Finished with Florida

No, this doesn't mean that we're not going back to Florida. It means that I realized I hadn't posted my final thoughts about our time in Florida. So here goes . . .

The Villages, where we stayed,  is located in a part of Florida that wasn't developed until the last part of the nineteenth century. And then it was agriculture, especially cattle-raising. One can still see a number of farms with cattle grazing peacefully in the fields close to The Villages. 

These life-sized sculptures are at the entrance to the Brownwood Paddock Town Square,
one of three town squares in The Villages. An homage to the real history of this area.

The Villages, a "census-designated area" was begun in the 1970s. Harold Schwartz, who was from Michigan, was the developer. He had been selling land tracts in the area via mail order but was put out of business by a federal law that prohibited such commerce. So what was he to do with all that land? Build a mobile home park, of course. In a few years, Schwartz brought in his son, Gary Morse, to help develop the park. Sales improved when amenities and nearby commercial development were offered to the residents. In the 1980s Schwartz began to buy large tracts of land nearby for future expansion. The name of the overall development was changed to The Villages in 1992. 

However, to read plaques at various locations in The Villages you'd think this community would have been here for several hundred years. NOT! 

I guess Schwartz and Morse had a sense of humor as there were lots of smiles to be seen on the faces of people reading these plaques. The history may be fake, but, for the most part, the people are real. We made a number of friends during our 2+ months in The Villages and are looking forward to returning next year to renew those friendships.

During our last two weeks in The Villages, Rick was determined to swim in as many of the nearly 100 pools as he could. He may have dipped his toes in at least one new pool a day during that time and on one occasion, he enjoyed at least two of them in one afternoon.

Each of the villages within The Villages has its own swimming pool and all look pretty much the same.
Some are designated as "family" pools which means children can swim there.  Others 
are adult pools (users have to be over the age of 19). A few are "sport" pools where various 
water-based exercise classes are held. Any resident of The Villages can use any of the pools.

As The Villages expands, the amenities (pools, bocci ball and tennis courts, golf courses, etc.) are installed before the homes are built so that new residents have immediate access to recreational activities when they move in. We've been told that build out will end in about two years because there is no more land available for the developer to buy. We'll wait and see how that claim turns out!

The local food in and near The Villages was great: Oakwood Smokehouse Grill, Gator Joe's (I even had alligator bites for an appetizer), Eaton's Beach Sandbar & Grill (owner is a friend of Aaron Rodgers), Koyame Asian Express, and Fiesta Grande Mexican Grill. We won't be going back to a few of the restaurants (mostly the chains) that we sampled. And there are still many, many more eateries to check out upon our return.

It seems like there is some sort of "festival" or big public gathering on the town squares just about every weekend - Mardi Gras, car shows, craft shows, and one we really enjoyed. It was the Buffalo Pride BBQ Bash. For $5 we sampled delicious pork, beef, and chicken barbecue. The event is one of the most popular during the year and benefits The Villages Charter Schools. Yes, even though it's a retirement community, The Villages has a school - for the children of anyone who works for The Villages or for any of the commercial establishments that are in The Villages. Apparently the school is one of the best in the state. 

Rick commented during our time in Florida that we hadn't seen and heard as much live music in ten years as we experienced during two months. Every town square in The Villages (there are three of them) features live music and dancing every night of the year - holidays included. The only time the squares close down is if the temperature drops below 47 degrees. Only one night was that the case. Yes, it was cool, even in Florida!

Rocky & the Rollers is a very popular band playing lots of classic 1960s and 1970s
songs. The town square was packed with people dancing to the music.

Some of the bands, like Rocky's, have a number of instrumentalists and singers. Others are what I'd call "kicked-up karaoke" where the accompaniment to the vocalists is on an iPad. 

Other music that I particularly enjoyed was a Bruce Springsteen tribute band that played in a 1000-seat sanctuary Methodist Church. Lots of liturgical dance going on that night! We also heard the Singing Servers of the Central Florida Lyric Opera at one of the 12 country clubs in The Villages. In between taking our order and bringing out our food, the waiters performed numbers from well-known operas and musicals. The singers were great, the food was not so great. 

One singer that Rick has become a fan of - someone he discovered through a vintage trailer podcast - is Antsy McClain. Antsy grew up in a trailer park and his band is the Trailer Park Troubadours. His music is a bit of rockabilly, folk, rock, and just plain fun! I thought at first he would be a great act for The Villages, but then realized that he's too original to be on the docket. Village people like to hear the same familiar songs at the town squares. Songs like "Old Time Rock 'n' Roll" and "YMCA." Cover songs. That's not Antsy's style as you can hear in this video. He was warming up before his performance at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa back in March.

Well, that's it from Florida for 2015. Check back early next year for more of our adventures in the Sunshine State.

Eating Locally

When Rick and I are wandering around Wisconsin we like to stop at local restaurants when we're hungry. These places are a lot more interesting than the chain restaurants near the major highways. But how does one know if a meal will be good? We don't concern ourselves with that since Rick recently found this publication:

Wisconsin's Best is in our car/truck/van (whatever we're traveling in) and we check it out when we're ready to stop for a meal. There's a map in the middle showing where all the restaurants are located. Beware - it's not very accurate and some towns are in the wrong county. But that's not as important as the recommendations for the restaurants. So far, so good. We've had good luck with all the places we've been to that are in the directory. And many of the spots we've dined at have a $5.00 coupon in the directory that we've used. 

Where have we been lately?

Brooke's Nook is in Fox Lake. We stopped in for lunch a few weeks ago
when we were camping at Ledge Park. Rick had a burger and I had a chicken
Caesar wrap. We both were pleased with our meals.

This restaurant used to be a gas station. Patrons can see the cooler - something left over from the restaurant's former days - that the new owners decided to keep. They offer a breakfast deal for the community - a $2.00 special (or maybe it was $3.00) for eggs and toast. Nonetheless, a bargain that keeps regulars coming back.

Last weekend we traveled to northern Wisconsin to hear Willie Nelson in concert at the Big Top Chautauqua. We stopped in Tomah for lunch.

The Greenwood Cafe was our destination. We had a nice chat with the owner
who, just that day, received his copy of Wisconsin's Best. This was definitely
a place where the locals hung out. Our waitress knew every one of them (mostly
senior citizens, like us) by name. 

I had a salad with grilled chicken. I appreciated that it was Romaine rather than boring Iceberg lettuce in the salad. The blue cheese dressing had the biggest chunks of blue cheese I've ever seen. Tasty indeed. 

Our next stop was Sheldon, my hometown,  where we spent Friday night with my sister, Nancy, and her husband, Jim. They took is to a neighboring town, Conrath, for a traditional Wisconsin fish fry.

Chick's was in the directory but under a different name.  This place
has been a bar ever since I was a kid but I don't recall that we ever ate there.
The restaurant offers a complimentary steak dinner if you dine during the month of your birthday.
Unfortunately, Jim just missed having his July birthday steak.

Rather than the fish, Rick and Jim each had a delicious steak that we learned came from Iowa. Not quite local, but at least from a neighboring state. According to Rick, it's a better value to go out for steak rather than grill your own these days.

There's no lack of great restaurants in the Chequamegon Bay area, our final destination, where the Big Top is located. We stayed in Ashland in a motel that overlooked Lake Superior and partook of the local cuisine.

But eating locally is not just about the restaurants, it's also about the food that's grown locally.

Our friend, Linda, has a son, Rob, who has a farm outside of Bayfield - Twisting Twig Gardens & Orchard. Rob has owned this 40-acre farm for nearly 10 years. He grows organic produce that can be purchased at the Chequamegon Food Co-op. My brother-in-law jokingly called it the "hippy grocery store" and when Rick asked at a local bookstore where the "hippy grocery store" was located, a young woman instantly knew what he was talking about and gave us directions.

This store reminded me of our Willy Street Co-op here in
Madison with its focus on organic produce and other
natural products.

We were delighted to take a tour of Rob's farm and snag some carrots. Very flavorful - not like what comes from a mainline grocery store. 

Swiss chard ready for market. Rob waters his gardens
with a system of hoses using water from a deep pond on
the farm.

Tomatoes will be ripe soon.

Along with apple trees, Rob has blueberry bushes on the farm. The largest
blueberry farm in Wisconsin is close by Rob's farm.

Rob also supplies area restaurants with produce. One is Maggie's in Bayfield where we dined prior to the concert on Sunday night.

Along with good, local food, Maggie's is all about flamingos.
We vintage camping trailer folks love that mascot!

Earlier on Sunday we went to the Delta Diner, a place listed in Wisconsin's Best, for breakfast. Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (on the Food Network) visited this summer. The production crew was at the diner for two days, Guy was there for 2 hours. However, he had visited the Delta Diner last year and Todd, the owner, was able to get to know him first as a customer. The Triple D episode with the Delta Diner will be airing soon.

It was an hour wait at the Delta Diner but we were prepared that would be the
case. We passed the time sipping our iced coffee purchased at the coffee shop
on the grounds and visiting with our friends. It was a lovely day to wait outside.

Rick decided that from now on we would obtain autographs of the owners at restaurants we visit while wandering Wisconsin. Todd at the Delta Diner was behind the counter cooking on the grill and gladly signed our guide.

What better to host at a classic diner than a classic
car show! (A picture in the diner)

Yes, we were in the middle of nowhere at the Delta Diner, but
a destination not to be missed.

We learned that the wonderful applewood smoked bacon we had for breakfast could be purchased at the Sixth Street Market in Ashland so we picked some up later. Quite the meat market at this place.

One more local stop before we reached home on Monday - Schieneback's Shanty in Butternut for breakfast. This restaurant wasn't listed in Wisconsin's Best but it should have been.

Again, another place where the locals hang out.

I need to take more pictures of food we eat so I can remember what it was that we tried when we stop at local establishments!

Let me close this post with some advice when you are traveling anywhere . . .

Fun with Friends and Family

Someone told me that I shouldn't blog about places we've been to in the past but since the Iola Old Car Show is one of those events we go to year after year after year, I have to make mention of it again this year. However, there was a twist. Instead of camping at one of the usual places we've been in the past, this year it was "driveway" camping at our friend Jay's house. 

Since I've not posted any pictures of the latest addition to Rick's fleet, I thought now would be a good time to do so. This was the rig we used for the past few days.

The new "old" trailer is a 26' Argosy from 1975. We love the panoramic
view from the front window.

The interior is light and airy with a roomy dining area in the front.

The refrigerator, with separate freezer compartment, is almost as big as what I have in my apartment.
It can operate on either gas or electricity and knows which power source to use all on its own!

New stove and oven in the kitchen opposite from the refrigerator.
I cover the sinks with cutting boards to have more counter space.

One bed behind the kitchen.

Another bed on the other side. Bunk beds swing up from
under the windows and are secured to the ceiling.

We plan to remove the bunk bed on the right once Rick finds the right tool for the job so that the sleeping area isn't so claustrophobic. The bathroom is at the back of the trailer. I especially like the "pocket" door that one can close for privacy behind the bed on the left.

This trailer is the second Argosy that Rick has bought in the past year. The first is "Tater;" this one is "Tater II" because of the color on the outside.

We went to the car show on Thursday afternoon and again on Friday morning. Jay showed his Nash Metropolitan. Rick went along for the ride.

It looks like Jay's convertible is a coupe but it really has a back seat.
Of course, only a small child would be able to fit back there comfortably!

For some reason, I'm drawn to red cars. Maybe because that was the color of first car I ever owned.

A fun convertible.

And another one.

A Triumph.

A Mustang - see the pony on the grill.

A 1960 Sport Prinz (that's what the sign said).

The geezer mobile (a Buick).

The theme of this year's show was "Four for All in '14." A variety of four-door vehicles was featured in the theme tent.

Imagine riding in the back seat of this Kaiser.

Or this Frazer.

Or this Packard town car. It must have been quite the luxury vehicle of its time.

Other four-door cars were displayed on the blacktop outside the tent. 

The owners of this car are ready for a summer outing.

There's even entertainment at the Iola Old Car Show.

We left Iola on Saturday morning and motored to the east side of Lake Winnebago with a stop at the Neighborhood Pub & Grill outside of Chilton for lunch.

Rick had the 1 lb. burger - actually two 1/2 lb. patties on a
hoagie roll.

I had the roast turkey BLT.

We spent the night at the Ledgeview Campground. Not our usual Ledge Park near Horicon but still on top of the Niagara Escarpment.

Here's a view of Lake Winnebago as we approached Highway 55. The scenery on this side is so much nicer than what one sees off Highway 41 on the west side. The east side of the lake is not one continuous strip mall.

Oshkosh is somewhere on the other side of the lake.

Sheboygan and a birthday party for grandson #2 was our last stop on our mini-vacation. It's always a delight to spend time with the boys (now ages 4 and 2). Their mother does a great job of themes for their birthday parties. 

Can you guess whose fruit and veggie faces these are?

Why it's Oscar, the Grouch, Big Bird, and Elmo!

This was the second outing with the new Argosy. Rick says this trailer is a keeper. There are still about two more months of camping. Stay tuned for more of our adventures.

Sip, Sup, and Stroll

We didn't venture too far the weekend following Easter. Milwaukee was our destination. First stop - the  Westside Art Walk on Vliet Street on Friday night.

Even though Rick grew up in Milwaukee, he said he had never walked down this street. Actually our stroll was only about four or five blocks, so we only saw a small portion of Vliet Street.

The Art Walk is sponsored annually by the Vliet Street Business Association which has worked over the years to reinvent the street, attract destination businesses, and promote art and arts events. Vliet Street, on Milwaukee's west side between 43rd and 62nd Streets, is now the location of commercial clusters, meeting places, and unique shops, restaurants, and services. 

Some of the places we stopped included the Nomad Art Gallery where I took part in the creation of a "communal canvas." I'm not much of an artist, but it was a great deal of fun to try my hand at painting. And here's the result. . .

I call this "Cherry Tree." Anticipation of a future adventure this summer was my inspiration.

At Salvaged Studio & Gallery I learned that the owner, Rachel Winkley,  used to live in Madison. Her studio is also a member of Local First Milwaukee. The cake she served to celebrate her first anniversary was delicious - from Simma's Bakery, one of the places we stopped at during a holiday Milwaukee Food Tour the year before last.

I like to look for the "Local First" logo in Milwaukee-area shops.
It's as good as seeing the Dane Buy Local decal in establishments in Dane County and the seven counties that surround it.

Along with the art came live music at the West End Conservatory. 

We were treated to performances by guitar students of Neil Davis.

We also stopped in at Four Corners of the World, where handmade home decor items from global artisans are available. Four Corners guarantees that all of the merchandise sold there is created by people who are paid a fair wage and have safe working conditions.

Fortunately for us, the weather cooperated and it was a sunny evening - a
perfect time for strolling down the street.

On Saturday is was on to State Fair Park where the Shepherd Express sponsored its annual "Stein & Dine" event - a beer, cheese, and sausage festival.

It took a while to get into the Expo Hall, but once we
were in, there was no waiting to get samples of beer,
cheese, sausage, and other goodies.

3 Sheeps Brewing Company is from Sheboygan. The name is a play on
"three sheets to the wind" (an expression to say that one has indulged just a
bit too much) with a Wisconsin agricultural edge thrown in.

One of my favorites at the festival was a Bloody Mary made with Jimmy Luv's mix from Milwaukee. We appreciate bars that use the mix to make their Bloody Marys. It's flavorful and the Bloody Mary is so much better than one made with just tomato juice and the various seasonings.

Lots of breweries were represented at "Stein & Dine" and we sampled from just about every one of them.

Titletown from Green Bay is a favorite. We like to stop
at the brew pub for burgers and a beer when we're in the Green Bay area.

I liked the fudge cheese that is made by Scott's of Wisconsin right here outside of Madison in Sun Prairie. What's not to like about a combination of chocolate and cheese?

Another favorite is the cheese made by the Weyauwega Cheese Company. We have been known to drive nearly 100 miles to buy their cheese. Rick especially likes the packs with assorted cheese and sausage bites. We learned that the packs are only sold at the store in Weyauwega.

Even close to home Wisconsin wanderers can usually find something fun to do on the weekend and we are glad that Milwaukee has much to offer.