Fall 2018 Fall Western Trip: Wisconsin

Wednesday, 9/12:  240 miles and camped at Lake Emily County Park, Amherst, Wisconsin

Site 7

We were on the road from the LaSalle/KOA by 9:00, and we arrived at Lake Emily just at 1:00.  The weather was sunny and 80 degrees.  It was Interstate driving almost all the way, much of it through construction.  We have camped at Lake Emily before.  We are in the North Unit Campground and the sites are electric only, so we had to fill our water tank before we set up.  Still, we were all set up and resting in the lawn chairs by 2:00.  The primary reason we visit this area on our western trips is to meet up with my long time friends, Dave and Ann Wright.  I knew them back in the late 60's, when we were all young, crazy, and idealistic, and we have stayed friends ever since.  Now we are older, not quite as crazy, and still idealistic but with a bit of pragmatism mixed in.  :-)

I describe Dave and Ann as hold over hippies, and I mean that as  a complement.  They have both made their living as artists.  They are environmentalists, and community activists.  They are members of a large group of eclectic friends from all walks of life who share common community interests.
For years, this informal group has met every Wednesday, at least in good weather, at nearby Susan Lake for a late afternoon picnic.  The crowd measures anywhere from 10 to 30, depending on who is in town. Dave and Ann stopped and picked us up and we went with them today.   The gathering turned out to be the largest of the season.  I think everyone felt that this might be the last beautiful warm sunny day of the summer.  Judy and I have met many of them before, and remember them by face, if not name.  It was a pleasant afternoon.  We were back to the camper by 8:00.  We had a glass of wine, and agreed to meet tomorrow for lunch.

Thursday, 9/13:

Another sunny and 80 day.  We did a couple loads of laundry at the Laundry Basket in Amherst.  Earlier this morning Judy and I were discussing the need for some routine medications for the dogs.  We should have got them ahead of time, but that chore slipped through our fingers.  During the wash cycle, we went next door and did some quick grocery shopping.  As I was reading the local newspaper while the clothes were drying, I saw an ad for the local vet hospital.  Lo and behold, a maps search showed that it was a 3 minute walk from me.  I went over with the dogs rabies certificates,   After they made a call to our local vet to fax over scrips, I was back to pick up Judy 20 minutes later with meds in hand.

We met Dave and Ann at their house just about noon.  We decided to walk downtown and had lunch at a local coffee bistro, The Landmark Coffee House.  It was an excellent lunch.  Judy and I split a turkey rueben.  Then across the street to visit a local bakery, The Village Hive Bakery.  Not only did they have bake goods, but there were products offered by other local artisans, including hummus, yogurt, and a wide selection of frozen meat and chicken products.  Amherst is such a great small town.  There are many small local businesses that are starting up, and everyone supports the buy local concept.  It is really uplifting to see how a small town should be.

Then it was back to the camper for some quick chores and a short nap.  The Wright's picked us up at 4:00.  They are members of a small group of amateur musicians that get together weekly to play Irish.
What a treat it was for us to watch them play and joke around.  Here is about a 50 second video of their music.

At the end of the session, Dave decided he had a craving for fried chicken, so he took us to the Whitetail Lanes bowling alley for dinner.  They took us back to the camper, sat for a glass of wine, we called it an evening.

Friday, 9/14:

And it's another sunny and 80 day.  For all the times I have camped at Lake Emily, I have never walked down to the beach.  So I went for a stroll this morning.  What a beautiful lake.

About 11:00 we went to Dave and Ann's house for lunch.  After lunch, we drove to nearby Iola, a Norwegian settled town.  The Milestone is a century old flour grist mill has been converted into gelato shop with a small museum on the second floor.  If you don't know the difference between gelato and ice cream, check here.  The owner still uses the water raceway to power an electric generator.  The gelato was delicious.  Then back to the camper for a mid afternoon break.

The Milestone

For dinner we grilled flank steak and trout, one that David caught, over a wood fire at the Wright's.

Traditional group photo around one of Dave's sculptures.

Then we rushed off to see a concert at a local venue, The Rising Star Mill in nearby Nelsonville.  The local group playing, Band Orphans, was great.  They had an amazing young bass fiddle player.

Band Orphans

Back to the camper for a glass of wine, and we said our sad goodbyes until next time.  Our Amherst visit was really, really fun, but its time to move on.

Off to Austin, Minnesota tomorrow.