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The annual Badger Steam and Gas Show kicks off today and runs through the weekend at it’s 148 acre site between Baraboo and Wisconsin Dells.  The 48th annual show includes antique vehicles of all sorts, demonstrations, food, live entertainment, a flee market and more.  This is a great family event!   Click here for more information & Click here for our photo gallery from last year’s event.

If you are into antiques and hot cars, you may also want to check out the annual Spring Green car show.  The 2011 Spring Green Car Show will be held on August 20th, in Downtown Spring Green, WI from 8 am to 4 pm.  The event features 30 classes, 95 awarded trophies, dash plaques to the first 250 entries, door prizes through out the day, cash prize for the best club participation and more. For more information just click here.

Have a great weekend!

Opinion – It wasn’t too long ago when a swath of the rural Wisconsin countryside in the Greenfield Township here in Sauk County, was annexed by the city of Baraboo.  For a time after the annexation, the biggest issue was simply getting our mail to arrive on time.  Then of course our property taxes went up.  Then we really got hosed!  You see, the city of Baraboo started charging us for city sewer services.  Well, that would all be well and good if we actually HAD city sewer services.  The rates, based on the number of parcels we own, are highest on farmers and land owners who as you can guess have the most parcels and frankly, would rather keep the water right in their fields anyway, let along pay for the imaginary sewers the city is billing them for.  Read the rest of this entry »

Levee Road between Baraboo and Portage Wisconsin is not only a great drive, being one of Wisconsin’s designated rustic roads, but it is also an ideal family cycling destination as well. While Levee Rd. is about 11 miles in total from County Rd T to Highway 33 just west of the Wisconsin River, parking is only available about a mile in on either side, making for slightly less than 20 mile round trip. Along the way you will explore wonderful forests that hang over the road like a cathedral as well as open prairies and marshlands. The Pine Island Reserve alone consists of approximately 1,240 acres of wetland, 1,955 acres of upland (grasslands)/savannah, and 1,970 acres of wooded habitat. This area is also popular with bird watchers as well. Keep an eye out for Bald Eagles flying over the river! There are also a variety of areas open to hikers, a dog training area, and of course access to the Wisconsin river… Not to mention some great views of the river from atop the levee itself.  Do be mindful of private lands interspersed within the public areas.  One home along the way has a distinctly unfriendly “GO AWAY!” sign posted on their porch!

If biking with your kids, I’d recommend bringing a nice lunch and doing a distance within their enjoyment zone. There is some, but little traffic and only one significant hill on the route. The rest is flat and easy to ride. You should be aware of narrow sections and blind corners and stick to the side of the road of course. Our 10 year old is comfortable with the complete round-trip, but is certainly ready to be done nearing the 18 mile mark. I’d also suggest packing a lunch for a picnic on the levee and with treats and of course lots of water. Hydration is paramount to having a good time out there. Levee Rd. travels through a very rural area with no shops or gas stations along the way to purchase snacks.  There is one soda machine at an auto-salvage yard at the corner of Levee Rd. & Hwy 33.

To make a day of this excursion we’d recommend taking time to visit the Aldo Leopold Foundation along the way.  Guided & self guided tours are available.  We recommend taking time to check out the photography through time exhibit and of course the historic Aldo Leopold Shack.  Click here for more information on the Aldo Leopold Foundation.

To get there..

From Baraboo, take county Rd T north out of town about 8.6 miles and watch for the Rustic Road sign to the right.  You can also connect with Levee Rd. just of Highway 33 about 1/2 mile west of the Wisconsin River Bridge into Portage.

Map

• Our Flickr Gallery
• Pine Island Wildlife Area – DNR
• The Aldo Leopold Foundation

All the elements of a great day were in place; Great weather, food, crafts, sales, a car show, water fights and more. Still, Downtown Baraboo’s 2011 Old Fashioned Day Festival was noticeably quieter than in past years. For awhile dark storm clouds appeared in the north and threatened to drench event goers for a time before slipping off to the east.  Talking to local merchants as to why numbers were down provided a variety of answers, but most were centered on the weak economy.  Probably so.  On the other hand, you certainly could spend the afternoon on the square taking in the atmosphere and entertainment while never spending a penny.  Did you attend the event?  What are your thoughts?  We’ve posted a photo gallery on our Flickr.

I received an email from the Sauk County Humane Society today reminding everyone to keep your pets safe from the summer heat.  The email went on to say that over the weekend a tourist from Illinois stopped by the humane society office with a dog they had left in the car, and were looking for a vet… the dog died.  With that in mind, here’s some tips for keeping your pets safe & happy during hot weather from the US Humane Society:

Never leave your pets in a parked car. On a warm day, temperatures inside a vehicle can rise rapidly to dangerous levels. On an 85 degree day, for example, the temperature inside a car with the windows opened slightly can reach 102 degrees within 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees. Your pet may suffer irreversible organ damage or die. If you see an animal in distress in a parked car, contact the nearest animal shelter or police.

Shade and water are a must. Anytime your pet is outside, make sure he or she has protection from heat and sun (a doghouse does not provide relief from heat) and plenty of fresh, cool water. Heatstroke can be fatal for pets as well as people.

Limit exercise on hot days. Take care when exercising your pet.  Adjust intensity and duration of exercise in accordance with the temperature. On very hot days, limit exercise to early morning or evening hours, and be especially careful with pets with white-colored ears, who are more susceptible to skin cancer, and short-nosed pets who, because of their short noses, typically have difficulty breathing. Asphalt gets very hot and can burn your pet’s paws, so walk your dog on the grass if possible.

Recognize the signs of heatstroke. In case of an emergency, it’s important to be able to identify the symptoms of heat stress caused by exposure to extreme temperatures. When in doubt, contact your veterinarian immediately. Some signs of heatstroke are: heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid heartbeat, restlessness, excessive thirst, lethargy, fever, dizziness, lack of coordination, profuse salivation, vomiting, a deep red or purple tongue, and unconsciousness.

If you think your pet is suffering from heatstroke, act quickly! Move the animal into the shade or an air-conditioned area. Apply ice packs or cold towels to her head, neck, and chest or run cool (not cold) water over her. Let her drink small amounts of cool water or lick ice cubes. Take her directly to a veterinarian.

For More Click Here.

Did you enjoy the Sauk County Fair this year? By Sunday it was certainly looking as if the heat was taking it’s toll on attendance numbers, but thoes who did brave the heat seemed to be having fun. Over on our Facebook we asked our regulars what they thought of the fair & what they think of county fairs in general.  Do you still go to your county fair? Do the carneys drive you nuts?  Do you go watch the animal competitions or demo derbys?  Are rides too expensive? Are county fairs simply relics from a bygone era or are they still great family entertainment?  We’d love to hear your thoughts.  Join us!

By one account about 300 people attended yesterday’s 9:30 am kick off of Devil’s Lake State Park’s centennial celebration. An estimated 2/3rds of the people in attendance were there to protest the appearance of Wisconsin State Governor Scott Walker.  Although the crowd of protesters could have easily shouted down the speakers, everyone, including the governor was allowed to speak with very little interruption. Between speakers, the crowd would break out in shouts of “Shame, Shame, Shame” or a chant of “Recall Walker”.  Maybe the most apt quote of the day was, “Take a Hike!”  Walker appointed DNR secretary Cathy Step also spoke at the event. Read the rest of this entry »

We began our 3 day bike trip through rural west-central Wisconsin in a downpour.  In fact it rained on and off much of the first 2 days with the sun waiting to show its face until the morning of our very last day.  You may think that’s a bad thing, but in truth biking in the rain can feel better than biking under a hot sun.  The heavy clouds and wet landscape also added color and shadow to the environment that would have otherwise been lost in a white summer glare. There were sections of the trail that seemed more like they were winding their way through Panama than the heart of cow country.  All in all, we couldn’t have asked for a better way to take in Wisconsin’s amazing Elroy-Sparta and 400 Bike trails.

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Baraboo’s annual fundraiser for Oschners’s Park & Zoo will be held this Sunday (June 5th 2011). Pizza Hut will again be providing their All You Can Eat Pizza Buffet from 11am – 3pm.  This year’s events include:  Kids Games, Rides, Live Music, face painting, silent auction, a performance from TJ Howell with his “You can juggle” show as well as an Arts & Crafts Fair.  Ochsner Park & Zoo is located in Baraboo, Wisconsin at 903 Park St. Oschner’s is a 26 acre park that houses a two acre free zoo, children’s play area and includes a small section of the Ice Age Trail & Baraboo River Walk.

From 1 to 5pm on Sunday, the Barn Restaurant & Bar, will be hosting the “Brew at the Barn”. The event showcases master home brewers and vintners in Central Wisconsin. Tickets for the event are $30 each and include beer and wine. All profits from the event are donated to the Wisconsin Multiple Sclerosis Society.  Tickets are available through the Barn Restaurant, S 5566 State Road 123 (near the north shore of Devils Lake) Phone: 608-356-2161 or in Downtown Baraboo at the Coffee Bean Connection at 123 4th St.   For more details visit brewatthebarn.com

Storm clean up continues around the area today after weekend storms left trees down and caused other damage throughout central Wisconsin.  This picture shows crews cleaning up a downed tree on South Shore Road inside Devil’s Lake State Park.  Forecasters are calling for a chance of thunderstorms on and off through the week and on into what looks to be a slightly cool Memorial holiday weekend.