Trains and Jazz Under Glass

Mitchell Park Domes Hosts Train Show

The annual train show at the Domes (Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory) has become an annual pilgrimage for my extended family that lives anywhere in the Midwest. The current show, which runs through March 22nd, is called "Legoland," and is much more open and has a greater focus on the trains than last year's "Gulliver's Travels."

Hunting the Ancient Sea Monster

Thrifty Travel Blog

While rules around Sturgeon fishing keep getting tighter and the deadline just passed for the 2009 season, for those of you who purchased a license, or are wishing you had. There are a few new stories that are must reads for avid fishermen getting prepared for life on the ice in 2008/09.

DNR report: Week of Nov. 20 to Nov. 26

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Opening Day - Wisconsin Deer Hunt

DNR report: Week of Nov. 13 to 19

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Party for Halloween Out of Town

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Seems like more and more Milwaukee area school districts are using the Halloween holiday as a reason to schedule "in-service" days. That means that many of you are looking at a four-day weekend the last week of October and probably wondering what you can do since most cities and towns around Milwaukee will be finished with Halloween this weekend. Why not take a break before the really cold weather gets here and head to Disney World with the kids?

Beyond Fall in Door County

While Door County is best known for Spring, Summer, and Fall vacations, there's more to see and do in the off-season than you might imagine. Before the bitter cold shows up and the snow blankets I-43, make sure you make it "up nort."

Shoreline Classic Fishing Tournament

Thrifty Travel Blog

If you like fishing tournaments, but don't like having to drive up north every single weekend, you now have an option in your own backyard. Not only that, but you have a chance to win $100 cash for each winning fish in any of six categories.

Free Museum Week in Chicago

Thrifty Travel

With gas prices going up and down like a yo-yo it's hard to imagine that a trip anywhere could be cheaper by driving. Get ready, because in some cases it's true. I'll be exploring driving vs. train, driving vs. plane, and any other transportation in the next few columns. Take our near neighbor to the south, Chicago. Whether you decide to brave the roads, which are often torn up with construction, or to take Amtrak, you can find lots of bargain ways to travel to and in this great city.

Milwaukee to Chicago by Bike

Thrifty Travel Blog

Looking to save money on travel? If you're up for some adventure and surprises, why not bike to Chicago and back again? 90 miles is the distance from downtown to downtown, but there's plenty to see in-between. This is a great ride any time of year, but especially in the fall. Below is a story written by John Greenfield of the New City Chicago publication that I'm sure you'll enjoy.

Last Month for Kids Ride Free on Amtrak

Thrifty Travel Blog

With the number of daily commuters between Milwaukee and Chicago increasing along with the price of gas, more and more people are choosing to ride Amtrak to beat the traffic this summer. The "Kids Ride Free" promotion allows for up to two children to ride free with each full fare paying adult until August 31st. Amtrak promises other future promotions that will have a similar ability for families to ride together at a discounted rate.

German Fests

Milwaukee, Cedarburg, and Germantown

Seems like everybody wants to be German these days. Where else but the Milwaukee GermanFest would over 15,000 pounds of cabbage be consumed in a weekend? For 2008 the folks at German Fest are adding a lot more participatory activities and really stepping up the entertainment lineup. For a complete listvisit German Fest’s website to download a handy stage schedule.

Traveling Green in Wisconsin and Beyond

Discovering the world in an intimate way

Going “green” is red-hot, and we have many ways to execute the noble mission of being Earthfriendly, sustainable and environmentally smart when traveling. Reusing towels and sheets, turning down the thermostat and recycling are the easiest and most obvious options. Investing in solar or geothermal...

Booking It Across Wisconsin

Independent bookstores still flourish

The one-hour drive to Spooner from Amery, in northwest Wisconsin, is circuitous and captivating. The route is not difficult—Highway 63 pretty much gets you there—but the road twists from one surprise to another.

You’ll Love Kohler— Even If You’re on a Budget

This upscale destination doesn’t have to be expensive

In a state packed from top to bottom with great vacation destinations, there are several that rank with the finest in the region, if not the entire country. Surprisingly, many Wisconsin travelers don’t make the trip to these must-visit places. Door County and the Lake Geneva area fall into that group, as does...

Vote for the Best Towns in Wisconsin

You picked the finalists

Winter in Wausau

Art, dining, skiing

It’s been decades since that precocious little girl at the spelling bee lectured us, through a Wausau Insurance TV ad, that “it’s Wausau … W-A-U-S-A-U. Wausau, a small town in northern Wisconsin …” All right, already. What else do you have for us?

Renegade Road Rally Spans from England to Gambia

Milwaukee guys have an adventure of a lifetime

Here’s a great getaway idea: Buy a 20-year-old $400 Volkswagen with 98,000 miles on eBay from a guy in England, get a good friend to fly with you to pick it up and then drive it through France and Spain, ferry to Morocco and drive through Mauritania and Senegal to Gambia. Then donate the car to a charity.

Romeo's Retreats

Grab your valentine

Romance is all about finding a spark and fueling it. There is no universal way to do it, but there are plenty of places to ponder it as Valentine’s Day approaches. Here are some ideas.

Windsledding in Lake Superior

A unique thrill on the frozen waves

Back in February, we were standing on the dock of the Madeline Island Ferry Line looking out at the frozen bay that separates, and now connects, the summer tourist mecca of Bayfield with the historic Ojibwe settlement and trading post, LaPointe on Madeline Island.

Name the Best Communities in Wisconsin

The voting begins now

Happy New Year! Once again, it’s time to vote. In 2007 thousands of people voted in the Traveling Shepherd’s search for the “Wonders of Wisconsin” and selected winners in 21 categories. (You can find the complete list at www.wondersofwisconsin.com.)

20 Places To Go, Things To Do in 2008

Need something to look forward to in 2008? Start planning your next trip with these suggestions. Wisconsin Destinations Point Beach State Forest: This beautiful, 6-mile, sandy and serene beach on Lake Michigan just north of Manitowoc-Two Rivers allows you to soak up the sun and listen to the waves.

Along the Road, 2007

Special places and standout experiences

It is a wonderful life, especially working in travel. Both of us hit the road regularly and have the privilege of visiting some of the best destinations in Wisconsin, the Americas and the world.

Sampling Old World Germany in Bavaria

Beer, sausage, BMWs

So this is what it’s like to go home for the first time. The patches of woods amid gentle slopes of farmland seem familiar, but the primary crop grows on vines that can extend more than 20 feet skyward.

Madison´s Mile O`Fun

A quick and quirky green getaway isn’t far away

Sure, it feels like traveling to another country, but you can leave the passport at home, because you can get in and out of Madison without it. “The Athens of the Midwest,” as locals would once tell you, or “64 square miles surrounded by reality,” as former Gov. Lee Sherman Dreyfus observed, is well known and certainly is a trip. Even better, you can experience a good slice of Mad City at very low cost.