Travelog WI
11 Great, Free Daytripping Attractions In Southern Wisconsin offer a safe way for building family traditions.
(Photo of Morovian Church in London, Wisconsin) No overcrowded sandy beaches, or raucous nightlife these unincorporated towns in Southern Wisconsin have much to offer for the ultimate, Spring break staycation. There are so many often overlooked villages in our region that are car-stop worthy. In no particular order, as Summer break is all about spontaneity and freewill here are a number of towns for consideration. London, Newark, and Rome are not just major, international airport hubs they are also destination worthy, towns in Southern Wisconsin. N ewark The town of Newark for example, is the birth place of Dorr Eugene Felt (1862-1930.) If you have ever used a Comptometer then you know who to thank. The Comptometer is the world's first, mechanical calculator. According to the U.S. Patent Office Mr. Felt, though only attending high school for one year, produced over 25 foreign and 46 domestic patents. He also wrote and a number of publications, and papers related to labor relations in the U.S. Loyola University in Chicago is home to a number of his writings. Newark's most famous resident the Beckman Mill is worth a visit any time of year. Built in 1868, the mill continued to operate until the late 1950s. In 1977 the Beckman Mill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The best thing about a stopover in Newark, you can break a sweat while learning about history, Beckman Mill County park offers 50 acres of wetlands, woods and a garden.
Forget the long lines, large crowds, high humidity and heat Second Summer is back and more beautiful than ever. These are the days in the 70s and lower 80s and crisp, clear nights to open the window to.
Pictured above is Devils' Lake State Park Another sign that normalcy has returned to the Summer vacationing season in Wisconsin, the DNR announces on June 1st a number of changes to its' operations across the state. As the number of daily cases of COVID-19 in the Badger State continues to decline and the number of vaccinated Wisconsinites rises DNR officials are now allowing indoor group camps, with both indoor and outdoor camps returning to their capacity of 350. State park properties and State Natural Areas (SNA) which were closed last summer and now open incliude: Gibraltor Rock, Pewitt's Nest, Dells on the Wisconsin River, and the popular Rock Island State Park. Also, in time for Summer all enclosed shelters are now open, as well as playgrounds and towers such as Lapham Peak State Park and Peninsula State Park. Open air shelters and amphitheaters can have maximum capacity or 350 people, as well o utdoor-only concession activities. However, visitor centers, office buildings, and nature centers remain closed until further notice. Some state park, drive-up windows may be open for admission purchases. If you are not sure where facilities are open or closed you can now visit DNR service centers Fitchburg, Green Bay, Madison and Spooner to purchase a state park sticker or fishing license. The DNR assures that it will continue to operate with safety in mind for all visitors and staff based on the Badger Bounce Back Plan COVID-19 precautions such as encouraging social distancing, and park capacities are still in place. The DNR recommends visitors enjoy parks at off-peak times or other properties less popular. State parks that are subject to capacity limits include: o Copper Falls o Devil's Lake o Governor Dodge o Governor Nelson o Harrington Beach o Hartman Creek o High Cliff o Interstate o Kinnickinnic o Kettle Moraine Southern Unit o Lapham Peak o Perrot o Rib Mountain o Roche-a-Cri o Whitefish Dunes o Willow River The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources recommends you visit those natural areas listed above during non-peak hours before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. According to the DNR "The majority of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources properties are open, with special conditions to help limit the spread of COVID-19 and protect natural resources."
LIght weight, and relatively inexpensive, teardrop campers offer affordable alternatives for camping in the great outdoors with the little comforts of home.
The President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s (ODPHP) have created the "Move Your Way" campaign
" O ur goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human beings and all other living creatures," Wisconsin's "conservation governor" Gaylord Nelson said of Earth Day the worldwide event he had founded. On April 22, 1970 the first Earth Day was celebrated by over 20 million Americans. The event brought communities across the country together to support the environment. Today, Earth Day is celebrating its' 51st year and while the mission is the same the message is more clarion and dire than ever before. But in this media landscape of doom and gloom there are signs in Washington D.C. and small towns across the U.S. that people finally understand what Gaylord Nelson's Earth Day truly is. This single day event has brought communities across the globe together to think sustainably, plant trees, save rain forests, prairie and wetlands and foster meaningful legislative action from the world's largest economies to those countries less economically blessed in the global south facing the constant threat of climate change every day. The United Nations Climate Change Conference which will hold COPP 26 in Glasgow this November owes a great deal to Wisconsin's very own, the man from Clear Lake, Gaylord Nelson. In the age of the internet, Earth Day is not only a one day worldwide celebration but a dedicated website https://www.earthday.org/ that nurtures community connections and actions in a Social Media driven context.. The website is vast and somewhat daunting for a first time visitor. If you were fortunate enough to visit Earthday.org on Earth Day you were treated to a livestream of dignitaries and every day people speaking up for the environment and highlighting the actions their communities or organizations have taken to make this planet a healthier place for all of us to live. But the Earth Day website outside of April 22nd offers -downloadable toolkits and action plans that even a single individual can take on. There is the "Earth Challenge" which invites citizens around the globe to document point sources of pollution. The Great Global Cleanup (#GreatGlobalCleanup) encourages people to seek out groups in their community that are cleaning up trash around their neighborhoods and parks. Or you can pledge to make your next meal plant based. These are just a few Earth Day actions that you can do every day, whether your at home or on vacation use Earthday.org as your guide to live a greener, cleaner life and as U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelosn succinctly put it, "(create) an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human beings and all other living creatures."
Healthy to go meals for your day trip adventures through Southern Wisconsin
From London To Rome Spring Break Staycations In Southern Wisconsin's Unincorporated Towns unexpected treasures to visit.
Enjoy your local animal friends before it's too late. We have to appreciate what we have now because they may not be around in the future.
Five Offbeat Places to Hike, Snowshoe, and Cross-Country Ski in Southern Wisconsin this Winter
You don't have to visit a popular, snow covered, state park to clear the mind, burn some calories and accumulate K's (cross-country skier' slang for kilometers.) Winter is also a season when many area attractions are closed which is good news for those of you that seek quieter more personal alternatives to the usual fare of famous seasonal destinations such as Kettle Moraine State Forest or Devil's Lake. Here a handful of unusual places in southern Wisconsin that might ignite creativity, foster an appreciation for our state's history, all while getting your heart rate up.
1. Historic Public Square, Cooksville/Town of Porter
Like a scene from a postcard of a snow covered, New England village, Cooksville's Historic Public Square
is trip back in time and worth a visit even if you don't plan to burn calories. Created in 1846 by Massachusetts' transplant, Dr. John Porter after his purchase of the lands from prominent Senator Daniel Webster. Dr. Porter had named his land purchase, he subdivided into 14 blocks the "Village of Waucoma" after locally named creek (current day Bad Fish creek.)
Developing around the same time and bordering the Village of Waucoma (Porter) was the town of Cooksville, founded by brothers John and Daniel Cook in the early 1840s. And true to the history of many, small towns across Wisconsin the U.S. post office played a role in the final naming of the town. The post office originally established in 1849 resided in Cooksville until 1903 served both towns.
At over 175 years old, Cooksville's Historic Public Square is one of the oldest parks in Wisconsin! Modeled after New England, "village greens' Cooksville's Historic Public Square gives visitors a glimpse of early town settlements with delightful views of the town's 160+ year old homes nestled on snowy, wooded lots to the .south along Rock Street (Hwy. 59) and west along Webster Street. While, the eastern edge of the square you cross the quiet, Quincy Street. and get close up with the town's historic Schoolhouse
now home to the Cooksville Community Center,
According to Cooksville's National Park Service application for historic designation, "The public square is entirely open on the south half but on the north side is covered with a grove of oak trees. At the northernmost side, the heavy, undisturbed undergrowth around these trees completely obscures the street on the north side of the square—a portion of Dane Street—quite effectively isolating the two houses in that block."
2. Milton House, Milton
Yes you can snowshoe step into the hallowed grounds of history The Milton House, a hotel and one of the best preserved and remaining vestiges of the Underground Railroad which ran right through downtown Milton thanks in part to its' abolitionist, founder Joseph Goodrich. Equally impressive is the most prominent element of the old stagecoach hotel, the hexagonal, shaped structure dating back more than 175 years. Like Dr. Porter in Cooksville, Goodrich was an East-coaster with a vision of building a new community from the ground up in the sparsely populated, rural "territory" of Wisconsin. Ironically, Goodrich set about to establish his town of Milton (1841), abolitionist rooted and strict Baptist doctrine on U.S. government land essentially, forcibly taken away from the local populations of Sauk, or Ho-Chunk. In 1998 the Milton House Museum was designated a National Historic Landmark.
Not only can you traverse around the Milton House property and hotel in solitude but if you're really ambitious the Ice Age trail is nearby which connects Milton to Janesville.
3. Beckman Mill, Bill
Situated among a 50 acre park of wetlands, woods and garden the Beckman Mill is the ideal setting for outdoor active, families to time travel back to winter in mid-19th century, southern Wisconsin. Built in 1868, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places the Beckman Mill property is comprised of several buildings including an 1840s cooperage, creamery, and blacksmith What's more, the Beckman Mill does not open its' doors to the public until May 2021 meaning you have many uncrowded opportunities to be up and close to all the historic structures on the property.
Beckman Mill County Park is open year round to the public.
4. Airport Park, Janesville
Just 10 minutes from I-39/I-90, this tiny park a mere 2 acres in total, offers a thrill like no other park. Get close up and personal view of planes taking off and landing at Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport.while you traverse the snow or stop for sip of hot chocolate from your thermos.
5. Leonard Leota Lake Park, Evansville
In the heart of downtown Evansville, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Leonard Leota Park is a quirky, fairyland or fancier, miniature golf-esque collection of small canals, and bridges with wooded overlook of Leota Lake. The lake itself is 40-acres and may offer hiking, snowshoeing opportunities as well, but check with the locals first. Know where the soft spots, or flowing water is, and what the fisherman are putting out there this time of year. If the anglers are getting ATVs out there chances are the ice is safe but still use caution and search for common used entry points to the lake which are generally the safest.
Lastly, good news the park is closed for the season so you will have even more room to spread out in and explore.You'll notice a number of fisherman's pickup trucks parked along Andres St just off Madison Street as they use the Leonord Leota Park's main entrance (closed) to bring their fishing gear in. This is a great access point to park and unload your gear from. Or you can go one block west to Grace Street where other trucks are parked and access the park from the top of the wooded hill on the west side.
Have fun and stay safe!
