Epic Summer Road Trip 2019 (Day 41): Wisconsin

We left our campsite on Indian Lake State Park in a slightly sour mood as I was having trouble getting Drew to follow instructions for breaking down camp.  Not really his fault, but I was eager to get going and sometimes I don’t like unnecessary delays.  The kids elected not to eat breakfast and promised not to complain about being hungry as soon as we got on the road.  Don’t worry, I had plenty of fruits they could eat, but I’m pretty sure they would ignore.  
Everyone perked up when Olivia did some research about what to see in Wisconsin and found out that “cheese isn’t just food, it’s a lifestyle” so we decided to stop at a cheese shop along the way.  Sequins is more of a distributor than an actual cheese shop since they don’t make any of the cheeses that come through their store, but those cheese are awesome!  I asked the store clerk what the difference between yellow sharp cheddar and white sharp cheddar and she, "color".  Not in an obnoxious way, but letting me know that some people are more comfortable with yellow cheese and the natural color is white.  The kids and I filled up on samples which included summer sausage and multiple selections of mustards and jams.  Yummy.  I ended up getting a sharp cheddar while Drew bought himself a loaf of smoked Gouda.  Olivia opted for the beer cheese spread which she better keep away from me, because that stuff is good!

A childhood friend of mine, Sally Carson (Head), who lives in Sheboygan, recommended we stop at the Hamilton Museum of Wood Type.  Yeah, I had no idea what that meant either as we pulled in.  It’s a fairly non-descript building, but it turned out to be an old factory for Hamilton-made products such as cabinets, doctor’s tables, dentist chairs, and numerous appliances.  The actual museum has a ton of printing machines and is primarily centered around making wooden letters and type that is/was used for printing large posters, etc.  The kids were given a paper to try and find a bunch of different items throughout the museum so they enjoyed looking around while I explored.  They partook in the scavenger hunt only after the museum curator promised them a prize if they found everything.  Nothing like a little incentive!  A real neat museum if you’re ever in Two Rivers, WI. 

A snake Drew found

We arrived just south of Sheboygan in the mid-afternoon at our campground called Kohler-Andrea State Park which is right off of Lake Michigan.  I was unimpressed with having to pay $11 for a day pass on top of the out-of-state camping fees I had already paid as part of my reservation.  What the hell, Wisconsin?!  That goes for you too, Michigan!  Olivia had a minor meltdown when she found out that our campsite didn’t have electricity and the flush toilets were a long way from our site.  What a prim donna!  I put their bikes together so they could get around the campground easier (and get to the flush toilets quickly) and then we headed to the beach of Lake Michigan for some sun and swimming.  It turns out that you don’t really swim in Lake Michigan, at least where we were.  The lake is absolutely beautiful with crystal clear waters and soft, creamy sand, but the temperature is enough to think of a New Year’s Day polar bear swim.  OK, not really that bad, but it was cold!  Drew and I managed to get our heads under for a quick second, but Olivia spent a good ½ hour swimming around.  I think swimming in New Hampshire killed any sense of feeling she may have had.  I can now say that I’ve been in every one of the Great Lakes in my life!  The kids have yet to enter Lake Ontario, though. 

We headed back to the campsite and puttered around before Sally got in touch with us so we decided to meet up with her in downtown Sheboygan.  Sheboygan is a town you definitely would not expect to encounter in the mid-west.  It is truly an up-and-coming area with vibrant art, busy shops, and a real sense of community.  The primary industry of the area revolves around plumbing of all things including Bemis and a few others.  

food truck

Kohler is a huge name throughout town considering there are multiple buildings named after the company along with the state park where we were staying at.  Each Thursday during the summer, the town shuts down a few streets and they put on a music festival complete with numerous food trucks to feed it’s hungry citizens.  Sally says that EVERYONE comes out typically because you only get a small window to enjoy summer before the temperature drops back down to the -20’s on average during the winter.  It was awesome!  Sally showed us around town along with her husband, Mike, and daughter Hailey who happened to be the same age as Drew.  Sally and Mike met at MacKenzie-Childs which is a ceramic art store just outside of Aurora, NY and moved out to Sheboygan almost 20 years ago when Mike got a job at Kohler.  They are both industrious and down-to-earth people who are generous with their time and community.  Shepoygan is such a cool town!  If you’re ever in that area during the summer, make sure to head downtown on a Thursday evening for some good music and people watching.  Such a strong sense of community!

decorated public women's restroom

Drew practicing art

After wandering around down town, we headed out to the shores of Michigan for some mini golf and ice cream before saying good by to Sally, Mike and Hailey.  We were pooped after having to cross into CST and losing an hour.  Sheboygan… it’s just fun to say!