The traveling manatees by Nancy French: Passing Through Wisconsin

Yellowstone Lake

Limited availability of campsites in Wisconsin State Parks provided us with only one night at Yellowstone Lake SP. Though the lake is stocked with game fish, we failed to take advantage. Iffy weather and unfortunate timing, throughout our travels in Wisconsin, put a damper on activities.

The afternoon of our arrival at Mirror Lake State Park, we scoped out the park enjoying lovely weather. Kayaking was on the agenda for the following morning, but awakening to a heavy downpour put a halt to those plans.

Moving on to Chippewa Falls, we were able to secure a very soggy campsite in a private campground. Once again, the nearby Lake Wissota SP was full.

Plans for an outdoor concert at the local Harley Davidson dealer, as a forerunner to the massive Sturgis bike week, was scheduled for Saturday evening, rain or shine. The event featured country-rocker, Chris Kroeze. But, our plans were squelched as torrential rain and lightning moved in.

The following morning as the rains ceased and the sun finally appeared, we explored the town. Our first stop, Riverfront Park, is located on the Chippewa River and a dam in the center of town. The dam creates the only ”falls” for the community.

Producing the Leinenkugel craft beer in the area since 1867, the brewery provides a popular tourist spot. The Leinenkugel family were German immigrants, arriving in the logging town of Chippewa Falls in 1845. Tours and tastings (for a price) draw hundreds of visitors daily. Their product is distributed nationally but is heavily promoted regionally.

The nearby Irvine park was a large, meandering city park offering everything from a small zoo to a skate park. During our Sunday visit, the park was packed with families and a church picnic.

Olson’s Ice Cream on Bridge St. has been creating home-churned treats since 1944. So in the interest of checking out and supporting locally made products and businesses, we had to purchase a couple of scoops. We also visited Sokup’s Market and Jacobson’s Butcher Shop to stock up on freshly made sausage and some of Wisconsin’s finest cheese. The business names in the community reflect the diverse heritage of the town’s residents.

After being skunked by the rains Saturday evening, we were looking forward to a Sunday evening concert at Riverfront Park. Once again the event was rained out. We decided to move on from Wisconsin into Minnesota hoping to dry out a bit.