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.

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...

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.

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...

In January the Traveling Shepherd invited readers to submit nominations for their favorite towns. Our definition of a “town” stated that the community had to be listed on the Official Wisconsin Highway Map published and distributed free by the Association of Wisconsin Tourism Attractions (AWTA)...

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.)