Posts Tagged ‘Mid-Continent Railway’

There seemed to be a nice turn out  for the annual Snow Train Weekend at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom.  The museum will once again open full time for the summer season beginning the first full weekend in May.

The Railway museum has been around for many years and has been part of the “Baraboo” attraction triad as far back as I can remember.  (The other two big name attractions being Circus World Museum & the International Crane Foundation.) A lot has changed since I first visited the museum some 20 years ago.  Most notably the iconic steam engines that once chugged, smoked and whistled between North Freedom and La Rue have been derailed by time and budgets to be replaced by much less aesthetically pleasing diesel engines.  Economic pressures seem to hit hardest at historic or cultural establishments, and our local railway museum is no exception. Read the rest of this entry »

After the last Christmas ornament is taken down and the last of the New Year’s confetti is swept from the corners of the floor, the “Now What?” season begins.   We’ve entered the time of year when few events take place, when the cold begins to really sink in and day dreams of summer begin to interrupt our work days. Let’s face it, for many of us it’s hard to be a big fan of winter.  I’m feeling it too..

Well, don’t despair, spring is just a few short months away.  In the mean time, there are a few local events coming up to take your mind off the gray days.  Eagle Watching Days kicks off Jan. 14-15 in Sauk-Prairie. January 21-23 will be the 21st anniversary celebration for the Flake Out Festival in Wisconsin Dells.  The Flake out is a good time and certainly worth a drive up to Wisconsin Dells.  The event offers lots of food & drink, an ice sculpting contest, live music, wagon rides and much more. Click here for details about the Flake Out Festival.  On February 5, many Wisconsin state parks will be holding another candlelight ski event including Mirror Lake State Park again.   Then, February 11th-13th the annual snow train will be running at Mid-Continent Railway Museum.  You’ll need to get your reservations in soon for that.  Taking in a local event whenever possible brings a bit of cheerful change to the long winter months.

Of course it helps to learn to enjoy outdoor recreation in the winter months as well. Why not learn to downhill ski this year at Devil’s Head Resort or Cascade Mountain.  We’ve promised our son he’d get to sample snowshoeing, downhill skiing and be able run the tube hill at Cascade Mountain before the season is up.  (One thing is sure, we’ll go during the week when the cost is $22 all day, as opposed to the weekend when they charge $22 for 2 hours!) Setting activity goals for the winter helps provide something to look forward to.

Kayak Sledding at Devil's Lake State Park

You could also head out to Devil’s Lake State Park for a bit of sledding on the big hill in the Quartzite Campground. We like to take our plastic kayaks out there for an occasional run.  What a blast! Oh, and of course there’s all those miles of trails to explore by ski or snowshoe!  It’s worth renting gear to see if you like it, but gear for either sport is not that expensive and it’s best to buy as soon as you feel committed. (Locally it costs about $15 to rent snowshoes for a day.)  Of course lots of folks are out snowmobiling and ice fishing as well this time of year.  We’ve had a bit of snow overnight so let’s hope the snowmobile trails will open up again here soon!

The real trick to surviving the “Now What?” season is simply staying busy.  Get outdoors, even if you’re not a big fan of winter.  Play, walk, take a long drive, explore…  If you just stay active, the late grey months of winter will soon be over.   I promise.

Nearly perfect weather and nearly peak fall colors combined over the weekend to give nature lovers and fall foliage fans the gift of a life time.  Temperatures hung near 80 both Saturday and Sunday as thousands of visitors filled Sauk County’s parks and natural areas.  At Devil’s Lake State Park the parking lots filled as if it were a summer holiday weekend and yet the cars kept coming.  By early afternoon on Saturday cars were lining the the north shore entrance road.  Normally this would not be allowed of course, but our impression is that park law enforcement were simply overwhelmed.  The park has experienced a good jump in visitors over all this year, by some estimates nearly a 20% increase.  It certainly looked like it this weekend!    Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re going to be in the Baraboo Hills this weekend to catch that fleeting “peak” of fall color, you’ll find quite a few other happenings going on in the area as well including a big-screen showing of the classic , “Wizard of Oz” at the AL.  So put on your ruby slippers and let’s ease on down the road…  Read the rest of this entry »

This Scenic drive is a wonderfully picturesque 40 mile loop that begins and ends right here in Baraboo and can make for a fun family road trip any time of year. Along the way you’ll view old country churches, rustic cabins, wildlife and farmscapes surrounded by rolling hills, stone cliffs & amazing sandstone formations. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit Natural Bridge State Park, have your picture taken on the “Devil’s Chair” and stop by the Mid-Continent Railway Museum. Ready? O.K. Let’s go… Read the rest of this entry »

I was on my way out to Stand Rock Campground a few days back when I passed by the Riverside & Great Northern Railway on County Rd. N in Wisconsin Dells. Driving by reminded me that I had been wanting to talk about Great Northern since it holds a bit of that vintage Wisconsin Dells spirit that many remember. It also provides another unique way to enjoy the natural beauty of Wisconsin Dells.

The Great Northern Railway is a 15-inch Gauge mini-Steam train that travels on a 3 mile track through canyons, forests, rock walls and of course along the upper Dells of the Wisconsin River. Great Northern is open now on the weekends and will be open daily from memorial day forward. Train rides are $10 for adults and $8 for children (3 and younger ride free). They also offer a free ride to active duty military personnel and their families which is very cool. Check out their website for all the details and scroll to the bottom for a $1 web discount.

Oh, and if you are into trains don’t miss the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom.