Tag Archive | farmers market
The Show Must Go On In Baraboo
4-16-16, 5-27-17, 7-22-17, 12-22-17, 4-5-18 + other visits
Baraboo is the county seat of Sauk County with a population of over 12,000. A city with a rich history in the circus, the Ringling family’s influence is woven into the city’s fabric and has been for over a century. Also Delavan, where we also have visited. You can also fly into the Baraboo Airport.
Before you come into the city proper, be sure to stop at Man Mound Park on the outskirts of town.It was a little hard to find, the coordinates are N43°29.309’W089°40.278′ Man Mound Road. On YouTube a short video about the mound.
Legs and feet that are missing are marked with white paint on the road.
There is also a small playground and a picnic bench at the park.
Baraboo has been a special place for Al and I since we met in 1997. We scuba dived at Devil’s Lake State Park and we were married there in 1999.
There is so much to see and do here in all seasons of the year. Summer and fall are the busiest seasons. Come in April or May or after Labor Day for smaller crowds. However, some attractions are only open during the summer season. For example, Circus World Museum. The circus performances are from late May to late August. We enjoyed a visit there in late August 2013, they have a free admission day at the end of the season. We returned 5-27-17 for Military Service Appreciation Day, also free.
Baraboo is also home to the International Crane Foundation, which we joined and visited 6-3-15.
As charming as these places are, you should see the historic downtown, looking much like it did when the original Ringling family were alive. Downtown Baraboo has its own website to keep us informed of all the great happenings there all year round. The Courthouse Square and nearby has many great businesses to patronize for shopping and dining. The Courthouse is beautiful and it’s chime at 12:00 noon echoed around the square.
This plaque is on a rock outside of the Courthouse.
Enjoy the Baraboo Farmers Market too from May through October.
For even more fresh produce in the fall, stop by Ski-Hi Fruit Farm. The fall colors in October are beautiful too.
Baraboo also has its own radio station that we enjoy even in Madison, WRPQ. You can even download their app to listen to it anywhere.
2017-The station is now known as MAX FM.
The Corner Drug‘s distinctive red front makes it easy to find on the square.
Also on this street is the beautiful Al. Ringling Theatre which was restored and still a work in progress. We took the tour on 7-22-17, but it is not permitted to post my photos of the inside. You are allowed to take them during the tour only for your own enjoyment.
Here is what the theatre looks like in December at night.
On the corner of the square left of here is the Little Village Café, a historic building in journalism. You can just see the AL. Ringling mansion to the left down the street.
A block or so from the square is the AL. Ringling Mansion, a beautiful red stone building you can’t miss seeing! Also, we highly recommend taking their tour to see the inside. It’s open daily 11-4, tours every hour on the hour, the last tour starts at 3PM. Cost is $20 Adults
$5 for children 5-11
Free 4 & under
Group rates available.
Photos of the inside are permitted inside but not allowed to be posted on Facebook or other social media. The owners Joe and Carmen Colossa and family also live there and are working hard to transform this beautiful home into a Bed and Breakfast. They purchased the home only in 2013, it seems longer though! The Elks Lodge used to own the mansion, but now just lease out parts of the space.
Joe also gave us an additional tour around town in the afternoon, showing us the cemetery, houses members of the Ringling family owned, and other circus lore.
Meanwhile, the Charles Ringling mansion already is a Bed and Breakfast, called the Ringling House. Such a cheerful yellow in the spring sunshine!
Directly across the street from the AL. Ringling Mansion is another historic site, the first church in Baraboo, long gone.
Baraboo likes visitors and offers plenty of free parking. In this parking lot you can see a new set of mural panels painted by local citizens in 2015. Also another one across from WRPQ. Also an older one from 2013.
As you can imagine, Baraboo citizens have preserved a great many historic buildings and homes. We did our own tour to see them after lunch on our April visit. This city is one of the lucky ones, it has a Carnegie Library. We have seen those in some of the other places we have visited over the years. Visit the Baraboo Public Library to find books on Baraboo’s rich history.
Badgerland Financial sits on the historic site where the Ringling Brothers put on their very first circus show on May 19, 1884.
The Jacob Van Orden House is now the Sauk County Historical Museum, one owned by the Sauk County Historical Society.
The House of 7 Gables owners used to give a tour but doesn’t at the present time. They have lived they for 50 years, moved in as newlyweds. Owners Ralph and Pamela Krainik have put a lot of pride into restoring their home for the last 50 years. It was built in 1860. Read more about heir home here.
The Baraboo School Administration building.
All this exploring can make a person hungry, never fear though, there are a great many restaurants in Baraboo to choose from. Around the corner and to the left of the building above is the Broadway Diner. FANTASTIC food, they also are the official caterer to functions of the AL. Ringling Mansion.
Another favorite is the Baraboo Pizza Ranch across from Menards.
The Log Cabin Restaurant and Bakery, we have been there a couple times, they celebrate 20 years in 2016!
The Farm Kitchen on the outskirts of town by Devil’s Lake has been a favorite place of ours since were dating in 1997 to 1999. We often ate there after scuba diving. We had our wedding rehearsal dinner there. This is how it looked in 2009, it has been under new ownership since 2015.
Baraboo offers a wide range of shopping, including the essentials. For groceries, the Viking Express Market has a lot of variety, great store! Even a red pig for the kids to ride!
Another favorite place we like shopping is at St. Vincent de Paul‘s, or Vinnies, just down the hill on 100 South Blvd. within sight of the Broadway Diner. They also have a food pantry. Our tour that Joe Colossa took us on included some Circus Museum train cars and the longest train car building in the USA. They are located BEHIND Vinnies.
If you are tired from walking around downtown, let someone else do the walking, er, pedaling. We spotted a rickshaw parked, make an appointment for a relaxing tour of downtown Baraboo, $20 for 20 minutes.
Baraboo is host to many parks, Nanny Park even has a Little Free Library that looks like a circus wagon, cute!
Also Devil’s Lake State Park, where we honed our scuba diving skills and got married there underwater on July 24, 1999.
Climb the East Bluff Trail for beautiful fall color views of the Baraboo Hills below. This was October 9, 2010. Watch the turkey vultures soar above the lake, especially in summer. Sometimes we walked around the whole lake if we had an early start.
Enjoy Ochsner Park and Zoo near downtown. The zoo opened in 1926 and has a great many visitors. The adjacent park is alongside the Baraboo River and has two pavilions for large groups to gather. We found a plaque at the park by the pavilion closest to the zoo, the first home in Baraboo was built on this site.
We always have a great visit to Baraboo. There is always something new to see here and everyone is so friendly! Our parting shot is the swiftly running river going under the Manchester Street Bridge in this park.
Manitowoc – Wisconsin Harbor Town
1997 to Present
Manitowoc is a city of 33,736 located on the shores of Lake Michigan, 7 miles south of Two Rivers. It is also the county seat of Manitowoc County. My husband Al grew up near here in the suburb of Branch and I have grown to love this city by the lake. A great resource to learn about this city and county is the Wisconsin Historical Society. Here you can find historical markers and museums in this county and all the others in the state. Be sure to stop at the Visitor’s Center to pick up all the info you need about the area, and much more!.
Manitowoc is the gateway to fun on Lake Michigan and beyond! This sign is located near the S.S. Badger Car Ferry, taking passengers to Ludington, Michigan and back. We finally took the voyage to Ludington on June 20, 2016. Read more about our visit here. Take the trip with us here.
When we were visiting on 8-19-16 we saw a lot of activity in the port. It was being dredged with the job expected to be completed in September before conditions get more challenging. We were also lucky enough to see the S.S. Badger depart!
Manitowoc County Airport for those wanting to fly-in on their private plane.
Once you get here, the fun continues! Enjoy the historic downtown and view the many landmarks there. This one is a favorite!
The Courthouse across the street. You can eat at the Courthouse Pub.
The Manitowoc Savings Bank building with its beautiful clock on the corner.
The Capitol Civic Center downtown.
We even saw a one-room schoolhouse building. School District 4, 1891.
If you are here on a Saturday from May-Oct., stop by the Farmers Market.
Stop by the Lincoln Park Zoo too.
This restaurant no longer exists, this picture is from 2010. It was demolished 11-19-12. The Penguin was a place my husband went to with friends when he was a teen. Too bad it couldn’t be saved.
We discovered more buildings on the chopping block when we came back 8-7-14. It was the Alf Muchin Furniture House in 1930. 
Also the former Mirro cookware company factory is coming down. They moved overseas, many jobs lost. In 2016 it’s still not completely demolished.
Now back to the history that has been preserved. There are many museums in Manitowoc. The one we have been to most is the Maritime Museum. This museum is a fun place to visit, and you learn about Manitowoc’s rich heritage on the lake, and in WW II. Permanently docked is the Cobia sub, whose crew defended our country in the war. You can take a tour of the sub too with one of the museum guides!
On 8-19-16 we were back for a final visit for the year and were able to view the annual Balloon Glow festival across from the Maritime Museum. We were attending an event on the rooftop and we had a great view!
Another place is the Rahr-West Art Museum near downtown.
We had a great time at the Pinecrest Historical Village, a lot of great history here. There also is a historic marker for a bridge there. And a train too! We had fun posing next to it.
For a great walk or bike ride, the Mariners Trail is worth the time. It is 7 miles long and goes between Manitowoc and Two Rivers.
All that exploring can sure work up an appetite! We have eaten at Four Season’s Family Restaurant a few times, good food there.
Friar Tuck’s is also a great place to eat.
Late’s is also a very popular place in Manitowoc.
To get away from the hubbub of the city, Silver Creek Park offers a quiet retreat. You can get some food at Late’s which is nearby and enjoy it there.
We also paid a visit to West of the Lake Gardens, also accessible on the Mariners Trail. Peaceful views of Lake Michigan in many spots.
We have enjoyed all our visits here together and discover something new each time we come.
Kewaunee-“Wisconsin’s Best Kept Secret”
9-9-11
Kewaunee was one of the harbor towns we briefly visited on the way to Door County. This area has been settled for a very long time. It was first discovered in 1634 by Jean Nicolet, a French explorer. Then it was a Potawatomi village. Now its a town of just under 3000 people with many amenities and attractions for visitors and residents alike. It’s 30 miles south of Door County.
We spent about 1/2 hour there that Friday morning. We stopped at Harbor Park. The Tug Ludington is docked in this park and is available for tours. In mid-July Trout Fest is held in this park.
The Ahnapee trailhead is in Kewaunee also.
We stopped at a small Farmers Market near the trailhead before continuing on to Door County.