Wisconsin, oh lovely Wisconsin. I'll be the first to admit that this state surprised us in all the best ways. We had originally only planned a longer stop here because I wanted to spend time exploring Lake Superior and doing some rock hunting. I have a lot less room for my treasures now, but I still really enjoy the hunt and the quiet meditation of walking along the shore looking for unique stones. .
The shore at Little Girl's Point
This little corner of the world just surprised the hell out of us though, and really made it hard to leave at the end of the month. Let's start with the campground - Frontier. Not just a campground, also a gas station and bar, which did give us pause when we were booking. We were worried it might be loud, or rowdy, or just not quite our scene. It turned out to be a massive highlight of our stay! We're not big drinkers, but we decided to go in the first night to try the unofficial state drink - a brandy old fashioned. Usually I'm not a fan of the old fashioned - or any dark alcohols really - but this drink is a different story entirely. Maraschino cherries, orange, and sugar muddled in a glass topped with squirt and brandy (here's a recipe if you'd like to try this dangerously good drink for yourself) makes for a great evening - but even better were the people.
Susan (never Susie!) was our bartender and she is just the perfect combination of midwest nice and take-no-shit. Also in the bar that night was Uncle Buck, a local man who was so welcoming and fun that it felt like an episode of cheers. We talked agates, ATVs, and the upcoming Memorial Day festivities in Saxon. Apparently we said something right because by the end of the night Brad was scheduled to ride Uncle Bucks ATV in the Saxon parade that weekend!
Bradley living his offroading dream.
This story of acceptance and kindness continued throughout the rest of our stay, from the barber who squeezed us in between clients, to the campground neighbors who filled us in on the parade details. Everyone we interacted with was just plain nice! We had many more fun nights at the bar, always getting into friendly and spirited discussions with the locals, and always coming away feeling accepted.
Bradley riding in the parade, how is this our life?
The time we spent in Wisconsin was so memorable and lovely, and I hope it's one of the places we are able to revisit in the future. I spent a vast majority of my time rockhounding, which I'll detail in a separate post, and exploring the beauty of the lakeshore. At the end of our two weeks we continued father east into Michigan, still on track for our goal of visiting all of the Great Lakes.