By SuzAnne and Eva
Our time in Wisconsin was very different this year because of the storms and flooding. We stayed mostly in Vernon County which was hit very hard. Most of the trails were closed so we didn’t hike at all. One day we tried to drive to Kendall but had to turn around at La Farge because the town was flooded.
Still, we had a great time with family and everything was so green due to all the rain. Just days before the Kickapoo River flooded, we went on an epic canoe trip with our family that involved super soakers and watching my parents fall into the river after tipping their canoe. It’s a family tradition to finish our canoe trips with the best burgers and ice cream in Wisconsin at the Kickapoo Paddle Inn. It’s hard to believe that just days later, the town where we access the river was under water. You can read more about our canoe trip in a previous post.
A favorite spot of ours is Peck’s Farm Market in Spring Green. They have a nice fruit and vegetable market that sells canned goods, dehydrated fruit, novelty candy, etc. The best part is the large petting zoo that has goats, llamas, alpacas, donkeys, miniature horses, pigs, and several species of ducks and chickens. It’s a great place to visit no matter how old you are.
My uncle, aunt, and cousins took us out to Castle Rock Lake on their boat. It was a beautiful day. We stopped at Alcatraz Island and walked around a bit. We saw a juvenile eagle and a bald eagle. After boating, we stopped at Kozy’s Pizza, a place where my mom’s family has gone for years. That night, we stayed at Yukon Trails Campground in Lyndon Station. It is a beautiful park and has a lot to do for kids.
Before leaving WI, my dad had business in Ixonia. A longtime friend of my parents lives near there so we stopped at their place for lunch. I found a kindred spirit in their daughter who is also very into conservation, nature, wildlife, and hunting. After that, we drove around SE WI for hours trying to find a campground that wasn’t closed due to flooding. We finally got a spot in Jefferson.
A high school friend of my mom’s lives near Jefferson. He is an artist who was recently commissioned to make a sculpture for McCoy Park in Fort Atkinson. After setting up camp, my mom did some research and we were able to visit the park and see the sculpture. You can follow the artist on Facebook at Mark DziewiorArtist.
The storms were pretty fierce and dumped a lot of rain on an already soaked state. After the storms, the skies were so beautiful against the very green landscape. We had amazing sunsets almost every night.
I had the best g-free pizzas I ever ate at Hillsboro Brewing Company and Kozy’s Pizza.
For more about our time in Wisconsin, please go to: facebook.com/wildlifeonthego.
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