Knock, Knock! Who's there?

Doors Open Milwaukee. 

For the second year in a row Rick and I took a look behind the facades of several buildings in Milwaukee during Historic Milwaukee's most ambitious project, the third annual Doors Open Milwaukee. For 35 years, HMI has been increasing awareness of and commitment to Milwaukee's history, architecture, and the preservation of the city's built environment through education and advocacy.

Our first stop was the Milwaukee Fire Museum. We viewed pictures of major Milwaukee fires and learned more about how the conflagrations were brought under control. A retired fire fighter, who is a docent at the Museum, demonstrated the operation of a fire alarm box that could be found on Milwaukee's street corners in the past. Now those alarms can only be accessed by police.

A 1947 Cadillac ambulance is on exhibit at the Fire Museum.

Our next stop was Forest Home Cemetery. The cemetery takes up nearly 20 city blocks - 200 acres. A beautiful setting in the middle of the city. Of course, when the first person was buried in 1850, the cemetery was well removed from the hustle and bustle of city life. About 110, 000 people are buried in Forest Home. Many of them are the early movers and shakers of Milwaukee, like the brewers whose names we associate with the city. 

Valentin Blatz has the largest monument in Forest Home.
But ostentatiousness doesn't guarantee good beer!

Joseph Schlitz was a little more circumspect.
Still no guarantee of good beer.

One of the neat features at Forest Home is the Hall of History with more than 100 displays that honor the memories and accomplishments of more famous Milwaukeans who chose Forest Home as their final resting place. 

The chapel on the cemetery grounds along with the cemetery itself are both on the National Register of Historic Places as well as being Milwaukee landmarks. The 1896 crematory in the lower level of the chapel was the first in Wisconsin. 

An elevator would carry the casket from the chapel's sanctuary to the crematory
in the basement. It is no longer used today.

Bryant's Cocktail Lounge is one of the best preserved cocktail lounges in the country. Originally a Miller Brewing tied house, Bryant’s is now recognized for specialty cocktails. Velvet walls and dim lighting are its characteristics. 

A booth wall at Bryant's

And a ceiling light

Tied houses, in the past, were required to sell only the products of the brewery to which they were "tied."

But, Mike Brenner, an up and coming brewer, won't be limited when he distributes his beer. Mike opened his building, a cinder block parking garage built in 1980, to the public. He is converting the building into the Brenner Brewing Company and it will be Milwaukee's newest craft brewery when it opens in about four months. 

Mike has been a home brewer since the 1990s. Now he's
going commercial. Armed with an MBA, a diploma as a
Master Brewer from Chicago's Siebel Institute of Technology,
and past experience running his own businesses, Mike plans to open
a tasting room and art gallery next door to the brewery.

Mike told us the total project will have $1.6 million invested when
everything is up and running.

Mike will brew a specialty beer, more like a liqueur, that will be aged for 6 months in these barrels.

The Old South Side Settlement Museum is interpreted well. Several different ethnic groups settled on Milwaukee's south side over the years. Each room of this house museum shows how the furnishings changed with the occupancy of each group. 

The upside down Christmas tree is in the Polish living
room. Because homes were small, a tree hanging from the
ceiling didn't take up any floor space!

Children played in a room under the stairs that led to the upstairs. 

The Mexican family who moved into the house in the early 1950s was the first Hispanic family in the neighborhood. They were Milwaukee Braves fans as evidenced by Braves' banners displayed in one of the cabinets. Now Milwaukee's south side is predominantly Hispanic.

The kitchen is bright and cheery.

We're looking forward to next year's Doors Open Milwaukee when we will have an opportunity to knock on a door in the city and have it open for us.

Midwest Vintage Trailer Rally III

This past weekend was the third time we attended the rally. It was the 12th annual event hosted by Kimberly Steiner at the Buffalo Lake Camping Resort in Montello, WI. Once again - a fun time, good weather (except for rain on Sunday, but that was the last day), and best of all...terrific friends!

One of the visitors to our trailer during the Open House on
Saturday was sporting this t-shirt. Our motto!

This year Rick brought an new vintage trailer (well, almost, if you can call a 35-year-old trailer vintage) to the rally - a 1978 Argosy.

An Argosy is essentially a painted Airstream. Rick showed his Scotch
collection again this year.

About 20% of the 45+ participants this year were first timers. Some have been coming for 7 or 8 years. Kimberly told me that 8 participated in her first rally. Hearing that, I was delighted that we had 9 for our first "Birds & Bovines" vintage rally last June. 

Kimberly's 1950s Owosso trailer is on a permanent site with a big deck and plenty
of space on the site for participants to bring chairs to enjoy the programs she puts together.

This year we delighted in a presentation from Al Hesselbart, who has led the growth and development of the RV/Motorhome Hall of Fame museum and library in Elkhart, IN. Al talked about his address in 2010 to RV industry leaders in China. We saw pictures of RVs manufactured by Chinese companies and viewed the budding RV parks in that country. Two years later Al presented to the 1st national China RV Rally in Beijing. Rallies in China are much more formal than ours in the United States. We looked at pictures of opening ceremonies. Our opening ceremony? Usually a progressive cocktail party! 
(Rick says that sometime this winter we're going to have to make a pilgrimage to the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart. Many different brands of trailers were manufactured in Elkhart back in the day.)

Some of the trailers at this year's rally included these.

Our friends, BJ and Norm and Julia from Illinois, shared a site. You'd never
be able to fit two of today's big box trailers on one site.
Even with two vintage trailers on a site, there's still plenty of room.

It's easy to spot a Shasta trailer - look for the wings.

A new trailer with a vintage design.

It always amazes me how roomy even the little trailers are.

This panel truck is even rarer than Rick's 1964 Chevy. What a perfect vehicle
to pull a vintage trailer.

One can't help but chuckle at some of the decor we see in the vintage trailers.

Or outside of the trailers as well.

We've definitely been bitten by the vintage trailer rally bug. We reserved our spot for next year's rally the day we left. And now we're looking forward to the last vintage rally of the season in Woodstock, IL in four weeks.

Where's the cheese?

The answer to that question is pretty easy - the cheese is in Wisconsin! 

What could be more typical of Wisconsin than a cow decorated with many
types of cheese.

Just the other day we were talking to a man who doesn't live in Wisconsin. He remarked that in Wisconsin, grocery stores stock so much more cheese than the grocery stores in his state. Wisconsin does produce nearly 25% of all the cheese that's made in this country so it stands to reason that more of the product would be available in grocery stores.
   
Two weekends ago we were up nort' for my niece's wedding. We decided in stay in Stanley for the weekend. Since the wedding was late Saturday afternoon, we had time to explore a cheese factory in the area during the morning. We finally found LeGrander's Hillside Dairy south of town toward Thorp. 

We arrived at just the right time because Dan LaGrander, owner, was there and gave us a private tour of the facility.

The investment that Dan has made in his cheese factory
is in the millions, if not the tens of millions. 

We learned that LaGrander's produces about 70,000 pounds of cheese per day and operates 5 days/week with 40 employees. Dan's son, Randy, is a Master Cheesemaker. To earn this title, a cheesemaker has to have at least 10 years of experience before engaging in a 3-year program that includes an apprenticeship, course work, and a rigorous final written exam. Wisconsin is the only state to offer this program, patterned after similar European programs. 
    
Wisconsin's landscape used to be dotted with many more cheese factories than one can find today. The peak was in the 1920s when 2,800 existed. Today only 126 factories are left. However, this is still the most of any state in our country. Wisconsin cheesemakers also lead the country in the varieties of cheese they produce - 600. California cheesemakers come in a far second with only 250 varieties. Mozzarella cheese is the number one variety that is made in Wisconsin - probably because of all the pizza we eat! 
    
Even though the term, "cheesehead" can be a derogatory slur, many Wisconsinites, like me, are proud to be called one. 

During football season fans wear a cheesehead. We saw this fan in Orlando
in 2011at a bar where more patrons were wearing Packer gear than in any
Wisconsin bar that I've ever seen!

To find cheese factories and retail outlets, check out the Wisconsin cheese map. It's good to have with you when wandering Wisconsin. 

Power (and state parks) for the People

The last week of July we wandered up to Peninsula State Park in Fish Creek. But first, a stop in Maribel on Friday and Saturday nights at Devils River Campground.

This mill was on the campground.  Sawmills of the past became grist
mills rather quickly. The lumbering industry in Wisconsin never lasted as long as promised.

The Point Beach nuclear power plant was close by so we decided to pay a visit to the Education Center. We were impressed with the quality of the "museum." Lots of hands-on activities, for both kids and big kids. And, I thought, a well-balanced exhibit that included information about other sources of energy - from coal to solar to wind. Plus we learned from the staff person at the desk  that nuclear power plants - at least the ones in the United States - would not blow up. We're not Chernobyl.

The model of the assembly that contains the nuclear
fuel rods reminded me of the Empire State Building.

All the greats in the field of electricity, including
Ben Franklin, were shown along with an explanation
of their contribution to the field. Ohm, Watt, Ampere
have been honored by having their names attached
to an electrical term.

We learned that the spent fuel rods at the plant are being stored
on site pending the outcome of the federal government establishing
a permanent storage site. Funding for the Yucca Mountain site
in Nevada has been terminated.

Our other visit in the Two Rivers area was to the Rawley Point Lighthouse. We met up with at least three photographers that were taking pictures on an overcast day.

We were glad we had our Wisconsin State Park sticker since the lighthouse is in a "fee" area - the Point Beach State Forest.
  
One attraction in Maribel - unfortunately off limits because it's on private property - is the Maribel Caves Hotel. All that remains today is the stone shell of what was purported to be a haunted hotel - at least in days gone by.

Our next stop was Door County and Peninsula State Park in Fish Creek where we met up with Rick's son, daughter-in-law, and the two grandsons. Peninsula is one of the most popular of our state's parks. Not very crowded on Sunday when we arrived - the rain probably caused people to cancel or leave early. But a little rain didn't bother us. In fact, listening to the rain on the roof of the trailer is most pleasant.

We've added two more lights (at either end of the awning) to our rig.
Rick says that we can never have too many lights!

We were lucky because the next day was one of the most beautiful summer days we've had in a long time. A perfect day for picking cherries and touring Washington Island. But first, breakfast at Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant in Sister Bay.

It was a mechanical goat up on the roof this morning to cut the grass.

Next stop - Falcon Orchard where we picked a few buckets of cherries. I was glad the proprietor didn't weigh me before and after we picked cherries to charge me for the all the cherries I ate without putting them in the bucket!

I was told that the best way to pit the cherries was with a paper clip. It worked. 

We ferried across Death's Door from Gills Rock and landed on Washington Island to sunshine and blue skies where we took a tram tour of the island. 

The Stavkirke (stav, or mast, church) was one of the stops on our tour.
Rick's son and daughter-in-law had seen these types of churches when
they were visiting Norway a few years ago. According to Kari,
there were no lights in the Norwegian churches; this one had a few fluorescents!

Our four days were capped off with breakfast at Pelletier's in Fish Creek on Tuesday morning. We couldn't resist the cherry stuffed French toast - a specialty of the restaurant.

Calories don't count when one is on vacation!

Next time we travel to Door County, we'll do a traditional fish boil. Maybe next summer.

On the Road with "Frolie"

Last week we wandered around central and east central Wisconsin during some pretty hot days. Fortunately, with plenty of shade at the campsites and a couple of fans in the trailer, we were comfortable.
   
Even though we've used Rick's '65 Frolic for weekend campouts, this was our first week-long trip that we took with the trailer we've nicknamed "Frolie." The name comes from the way the guy who sold the trailer to Rick advertised it on Craig's List last summer. 

Note the "noodles" that cover the lines that secure the awning poles. Rick's idea.

Our first stop was Green Lake. Hattie Sherwood Campground was a city park as near as we could figure. No one on duty. I felt sorry for the camper who answered everyone's questions much like a camp host would have done.  Dinner was at Adam's Rib across from the Green Lake dam.

Adams is the last name of the family that owns the restaurant. Good food.

The next two nights were spent at Big Eau Pleine Park, in Marathon County, not too far from Mosinee. Only one other family was camping at our location.  

New meaning for "deer camp." We came upon this couple in another section of the park.

We ventured up Rib Mountain while we were in central Wisconsin. Camping is no longer available at this state park. Apparently it was underused so the park is just for day use now.

One of the rock formations on Rib Mountain.
What we see is quartzite, not granite. So why
is the ski area called Granite Peak?    

This may be the highest point on the "mountain"
but the highest point in Wisconsin is Timm's Hill
in Ogema (north of Wausau) at 1915.5 feet.

We headed east at the middle of week ending up in Waupaca. We met friends for dinner - at Rick's favorite place, Weasel's. This night he didn't have his usual lamb shish kabob but tried a steak that was recommended by our neighbors at the Waupaca Camping Park. He was satisfied.
   
The next day we spent a few hours at the Iola Old Car Show. This year we didn't "exhibit" so didn't have a place for respite like we've had in past years.

I can't tell a Ford from a Chevy so it was fun to see how various models compared in the theme tent.

Ford and Chevy vans side by side.

I prefer the older models of the Ford and Chevy sports cars. More elegant.

How can you go wrong with this T-bird?

The Corvettes of the 1950s had nice lines.

Not too many foreign cars in evidence at the Iola Show.

Still have a soft spot in my heart for a VW camper. Rick had one that remains
 in the family now that his son owns it. 

Cars of today just don't have the detail of the classics. 

What an elegant hood ornament!

When one is getting money from an ATM, it's probably a good idea that one has privacy. This outhouse design at the show gave us all a chuckle.

The next two nights were spent on the east side of Lake Winnebago at the Calumet County Park. Our campsite was right on the lake. We couldn't have asked for more beautiful sunsets each night. 

A placid lake in the evening. . .

both evenings we were there.

Again, very few campers in the park until Friday night. I joked with one of our neighbors that Rick uses the light on the top of the trailer to signal the "mother ship." 

And wouldn't you know, his signal worked and attracted an alien visitor!

One attraction in Hilbert, near our campground, that we didn't want to miss was the Corner Cupboard.

The owner of the Hilbert store also has the Gibbsville General Store.

Supper clubs are so Wisconsin and we like to stop in for dinner whenever we find one near where we are vacationing. 

The food at Roepke's did not disappoint. The salad bar was especially delicious.

Our vacation week ended in Sheboygan where we once again driveway camped at Rick's son and daughter-in-law's home. It was the occasion of grandson #2's first birthday. Always a joy to see the boys and a fun way to end our vacation.