band of neighbors who had come to depend on it to get to work. (The cars were rebuilt in 1977 and the motor was upgraded in 2015) If you would like to visit this quirky little railway, the rates are $4 round trip and don't bring your credit card, they only accept cash.

Field of Dreams

Field of Dreams was a 1989 movie starring Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones and Amy Madigan. In the movie, Kevin Costner plays a farmer who builds a baseball field in his cornfield that attracts the ghosts of baseball legends. The baseball field in the movie was built by Universal Pictures outside the town of Dyersville, Iowa. When the movie production was complete, the baseball field was left behind. It became a star in its own right with people coming to visit from all over the world. You can visit year round - from sunrise to sunset - and see the actual baseball field, cornfields and house from the movie.

We had visited the Field of Dreams about 10 years ago and serendipitously happened upon an actual baseball game being played on the field by actors- who actually walked out of the corn just like in the movie. Our daughter had never been to the Field of Dreams, though, and it was close to where we would be so a visit here was once again possible.

Things have changed here quite a bit since our first visit. Major League Baseball now holds a game here each year - the stands can seat 8,000 fans. That game has necessitated a barn that holds a gift shop, bathrooms and the farmhouse has turned into lodging. There is also a bigger parking lot with a "gatehouse" to enter - with donations requested. And the day we were visiting there was a wedding taking place! So the Field of Dreams has gone big time. Still it's an enjoyable place to spend an hour in the cornfields of Iowa. Especially if you like "film tourism" - seeing where movies have been filmed.

The Driftless Area

After visiting the Field of Dreams, we drove north along the Mississippi River until we reached McGregor, Iowa, which is nestled between the Mississippi and Iowa's river bluffs. It's Main Street is listed on the National Register for Historic Districts and it is the endpoint of the River Bluff Scenic Byway.We stopped at this small town for lunch - and since it was Saturday afternoon, a football viewing - at a local place right on the town square. (The town square uniquely had pianos in it that you could play)

After lunch we stopped at a viewing platform to see the Mighty Mississippi from the river bluffs.

Once we crossed the Mississippi, we were back in Wisconsin. And our afternoon was spent driving the Driftless Area - an area which includes some 24,000 square miles that was bypassed by the last continental glacier. The name Driftless refers to a lack of "glacial drift" or deposits of silt, gravel and rock which glaciers usually leave behind and has caused this unique terrain. It's a steep, rugged landscape with the largest concentration of cold water streams in the world - which made for a pleasant afternoon of driving until we reached Wollersheim Winery.

Wollersheim Winery

I'm a sucker for a pretty winery. And Wollersheim Winery in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin is a stunner. Founded in the 1840's by a Hungarian immigrant, the winery was in operation until Prohibition when it was turned into a dairy farm. In 1972 the Wollersheim family purchased the property and turned it back into a winery even though Wisconsin was not known for wine making. The family concentrated on making wine from cold hardy grapes and it became a success. In 1984, they hired a new winemaker, Phillipe Coquard, from France and he created their most popular wine, Prairie Fume. 

Today the winery is a National Historic Site and has won many awards for its wine. You can visit the winery and do a seated tasting, a winery guided walking tour, a wine flight tasting or enjoy a self-guided winery tasting in the garden - we chose the latter as we only had about an hour until closing time. (You can also walk into the wine cave and read about the history of the winery) The garden is delightful with limited balcony seating and many levels of other seating. We were lucky enough to nab a table right outside the door with views of the vineyard.

Or if you're feeling a bit hungry, you can dine at the Wollersheim Bistro where all the food is made from scratch. And you know you can enjoy some good wine with your meal!

Door County

We'd been to Door County before so I knew I wanted to return. Door County has 300 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline that includes wineries, breweries, quaint little communities and beaches to be explored. Known as the Cape Cod of the Midwest, I so love it here. We only had a day to visit - it's about 2 1/2 hours drive from Milwaukee - but I think we made the most of it. 

The drive north was beautiful and traffic free. We stopped at Renard's for cheese curd tastings - as one does - and then had lunch in Sturgeon Bay at Door County Fire Company. And that's as far as we made it! We never made it past Sturgeon Bay - each time I've visited - as we decided to stroll the streets and visit a few shops. Our last stop was at Door Peninsula Winery for a wine tasting and a browse around their large gift shop before our drive back to Milwaukee.

more cheese curds

We still had another 2 1/2 hours on the road so it was time to hightail it back to Milwaukee. Bye Door County! Someday I hope to make it back - and further north on the peninsula than Sturgeons Bay!

Downtown Milwaukee

We spent a fun day touring around downtown Milwaukee visiting the Milwaukee Art Museum, walking along the riverfront and enjoying beverages and lunch at a brewery. Milwaukee is a very walkable and "small town feel" city. This was a Sunday afternoon and for the downtown of a city, it felt eerily quiet. It might have been so subdued because the Green Bay Packers were playing a game that day. So maybe that was it? I enjoyed our visit very much though - I'm sure the fantastic weather helped a bit - and I would certainly make a return visit.

Milwaukee's Art Museum is comprised of three buildings designed by three very famous architects: Eero Saarinen, David Kahler and Santiago Calatrava. And the most famous part of all is the moving wings. The Burke Brise Soleil is a moveable sunscreen with a 217 foot wingspan that unfolds and folds twice daily. Unfortunately, the winds were too high on the day that we visited so we weren't able to experience it. But I'd say it's one of the most famous art museums in the US due to this feature - and if you get to see the wings move, let me know. I'd love to see what it's like.

After our visit to the art museum, we decided to walk the riverfront to have lunch at the brewery we had picked out. Lakefront Brewery is a large, cavernous beer hall - exactly what I would picture in Milwaukee - that sits on the Milwaukee River, not the lake as the name suggests. It offers tours and fish fries, sausage flights, cheese curd flights and beer infused everything. Just as you would think of a brewery in Milwaukee. 

I was born and raised in the Midwest and it will always be my favorite part of the US. The people are friendly and down to earth, the food is hearty and the land - though not quite as spectacular as some parts of the country - holds some special treasures. Loved my visit to Wisconsin (and a little bit of Iowa)!

How about you? Have you traveled to Wisconsin before? Or Iowa? 

Linking up with: My Corner of the World at Photographing New Zealand!