Aug 28, Saturday
Weather 81/63 Mostly Cloudy
Big Eau Pleine County Park
We arrived at the Big Eau Pleine Campground around noon. The campground office was closed, and we had to drive several miles down the peninsula over some rough pavement and heavy tree canopy before we got to the campground. We finally arrived at our site, backed in, and were about to set up when we discovered we did not have water. I have no idea why I thought we did, so we had to go back to the beginning of the dump station to fill up.
The site was unshaded but had excellent views of the lake and no close neighbors, so we were excited about that. Since it was not the weekend, there were few other campers there. On the other hand, the site was very sloped and uneven, and there were some big rocks at the entrance that we had to maneuver around. We were able to find a good angle and a flat spot near the firepit, but we did not plan to use it anyway. We also found out quickly that we had lots of insect pests.
Red Eye Brewing Company
After we finally got set up, we headed into Warsaw.
On the way to Warsaw, we saw a sign that said “Steam Show” with an arrow. We followed it, and it took us to Edgar, where we all found buses being loaded and unloaded at their public school. We assumed they had brought people in from a remote parking lot and that the “Show” was somewhere in the area, so we drove around the town but never found it. Eventually, after spending some time surfing the internet, we learned that the Steam Show was an annual antique machines and tractors show with vendors, parades, and music held at a farm about 10 miles away. The farm had become so wet and muddy, though, that the cars were getting stuck in the parking lots, so they closed the parking lots, and the only way you could get there now was by bus from the city of Edgar. We drove by the farm and the Show to take a look; it appeared to be a huge event. It was muddy, though. We would have liked to see it but decided to continue to Warsaw instead since it was getting late. As we were passing the farm, we saw a bunch of Amish leaving the grounds by crawling through a barbed-wire fence. The ladies in their long dresses looked like they were having a tough time. I’m not sure why they chose to do that, but we hoped they made it safely.
We arrived at the Red Eye Brewing Company at about 4:30 pm and enjoyed a flight of beers.
Rib Mountain State Park
Most of the terrain around us was flat, but there was a high peak near Warsaw that we decided we wanted to check out. We discovered this was Rib Mountain State Park, which only had day-use facilities, and on the north face of the mountain, there was a ski area with several lifts and ski lanes cut through the woods. You could see for miles in all directions. Some boulders near the observation tower were named the King’s and Queen’s Thrones.
Wildlife
When we left the park, we drove south parallel to the Wisconsin River but did not see much flat farmland. We passed a large flock of turkeys that decided to cross the road in a single file in front of us. We also had some deer before we got back to camp.
When got back to camp in time to watch the sunset over the lake, but it did not take long for the bugs to chase us inside. The flies were especially vicious.
Aug 29, Sunday
Weather: 75/61 Cloudy
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
Left the campsite around 9 am and headed to Chippewa Hills to visit the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company for a tour. The tour started at the Leinie Lodge which is their welcome center and gift shop. We got there early so we had fun looking at all the interesting things for sale. The tour took us into the Brewery which was interesting. They do not operate on weekends so the brewery was empty. Afterward, we were given drink four drink tickets to try their brews. We wanted to try the Brewology combinations, so we ordered another four and the bartender gave them to us even for free even though we were out of drink tickets.
Olsens Ice Cream in Chippewa Hills
Afterward, we went to a nearby ice cream shop called Olsens, which has been in the same building since 1944.
Jurustic Park
We next hurried back toward the camper to visit Jurustic Park. This is a sculpture park of whimsical fantasy creatures made from welded metal parts that, according to Clyde Wynia, the park’s creator, once inhabited the nearby marsh during the “Iron” age! When we arrived and started walking around, Clyde, who was 75 years old and wearing overalls, latched on to Lisa and insisted on showing her around while telling her tall tales about the creatures. He was hilarious. Though he does sell his creations, you could tell that his love was entertaining. He walked us through the entire collection until his wife pulled him away, insisting he finish a sale with another group. There is a “Hobbit House” also on the property where his wife, Nancy, makes and sells hand-blown hot glass (beads, jewelry, flowers, sculpture), fiber (processing natural fibers-knitting, spinning) and life-size soft sculpture works.
We returned to the camper around 5 pm and watched the sunset over the lake for the last time.
Aug 30, Monday
Weather: 79/55 Mostly Sunny
We took off at about 10 am and headed to Door County