Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Visiting Wisconsin during the wintertime
What must a lover of Old Man Winter do on a virtually snowless and shockingly warm winter in Chester County? Why not head to Wisconsin?
While most prefer the beaches of the Sunshine State, Mexican food in Mexico or the view from a balcony on a Caribbean cruise ship, some would rather spend winter in long underwear.
I regularly visit my cousin Julia and her family, including an amazing number of dogs, in Fox Lake, Wisconsin.
Thankfully, on this trip, it magically snowed for a day and the temperature dipped into the single digits. For those of us who don’t mind scraping the windshield, it was a delight that most Chester County residents are missing out on this year.
I ate well. Yes, gas grills work in the winter. We ice fished, visited a museum built by a beer magnet and we even sampled several mustards at the National
Mustard Museum.
We dragged a popup hut and fishing gear out onto a snowy, ice-covered lake. Through plastic windows we excitedly watched as a flag popped up when a fish hidden deep below the ice hit on our live bait.
The fish are sluggish during the winter, but still the prey was able to escape from being dragged through the hole. We had punched this hole ourselves through 10½ inches of ice, using a gas powered drill.
We kept warm by wearing three or four layers of winter gear, while Julia’s husband, Jeff, sampled some of Milwaukee’s finest.
Wisconsinites are also experiencing an abnormal winter. Although some did drive on the thinner-than-usual lake ice, and one vehicle even fell through, we preferred to simply walk.
Last winter, when the ice was much thicker, I drove the Prius onto the lake. Jeff instructed me to roll all the windows down and to not use our seatbelts— just in case we had to take a bitter cold swim.
Julia and I also visited Lake Winnebago where the short sturgeon season was underway. Much bigger holes than the ones we cut into the ice were prepared with chainsaws. The holes are covered and must be enveloped in near darkness.
For hours, fishermen and women stare into what they call the “green abyss” for sturgeon that can live up to 100 years.
We saw the seventh largest sturgeon ever caught on the lake, at 177.3 pounds, after it
The fish are sluggish during the winter, but still the prey was able to escape from being dragged through the hole. We had punched this hole ourselves through 10½ inches of ice, using a gas powered drill.
was speared and pulled from the icy waters. Caviar comes from sturgeon and this baby was packed with more than 35 pounds of the gourmet food.
What trip to Madison is complete without a tour of the National Mustard Museum? I’m not a big fan of mustard, but especially enjoyed sampling the root beer mustard. There were thousands of jars of mustard on display. The visit was almost as exciting as last year’s trip to Milwaukee’s National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.
We visited a real showplace, the Pabst Mansion.
Most of that luxury was bought by beer sales. The tour guide told us that one daughter “hit the jackpot” when she married a Schlitz heir. Milwaukee is
still a huge beer town.
This ornate mansion was another example of rich people wanting you to know that they were wealthy. And yes, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer was sold in the gift shop.
We also visited a supper club. Open only for dinner, these restaurants are usually located in scenic, rural areas and are independently owned. You usually get a drink at the bar where you order from a limited menu, usually surf and turf. Your salads are waiting for you when you
are seated at your table. Nobody is in a rush here.
There are more bars per capita in Wisconsin than any other state and almost every one of them hosts a Friday night fish fry. Often it’s all you can eat and most diners prefer their fish fried. Delish.
Almost every bar has something else too. Don’t miss out on smacking down a leather cup of dice on the bar and you might win a PBR. Or play the “shake of the day” for a cash prize.
What visit to Wisconsin is complete without enjoying a brat sandwich? With dozens of varieties, they are very, very serious about their brats. I even saw some candy corn brats, but I did not sample them. I did try my newly purchased root beer mustard on my brats and it was not only sweet, but tangy and tasty.
And don’t get me started about those yummy cheese curds. This is a state where the supermarket cheese aisles go on forever and are packed with cheese. Ironically, Julia prefers her cheddar from Vermont. Go figure.
We also revisited a biker’s bar, The Dump, in Cambria. Previously, I had a burger here with peanut butter and jelly (don’t knock it until you try it.) This time I opted for one with pineapple and bacon. Yum!
We also visited America’s Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee where we learned about the past and present. Seeing the facts on the walls was a real eye opener.
There is no need to always head south during wintertime. Try a snow covered trip. Don’t forget the long underwear. See you there.