R V trip in Wisconsin

Old Jan 17th, 2007, 04:58 AM
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R V trip in Wisconsin

Hi There,

We are planning a 15 day trip to Chicago and Wisconsin in June. Landing in Chicago and staying 2 nights in a hotel to see the city before picking up an RV and heading up to Milwaukee for an overnight stay, onto Door County for a couple of nights as it seems to be a very popular and beautiful place. Then through Oshkosh and a few days in the Dells before taking our RV back and another 2 nights in a hotel in Chicago before heading home to Wales in the UK.

We are 2 girls travelling with no children, we have done a little research on places of interest but we dont want to spend too long driving every day.

We like beaches, and harbours, theatres and shopping. We like the look of the Dells as we enjoy waterparks and attractions but can also use that as a base to see some of the other lovely parts of Wisconsin.

My questions are br />
1) Is our itinary workable and not too ambitious?
2) Should we re evaluate our route to take in better places of interest?
3)Is there anywhere that is a must-see that we ought to take into account?

Thank you for taking the time to read my thread and I look forward to receiving your responses.
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Old Jan 18th, 2007, 05:37 PM
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When you are driving north from Milwaukee to Door County you might want to stop at a little town just north of Milwaukee called Cedarburg. They have an old mill that now houses some gallery space, antiques, etc. Browse for a while and then head north to Kohler. There are some interesting shops called The Shops at Woodlake and eat lunch at a great little restaurant called Cucina (it is part of the American Club). There is a nice beach on Lake Michigan just to the east of Kohler in Sheboygan.Soak up a few rays and then you can complete your drive to Door county and arrive by sunset. You'll want to head for the west side of the peninsula to enjoy the sunset across the bay. We appreciate the western side for all of the activity, shopping and people, but always prefer the quiet side (on Lake Michigan) for lodging and less crowded spaces. Judging from the crowds, most would disagree with me.

Oshkosh is not anything special in my opinion. Just another small city and one of several clustered in the immediate area. Personally I'd spend the extra day in Door County.

Door County is one of my favorite places and the Dells is one of my least favorite, but then I don't like water parks. That being said, I think that one of the most beautiful areas of Wisconsin is the drive along the Mississippi River Road south of La Crosse to Prairie du Chien. When you are in the Dells, La Crosse is only about 1 1/2 hours farther west.

Head back across the state to Madison. Check out the university campus perched right on Lake Mendota and stroll down State Street. Most people find it good people watching and it has some unique shops.Chicago is an easy drive from Madison.

Hope this is somewhat helpful.
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Old Jan 18th, 2007, 06:31 PM
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Why are you planning to travel through Oshkosh? Oshkosh has some great tourist attractions--but shopping, beaches, and harbors aren't among them.
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Old Jan 19th, 2007, 04:26 AM
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Kazza1,

I agree with EVERYTHING mdwest said! Unless you really like planes, and want to visit the EAA museum in Oshkosh, there is really nothing to do there. The drive she suggested through La Crosse is gorgeous, any time of the year. Everyone in my neck of the woods (Packer Territory) heads to Door County when they want to vacation in Wisconsin. You might also want to go further north and check out Eagle River. Gorgeous. Tons of places for RVs, too.
~Chilepepper
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Old Jan 19th, 2007, 04:51 AM
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If you 2 girls are planning to take more RV vacations, consider joining rvingwomen.com. Good Q&A board and networking forum.
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Old Jan 19th, 2007, 05:01 AM
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Kazza
Please Realize that this is a personal opinion but of all the places we've been, the Dells have been our least favorite. I find it very tacky and mildly trashy. Door County on the other hand is upscale and clean and fun and Chicago is one of my favorite cities.
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Old Jan 19th, 2007, 06:10 AM
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I love the Wisconsin Dells. But then I love tacky tourist things. The lake/river there is beautiful, and if you want an adventure, take a ride on the Jet Boats. It's a blast! You will soaked to the bone head to toe, so dress accordingly. I think the company we used was http://www.dellsjetboats.com. We also enjoyed the Riverside and Great Northern Railway (http://www.dells.com/display.php?id=402), which is a scale miniature steam railway.

Since you like theaters, you'll enjoy the Al Ringling Theater in Baraboo. There are tours. But it's also an active movie and production theater. http://www.alringling.com/ Baraboo also has the Ringling Brothers Circus museum.

Hope you have a great trip! Sounds like a lot of fun.
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Old Jan 19th, 2007, 05:03 PM
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If the traffic is good and depending where you are in Chicago, it will take about 2 1/2 hours to drive to Milwaukee. If you are making that drive on a weekend, the Renaissance Fair located right off the interstate on the Wisconsin/Illinois border is really fun.

Less than an hour north of Milwaukee is Cedarburg. Like mdwest posted, I too enjoy Cedar-burg and Kohler. While by the Kohler/Sheyboygan area you should check out Terry Andrae State Park. Point Beach is also close at Two Rivers. Both parks have beautiful sandy beaches on Lake Michigan. There is a really cute old candy shop in Manitowoc that we like, also serves sandwiches and a nice cup of coffee or malt. www.beerntsens.com Country Crafts Barn in Plymouth is also a nice place for lunch or to shop for home crafted items. www.countrycraftsbarn.com/

By Cedarburg is Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a very small family run nature preserve that contains buffalo, deer, elk and some smaller native wild animals. The owner gives 2 hour long wagon rides through the preserve and stops along the way to give information about the animals and Indian lore. It is kind of cool. There are Indian Burial Mounds and hiking trails near by. I think it is only open weekends.

Oshkosh has the EAA museum if you are interested in airplanes. There is also a very nice public museum and an art museum. There is a nice outlet mall for shopping but unless you are visiting friends or really into airplanes you could probably skip Oshkosh.

Wisconsin Dells has become very touristy, but it has some beautiful scenery. My favorite things are the boat rides and the Lost Canyon Tour wagon ride. Devil's Lake State Park is beautiful. Easy walking trails.

Rather than heading back to Chicago on the interstate you could drive south from the Dells through Dodgeville area. The House on the Rock is unbelievable. Although my favorite part is still the house itself, the museum contains hundreds of... for the lack of a better word... Things. There are automated music machines, collections of dolls, collections of just about everything. www.thehouseontherock.com/html/attraction.htm

Not sure where you are from in the UK, but by Dodgeville is Mount Horeb, a very quaint town that was settled by miners from Cornwall . I enjoy the recreated village Pendarvis- .www.wisconsinhistory.org/pendarvis/ -

If you are interested in cave tours, Cave of the Mounds is kind of fun. Blue Mound State Park is also near by.

If you choose to go back from the Dells area on the interstate you may want to stop in Madison. Nice shopping, theaters, museums.

Is there anything in particular you want buy? I know every yarn, fabric and needlework store in the state if you are interested in any of those things!

If you are planning to stay at any of the state parks you need to get your reservations in very soon. They fill up quickly.
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Old Jan 19th, 2007, 06:06 PM
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To answer your questions:
1) Definitely not too ambitious of an itinerary. If anything I think it's not ambitious enough.

2) Yes, please re-evaluate your route.

3) Yes, as I'll explain below.

I'm a bit stunned that no one has mentioned a rather large lake that you should be visiting (it's called Lake Superior). You should all be flogged for that (with the possible exception of starrsville, because she's a Southerner and can be excused).

Seriously, in 15 days you can easily make a large circular tour through Wisconsin, with time for little side trips in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the North Shore of Minnesota. Don't restrict yourself to the southeast/southcentral part of WI.

I'd suggest a general plan of driving up the east side of WI (west shore of Lake Michigan), then head over to Lake Superior (dipping into the UP if you find something of interest), spend a few days driving along Lake Superior (maybe as far north in Minnesota as Grand Marais). From there, head south to Minneapolis-St. Paul, and continue south following the Mississippi River to La Crosse or Prairie du Chien, at which point you can make your way to WI Dells and back to Chicago.

Wisconsin is only about a 6 hour drive from top to bottom (Superior to Beloit) so when looking at a map you should keep that in mind. Granted, getting off the interstate will slow you down a bit, but you still have ample time to do far more than you've planned.

The Dells are a bit trashy and tacky, but they can be fun and entertaining and there is beautiful scenery in the area.
 
Old Jan 19th, 2007, 09:56 PM
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I live in Milwaukee, relatives in Door county and a Cabin 1 hour north of the Dells. AND dated a girl from Wales 24 years ago! Cardiff
Your itinerary is NOT too ambitious you can drive Door County to Chicago with ease or from anyplace on your route. But beware of Chicago traffic it is famous.
"like beaches, and harbors, theatres and shopping." HMMMMM let me see
I would stop off at Racine for a driving break. the harbor is very pretty they put a lot of money into it, catch a burger at one of the last remaining Kewpee restaurants ( http://www.kewpee.com/pictures.php ) and take in the museum (all within a few blocks of each other) then another 45 minute drive to Milwaukee via Hwy 32 for some of the old "Chicago road" flavor.
I might then catch a theater NON-opera show at the Skylight Opera theater in the Historic Third Ward. If the hotel is downtown take the Riverwalk to the theater. Or walk it during the afternoon before the show. 1 hour would do. Arrive early for the pre show talk. A main actor in South Pacific gave my girls a thrill with the close personal chat. Best seats are about 10-15 rows back in the middle but anywhere is good except maybe the first 2-3 rows. This would be enough of a plate full for an afternoon and evening. Do a web search on the Historic Third ward, River Walk and the Skylight. (everything I mention should be on the web)
Then I would probably drive to Door County via Hwy 43 (freeway along the Lake). With all due respect to the “stuff” along the way I would not stop. But if you want to, then Manitowoc harbor would be a nice break and try to catch a flavor for the trout and salmon sport fishing (door county also)
This is Green Bay Packer football country. I guess there are Green Bay packer fans all over the world. Right now the world waits to see if number 4 Brett favre, perhaps the best quarterback to ever play the game is going to retire or come back for another year. I would stop in green bay and see the Packer Hall of Fame and “Packer stuff” It is located at the entrance to Door County. It is a football mecca/shrine of sorts. National football announcers say that everyone should visit Lambeau field at least once in their lifetime. I’ve been a few times.
Door county? I think it is overrated. It is a lot of scenic vistas like experience. But a lot of tourists go there so there is a lot of infrastructure to support your stay. I have family in Sturgeon Bay and would recommend a stay there. I think all of the charm of Door County can be had there. But people like the door for reasons I don’t see and just scratch my head over.
There are basically 2 climates in Wisconsin resulting in different flora and fauna. Chicago to door County with reveal one as will Wisconsin dells on south. To see the other one I would head straight west from Green Bay to Wausau (easier roads) The so called tension zone where these 2 environments mingle runs on a line from roughly the Dells to green Bay. Going to Wausau then south to the Dells would let you get in the thick of the Predominately pine forested region. I would maybe even spend a night somewhere between Door County and the Dells if you could find an attraction in this Wausau direction pine forest region.
Once you approach from the north to within one hour of the dells to will get into Aldo Leopold country (A Sand County Almanac is a book written by him) The best thing about the Dells is the Dells so take a “Duck Boat” tour if you do nothing else. If you are physically up to it rent a canoe for exploring the cracks and crevices.
There is one more geographical area that is quite charming and well worth a trip through. Leaving the Dells I would head straight west to the Mississippi River, through the Coulee or driftless Region then go south along the Mississippi to the Wisconsin river and Follow it back to Madison, then to Beloit and then Chicago. The Coulee Region is the most attractive region in the whole state any time of year. The ice age glaciers did not grind this region flat and it is more rugged. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coulee_Region
Have fun in my State and I’d love to take my family to the UK sometime.


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Old Jan 20th, 2007, 05:45 AM
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Racine? Oshkosh?
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Old Jan 20th, 2007, 07:39 AM
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While Sturgeon Bay is technically part of Door County, many people don't think it has the beauty or charm of points farther north. While it may be worth a stop, it is too big and doesn't have the same character as the thumb of Door County. If Sturgeon Bay is all the farther you go, you'll be disappointed.
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Old Jan 20th, 2007, 08:40 AM
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Goodness, has no one been to northern Wisconsin other than me?

Getting as far north as Wausau (which is more central than north) doesn't give you much of a taste of what the northern part of the state is like. Despite what people in the southern part of the state may think, you are not "up North" once you get past WI Dells.
 
Old Jan 20th, 2007, 08:43 AM
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Agree with the above poster. We stayed in Sturgeon while in Door County and wished we would have stayed in either Fish Creek or Egg Harbor.
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Old Jan 20th, 2007, 09:34 AM
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It would be nice to hear from Kazza1 to learn what she thinks of the ideas already posted.
She stated that she enjoys waterparks--and there isn't anywhere better than the Dells for that activity.
It would be interesting to know why they would like to stop in Oshkosh--perhaps there are friends they plan to visit.
Kaaza1--please give us more information so we can provide more ideas.
Wisconsin has much to offer--
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Old Jan 21st, 2007, 11:40 AM
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Hey Guys thanks for the replys so useful, and Wilbur and Mdwest thanks for the detailed and informative posts.

Okay well kp to answer your questions, we havent done any research on Oshkosh, we just thought it a good way to get over to the Dells, but a few of the posts have given better and more interesting routes, and we are not really into airplanes!.

As for the Dells, we thought it a good idea to take in the area as it does seem beautiful and we dont want to be driving long distances every day so thought it be okay to go to a waterpark for some fun on the lazy river, get some blood rushing on the water chutes, and get some sun on our backs in the process!! We certainly like boat rides, and we love sport so a must see is Green Bay and the Packer Hall of Fame, although we havent been to a football game in the US we have been to many baseball games, our favourite was seeng the Red Sox in Boston. (we are huge soccer fans over here!!)

Sobolik - We are from Cardiff in South Wales!!

Hey - The Weasel sorry if we offended you by not mentioning that great big blue lake, and would certainly love to go that far north, for the record we have 11 days hire of our RV so I guess we could manage it?

We did intend going up to fish creek and Egg Harbour as that seems really popular - but to be honest it does seem such a great fun and beautiful state we now want to go every where that has been mentioned.

Just one thing Wilbur mentions not using the interstate to come back from the Dells to Chicogo - how long is that trip? (without stopping!)

So fellow foderites thanks again for all your valued knowledge and time reading about my plans - keep the info coming and im sure excited about my trip.
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Old Jan 21st, 2007, 01:08 PM
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Yes--Wisconsin has so much to offer and you've been given some very good advice. Not sure where you plan to park the RV each night. You will need to reserve camping sites in advance
There are many private camp sites but the Wisconsin park system also campgrounds--they are taking reservations NOW. www.dnr.state.wi.us
From the choices on the left side select "where you live" and then "parks and campground directory"
This site also has plenty of info. about the activities each state park and campground offers.
Do you still plan to vacation late May- early June? Weather at that time can still be cool and rainy. I've taught camp (Kettle Moraine State Park Northern Unit) during that time and we usually end up only having 2-3 days warm enough for swimming within a 2 week period.
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Old Jan 21st, 2007, 01:45 PM
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If you do get as far south as Prairie du Chien there is a 2 hour boat ride on the weekends that gives you some of the history and a nice view of wildlife that is often hard to see from the road. http://www.mississippiexplorer.com/

If you enjoy the area along the Mississippi River (which I'm confident you will) you may want to camp at Wyalusing State Park just to the south. It is where the Mississippi River meets the Wisconsin River. There is a magnificent look-out area high on a bluff above the confluence. It is gorgeous.

This area is more rural with no big cities. If you prefer more action then after the Dells you may prefer to head northwest to the area near Minneapolis and St. Paul. There is a a lot to do there and a really nice river town called Stillwater just over the Wisconsin border. Lots of boat rides and even train rides along the river there.


I agree with Wilbur that The House on the Rock (Near Dodgeville) is worth the time. Some say it is tacky, but I never hear anyone say it's boring. They offer different tours now and you'll want to see the house itself, but then make sure you get on the tour that has the large antique carousel (not for riding, just for viewing) and the automated music rooms. It is quite unusual and I think it is a lot of fun.

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Old Jan 21st, 2007, 02:51 PM
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If its too cold for outdoor waterparks when you are visiting the Dells some of the resorts, such as the Kalahari, do sell a day passes.
An indoor waterpark can't compare with the outdoor ones--but they're better than nothing.
Tacky but not boring is the perfect description of House on the Rock!
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Old Jan 21st, 2007, 08:09 PM
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I am not really sure how long it would take to drive from the Dells to Chicago if you avoid Interstate 90/94. I was kind of thinking you might drive south on Highway 12 to Baraboo, check out the Ringling Theater and then go south and west to Spring Green, Dodgeville, Mineral Point ( all have been mentioned in past posts) and maybe then head east to Monroe to see how cheese is made. From Monroe you can go east to Beloit and then catch I 90 to Chicago. This would all be two lane driving until you get to Beloit. I'm not really sure how long it would take to drive. Maybe someone else could comment. I would guess maybe 3-4 hours if you didn't stop. But that area of Wisconsin is so beautiful with rolling hills- you will want to stop!
I really like the "tacky but not boring" comments about the House on the Rock. I have been there several times, always like to play the musical instruments, but we made the mistake of going for the Christmas Event- Thousands of Santa's everywhere- just thrown in every display totally unrelated to anything. Very Tacky.

From Door County taking Highway 41 south to Oshkosh and then Highway 21 west to Interstate 39/51 going south to the Dells exit on Highway 23, probably would be the most direct way to get there. You may want to stop for a break in Wautoma, it has some cute shops, nice places to have lunch or an ice cream. Can't remember the name but one of my favorite places for lunch is a large garden store/ greenhouse/antique store/cafe/ kitchen shop. It is located on the corner of Highways 21 and 22, you will notice it right away because flowering baskets and urns are everywhere. The parking lot is also large so it will be easy for you to park.
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