Sep 9 2017
ArtPrize puts Grand Rapids, Mich., on the map for wild, wonderful art
Grand Rapids, Michigan’s second-largest city, finds unusual ways to gain attention. It has produced high-quality furniture for more than a century. It is a nationwide leader in environmental sustainability. On the city’s Beer City Ale Trail are at least 60 microbreweries, including Brewery Vivant, in a former funeral home. Grand Rapids brews so much beer(…)
Sep 2 2017
De Pere’s 4th generation Union Hotel quietly begins 100th year
Closing time at the Union Hotel’s restaurant is 9 p.m. in downtown De Pere. Decades ago, that was because of the butcher, who worked halfway down the block. If a customer wanted a steak, you’d call for a fresh cut from the butcher, then send somebody to fetch the order. The butcher shop closed at(…)
Aug 26 2017
DMZ: wildlife refuge, tourist attraction, war reminder
Nearly 6,500 miles separate most Wisconsinites from South Korea. Among the exceptions, for now, are around 270 airmen from the 115th Fighter Wing of the state’s Air National Guard. These troops and one dozen F-16 aircraft this month were deployed to Kunsan Air Base on a four-month assignment to help stabilize and secure the region.(…)
Aug 19 2017
The lifelong value of a same time, same place vacation
The older I get, the more I notice two extremes among travelers. One seeks a new destination for every trip and rarely returns to the same locale. The other gravitates to the same spot, year after year, developing a strong and deep connection to one part of this very wide world. Of what value are(…)
Aug 12 2017
Rural Missouri B&B operates inside Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage
Within the hills and dales of northeast Missouri are far fewer miles of paved roads than rivers and creeks. Signs at one-lane bridges warn of flooding, and roadside markers are positioned to measure high water, foot by foot. These are not comforting details to notice when driving under a flash flood watch. The occasional farm(…)
Aug 5 2017
Bay City Chef Shack: fine dining in down-home location
Follow the Mississippi along the Great River Road (Highway 35, in Wisconsin) for no shortage of woods, bluffs, curvy waterfronts and pastoral landscapes. Common are riverfront hamlets with historic charm. Rare are restaurants with a discerning menu that changes often. One big exception is Chef Shack in Bay City, population 500, where the co-owners are(…)
Jul 29 2017
Alto Fair: smallest in Wisconsin, big respect for tradition
In the community center are tables with handicrafts, bakery, veggies – typical fair fare – but one thing seems obvious pretty quickly: Attached to an easy majority of entries are blue ribbons. You won’t see that at the average county fair, but this is Alto – AL-to, not ALL-to. The Fond du Lac County township(…)
Jul 22 2017
Take Ten: sky-high Madison views
Plop me near water on a pretty, warm day, and I’m content for hours. When in Madison, that means Memorial Union Terrace, known since 1928 as the living room of the University of Wisconsin. We settle in to yak, listen to free music, watch the sun set and indulge in Babcock ice cream (make mine(…)
Jul 15 2017
Croatia’s Dubrovnik a hot spot for ‘Game of Thrones’ fans
As clock tower bells chime at high noon, I stand 80 feet above ground with a wide and clear view of medieval architecture and history. Ahead are signs of modern living: sailboats, speedboats, ferries and a cruiseship or two. Below are hints of the past: terracotta rooftops, laundry on clotheslines and people on the move(…)
Jul 8 2017
Natural thrillers: Glacier, Waterton parks
Feeling a little overheated? Let’s talk snow. My guy and I missed by one measly day the opening of Going to the Sun Road – the 50-mile-long, steep and winding Glacier National Park thruway of hairpin turns. Known as one of the most thrilling and beautiful roads in America, it requires at least two hours(…)
