Wonderful Wisconsin

September 6-15, 2025
10 days and 9 nights

You will be totally impressed with this beautiful state!  I was lucky enough to go to this area about 6 years ago and promised to do a trip there.  Covid got in the way, so I had to regroup and put this trip off for a while.  Now is a wonderful time to go!  I was there during this same time and their fall comes a little earlier than ours and it’s gorgeous.  The waterfront areas around Lake Michigan are spectacular and that’s why the Door County/Sturgeon Bay area is frequently called the Cape Cod of the state.  This lovely peninsula area features waterfront landscapes, lighthouses, beaches, islands and so much more.  You will be pleasantly surprised by it all!  Many of these places will be completely new to you, so get ready to explore this wonderful state!  You’ll be happy you did!  Here’s the plan:

We will overnight in the Louisville area on the way up and back. Once in Wisconsin, we’ll enjoy two nights in pretty Milwaukee with its gorgeous Lake Michigan waterfront location.  It’s a very cool town with a lot of great art deco buildings, impressive museums, and great local food.  We’ll enjoy a guided city tour and make stops at a local cheese place, a lakefront brewery, a yummy local bakery, and enjoy time at the cool 3^rd Street Market Hall.  A highlight will be a visit to the Harley-Davidson Museum which is incredible.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised by this city!

From there, we go further north to the town of Manitowoc where we’ll enjoy a tour and lunch at the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center.  Agriculture is really big in this state, yet another surprise!  Next up will be the famous Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers and the famous Vince Lombardi!  It’s a fascinating tour and you’ll even get to go out on the field too!  We’ll overnight nearby at the Oneida Hotel and enjoy dinner with Cultural Dancing from the Oneida Nation.   Now we’re ready to head over to Sturgeon Bay.   If you’re looking at the state map, it’s known as the thumb area.  A local guide will be with us for great touring!  He has stops planned for us at Cave Point, a picturesque limestone sea cave area created by the relentless water of Lake Michigan pounding against the limestone bluffs.  A highlight will be seeing Eagle Bluff Lighthouse with its unique keepers’ house.  A special lunch is planned at a local Swedish Restaurant.  This state is home to many, many immigrants who first came to this area and settled here. You’ll learn much about them over the next couple of days.  We’ll then board a boat for a scenic shoreline cruise which is sure to be a highlight.  Another popular dinner up here is Fish Boils!  Kinda like a low country boil, but a bit different too!   Everyone will get a kick out of this Door County tradition.  It features locally caught Whitefish, cooked outside over an open fire, and is served with red potatoes, melted butter, and sides. (chicken will also be available)  Locals will provide delicious cherry pies for dessert!  A special evening performance at a local indoor theater will also be a great way to end the day!

Our guide will continue our touring with us today and it promises to be fantastic as we set sail to visit Washington Island.  We’ll take our own bus over by ferry and view two of Door County’s famous lighthouses on Pilot and Plum Islands on the way there.  Once ashore we’ll take in the Jackson Harbor Maritime Museum where you’ll learn all about the commercial fishing past and maritime history.  We’ll stop by Schoolhouse Beach, made famous for the white, polished limestone rocks that line the shoreline.  It’s a beautiful photo spot.  Then it’s time to go ‘Up The Road’ so to speak to downtown where about 700 residents live.  You’ll find gift shops, taverns, and restaurants too.  While there we’ll see the inside of the Stavkirke Church, built from Norwegian plans from 1100 A.D.  It pays tribute to the Island’s Scandinavian roots and is run by the local Lutheran Church.  A final stop will be made at the Island Farm Museum, with its rich history of pioneer farming in the horsedrawn era.  We’ll return to the mainland with a stop at a local orchard and farmers market.  Dinner will be at our Lodge tonight.

We leave the ‘coastline’ now and head west over to the famous Wisconsin Dells area. This town is a very popular vacation spot.  It lies on the Wisconsin River and is home to unique glacier-carved sandstone formations all along the river.  They are what originally brought people to the area, but today you’ll see lots of theme parks, waterparks, and places to stay.  We’ll concentrate on the natural areas here and enjoy the Lost Canyon Horse Drawn Wagon Tour for a little outdoor adventure!  You’ll see those formations up close!  Then it’s time to check in to the hotel.  Our adventure here will be complete with a sunset dinner cruise on the Dells Boat Tours.  You’ll love this scenic little area and the cliffs along the river!  It’s truly beautiful!    

Now it’s time to head west over to the famous House on The Rocks.  You need to google this place!   It’s hard to describe it but it’s amazing! Started in 1959, the house sits atop Deer Shelter Rock in a forested area.  A home was started and additions were made to the original structure.  Today it houses a ‘museum’ and an incredible collection of Americana.  There are the Streets of Yesterday, Heritage of the Sea, the Music of Yesterday, and the world’s largest indoor Carousel with 269 animals!  This place is a true sight to see! Plus, there is a little Frank Lloyd Wright history here too!   After our visit and a lunch break, we will make our way over to Illinois for our overnight and dinner out.

The following morning, we head over to Indiana for a stop at the Fair Oaks Farm for a fun tour and a delicious lunch too!  This is one of the area’s largest dairy farms and is sure to be a hit with you! Next up will be our overnight in the Louisville area for our last night and then back to Georgia!

This trip is going to be something really special to an area that many folks haven’t been to.  It will be a fun-filled trip with great stops all along the way and some truly spectacular scenery!   For those counting states, we’ll be seeing Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin!   Hope you’ll join us!