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(…)

Jul 1 2017

Take Ten: summer sizzlers

Beat the heat with these Wisconsin destinations that have something new or novel to offer summertime travelers. Actor’s Craft, Kenosha: Find your inner Bogart at acting camps and classes with a certified coach whose technique is used by professional actors, including Academy Award winners. Topics range from one-night scene studies to five-day immersions in acting.(…)

Jun 24 2017

Lac du Flambeau upgrades Ojibwe cultural sites

Peace Pipe Lane. Wild Rice Avenue. Tomahawk Circle. The Lac du Flambeau street signs hint at pride of heritage, and soon a rebuilt cultural space emerges for ceremonial dancing and other centuries-old traditions. It will give the average resident a new retreat and the average traveler a new reason to visit. On an ordinary weeknight,(…)

Jun 17 2017

Mackinac Island: land of fudge, lots of it

Mackinac isn’t the birthplace of fudge, but the 3.8-square-mile Michigan island in Lake Huron may well be the nation’s epicenter for it. The island kinda smells like fudge, thanks to exhaust fans strategically positioned near the ferry dock. About 10,000 pounds of fudge are carted away daily, usually in half-pound slabs. An annual fudge festival(…)

Jun 10 2017

Green Bay gallery treats autos like fine art

To most of us, a car is a necessary form of transportation that keeps us independent. Our vehicles are sometimes flashy but more times simply practical. To William “Red” Lewis of Green Bay, the automobile is beauty in motion, art on wheels. Now the dozens of vehicles he has collected and restored are his legacy(…)

Jun 3 2017

Tune in: Paisley Park, Motown tours; Rolling Stones show at Navy Pier

Every artist needs a studio – someplace to inspire and motivate, concentrate and create – and it can be as simple as a nook, spare room or loft. Occasionally it’s more. Much, much more. For the man who would be Prince, musical masterpieces were conceived and mounted at huge and multifaceted Paisley Park, the superstar(…)

May 27 2017

Food trends: more ethnic flavors, less artificial ingredients

The largest buffet that I try to sample every spring is at the National Restaurant Association’s trade show, which shows off what’s new in every aspect of the industry. That means food concepts with “Shark Tank” exposure and lesser-known, chocolate-flavored hummus. Strawberry ricotta ice cream and multi-grain naan bread. Hemp seeds for salad and hemp(…)

May 20 2017

Roots Inn, Sister Bay: It’s not your average B&B

Collin and Sara Doherty have traveled the world – on their walls are framed photos from Vail to Vietnam – but they choose, for now, to call Sister Bay their home. Family heritage matters to the thirtysomething couple. So does the bounty of local farmers and work of local artists. That’s why their one-year-old business(…)

May 13 2017

American Writers Museum opens in Chicago

In the same room are Julia Child, Alex Haley, Prince, Patrick Henry and Hunter Thompson. What do they have in come, besides being dearly departed? The power of words helped each forge a legacy through cookbooks, novels, song lyrics, speeches or gonzo journalism. Their impact is longlasting. Most of us in the world of writing(…)

May 6 2017

Door Artisan Cheese: from milk vat to restaurant plate

Fans of fine dining know that an amuse-bouche is a chef’s little gift to diners – a nibble or slurp that usually is an elegant extra at the start of an evening meal. Think fancy canape, shot of gazpacho, tiny culinary work of art. Whatever you are given is not on a menu, so you(…)

Apr 29 2017

New in books: Ice Age hike, girl drinks, Mighty Miss, ode to rain

What constitutes a full day of hiking for many of us is just a warm-up for Melanie Radzicki McManus of Sun Prairie. The longtime traveler writer and first-time author hoofed the entire 1,100-mile Ice Age National Scenic Trail in 36 days and five hours. That’s a record for women hikers. You can read all about(…)

Apr 22 2017

New exhibit at Vets Museum takes personal look at WWI

Casual decisions sometimes lead to profound, life-altering circumstances. No one learned that more than John Pavlik of West Allis, who was 16 years old when he learned to drive an ambulance. Soon he was evacuating the National Guard 32nd Infantry’s wounded on the front lines during World War I. What compelled the teenager to volunteer(…)

Apr 15 2017

Grilled cheese: worthy of complex treatment, sandwich contests

If dressing up a grilled cheese means sneaking in a slice of tomato or bacon, or switching from wheat to sourdough, please take a moment to sit down. The world is changing this most common of sandwiches two slices at a time, especially this month. It doesn’t matter that we just missed National Grilled Cheese(…)

Apr 8 2017

Baby Boomers seek emotionally rich retirement

Call me asleep at the wheel or on a river called denial, but I am only beginning to take notice of how my generation’s retirement will look different than our predecessors’. On each day until 2030, at least 10,000 Baby Boomers (those born from 1946 to 1965) will reach the age of 65. About 75(…)

Apr 1 2017

Two chefs who excel in urban, small-town settings

Order a cocktail at Spiaggia on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, and the drink may well arrive with a napkin that contains an oh-so-obscure band portrait and one word: Cork. The retro photo is evidence of how dramatically a young man’s dreams can shift and accelerate. That’s because one of seven smiling mopheads with flowery shirts(…)

Mar 25 2017

New in travel: Sundara grows, big Peeps show

Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal for many of us. That includes tourism and food in Wisconsin; neither is a stagnant industry, and here is new-to-me proof. — Work soon begins on an almost $9 million expansion of Sundara Inn and Spa, on the outskirts of Wisconsin Dells. The nationally touted and adults-only(…)

Mar 18 2017

Take Ten: big anniversaries

Birthdays and anniversaries generate fanfare, especially when the number of years ends with a zero. It’s that way for events and attractions as well as individuals and their relationships. Here are 10 reasons why 2017 will be a good reason to party in Wisconsin. June 8 marks the 150th anniversary of Frank Lloyd Wright’s birth(…)

Mar 11 2017

Underwater treasures make Lake Michigan a National Marine Sanctuary contender

Deep below the surface of Lake Michigan, dozens of known shipwrecks stay intact because of isolated locations, frigid water and a lack of salt to erode what has sunk. “We have masts still standing on a schooner, almost like a prop for a movie,” says Russ Green, regional coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric(…)

Mar 5 2017

Reader mail: AirBnB, craft breweries, accordions, Bob Dylan

When asking for AirBnB stories earlier this winter, I expected tales about money saved and friendly connections made during domestic travel. Two of you took a chance on Airbnb.com during international trips, and I’m rewarding your willingness to engage personally with other cultures. “Sitting on the veranda of The Tree House Lodge, overlooking Long Bay(…)

Feb 25 2017

Iowa Chicken Run: a rural Mardi Gras tradition

On his head is a cowboy hat, between his lips is a whistle and in his hands is a stunned, slow-blinking chicken. The man, Rodney Victorian, leads an impromptu lineup of tractors, wagons, horses and ATVs through Iowa. Not the state, but a weathered town of 3,000 residents in southwest Louisiana. When he toots the(…)

Feb 18 2017

Take Ten: Fox Valley breweries

Midwest Features Syndicate is partnering with the Department of Journalism at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh to help students gain work experience and build a writing portfolio. This week’s author is Jessica Zemlicka of Ripon, a senior majoring in journalism with a public relations emphasis. She chose to spotlight breweries “to celebrate the experiences they(…)

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