Showing posts with label Wisconsin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wisconsin. Show all posts

Friday, September 15, 2023

A Different Look of The Wisconsin Dells


I have been to the Wisconsin Dells three times. The first two were family trips to resorts, Chula Vista and Kalahari. The third trip, the most recent, was totally different.


This was a girls’ getaway with my friend Laurie. We were enticed by Wisconsin Dells tourism to check out the adult side of the area. This included a spa that was receiving national attention and the emergence of The Dells as a wine region.

It started at Wollersheim, the most impressive winery I’ve seen in the Midwest. This is not a place where you walk in, try a few wines, and go home. Wollersheim is 70 manicured acres to enjoy - before, after, or during the wine.

Their wine selection is huge, and we tasted quite a few, settling on the Prairie Pink, Eagle White Dry Riesling, and Domaine du Sac, a red wine, as favorites. We also had a tasty lunch, the highlight of which was the Gobbler Sandwich.


Bistro offerings come prepared boxed to take outside and enjoy the grounds with a picnic. They also have the wine ready to bring. If you don’t want a full bottle, you can purchase canned wine or small bottles for portability.

Wollersheim also has a distillery. They produce whiskey, bourbon, and brandies. You can try the spirits straight or taste them in a selection of handcrafted cocktails.


We then drove to the other side of The Dells to Balanced Rock Winery in Baraboo. This spot was very different from the previous, with an open, modern building and a large piece of land. There’s a big patio and plenty of space for outdoor concerts and a driving range.


We tried a lot of wines and liked the Seyval, with a touch of apple sweetness, and the Frontenac Fris, an orange wine that is a little sweeter, were the ones we liked best.

We were a little hungry and thought we’d order a snack to have with our wine. The hummus plate was the best I ever had. It was too much to finish and we hated to leave it. It also matched well with the Rock Rose.

While at Balanced Rock, we found out we were just a mile from Wisconsin’s most popular state park. Devil’s Lake has beautiful scenery that reminds me a bit of the Upper Penisula in Michigan with the large bluffs. It’s filled with year-round activity, including rock climbing, boating, fishing, hiking, and cross-country skiing.


After the park, we drove to our hotel for the trip. The Vue is far from the huge resorts I was used to in the Wisconsin Dells. It is a boutique hotel in downtown. That makes it a lot more appropriate for two grown women not interested in water parks or roller coasters. The Vue is also on the waterfront and loaded with views of the Wisconsin River.


The Boathouse restaurant at The Vue offers indoor and outdoor dining. They are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and offer plenty of comfort food and an interesting cocktail menu. I had the fettucine alfredo and Laurie did the fried chicken. We followed with a S’more Hot Chocolate Cake. We loved watching the sunset during dinner.

We were done for the night and happy to just be able to walk back to our room. We were excited to be spending most of the next day at Sundara Spa.


I was hosted on this trip, but opinions are my own.                                                                                        

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Discovering La Crosse from the America Queen


Lynn and I woke up to another beautiful day on the Mississippi River. We had lucked out with this late summer weather in the Midwest.

We were ready to explore La Crosse, Wisconsin, after having breakfast and lattes at the Front Porch Café on the American Queen. I loved being on a small boat. There was never a wait for the elevator and we never saw a crowd anywhere. It made traveling in a scooter so much easier.

This was the first time in La Crosse for both of us. We didn’t know much about it, but were ready to learn.

The pier was welcoming, with beautiful sculptures and manicured grass and flowers. We got onto the hop on, hop off tour bus, complimentary to all American Queen guests. The bus guides, including Tour Director Lucy from our ship, told us about La Crosse.


When settlers came over to the U.S., this land was already occupied by Native Americans, specifically the Sioux, Ojibwa, and Ho-Chunk tribes. It became one of Wisconsin’s largest cities by the second half of the 19th century.

La Crosse is a popular tourist and day trip destination these days. It’s actually the owner of a Guiness Book of Records accolade for the most bars on one street, 3rd Street. The town has also had over 20 breweries through the years.


We decided to get off at the International Friendship Garden and it was a good choice. It was made up of many different gardens, each designated to a different country, with plants, flowers, and distinct touches about that country.



The International Garden also leads to the entrance of the Marsh Trails, an extensive development of walking and hiking routes.


I was pretty tired from the sun when we got back on the bus and we decided to stay on and do the tour around La Crosse from there. We passed the La Crosse Heritage Center, which has artifacts and detailed information about the town’s history.  

Another stop was the Dahl Automotive Museum, which houses Ford vehicles from five generations. The passengers who got back on the bus said they really enjoyed it. We also learned that La Crosse has a Children’s Museum and the 4-star Charmant Hotel, which was built in a former candy factory.

We were back on the ship in time for lunch. The food once again didn’t disappoint as I had an unforgettable Mushroom Walnut Veggie burger.

After a nap, shower, and change of clothing, we were back in the dining room again, this time for dinner. Our tablemates enjoyed lobster again (it is available every night on the American Queen).

Lynn and I, who are both allergic, tried not to show our disappointment, but we did have wonderful pasta, with a creative potato pancake appetizer. For dessert, it was a Blueberry Bundt Cake for her and Bananas Foster for me.

After dinner, I took a walk out to the open veranda and watched the sunset on the Mississippi before the evening’s show. We made a brief stop after to the Engine Room bar for Rock Music with Jay and Will.

We got back to our room and decided to put in a room service order for the morning’s breakfast. We had an early start for our day in Dubuque, Iowa. At least that’s what we thought at the time.


I was hosted by American Queen on this voyage, but opinions are my own. 



Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Lodge Kohler Spa and Titletown Tour in Greenbay

My first trip to Titletown in Green Bay, Wisconsin, was winding down, but we still had a few things left to check out on the final day.

Rich and I had enjoyed breakfast at Lodge Kohler's Leaps & Bounds Café the day before and decided to go down and see what else we could try on the menu.

The thing I like most about Leaps & Bounds was that there were quite a few things that you rarely find on menus, certainly not on the menu of a hotel coffee shop.

For our Sunday morning, I chose the West Coast Wrap, with egg whites, avocado, spinach, tomato, inside a whole-grain wrap spread with a light herb cream cheese. It was delicious.

Rich had the Breakfast Sandwich. It has scrambled eggs, cheddar and arugula, with a bratwurst patty on a toasted English muffin, a combination he enjoyed.

We shared an order of the Classic Beignets, which had an unusual twist: they were served with a spiced chocolate sauce and an apricot-ginger jam. 

I thought both went very well against the sweetness of the powdered sugar beignet.

After I finished my latte, it was time to return to the Spa at Lodge Kohler.

This spa is the only co-ed spa I have been to in the Midwest. While it’s not unusual to have relaxation rooms that are co-ed, Kohler offers much more for you to share.

The water experience at Lodge Kohler, included with your services or available for a slight cost on its own, includes a very large hot tub that has a walkway to massage you, a cold plunge pool, a steam room, and a sauna.


Once we were warm and relaxed, it was time to bundle up and head out to check out Titletown.

From many of the windows in the hotel, we could see the tubing slide, but in front of it we could actually hear the shouts of joy as people came down in their inner tubes.

We also went by the rink, where everyone was having fun ice skating. 

(I was a bit jealous, ice skating used to be one of my favorite past times before ankle problems.)


Carol Kedzior of Titletown met as for lunch at 46 Below to tell us more about the plans for the future of Titletown in Green Bay.

The area will have more fun activities, such as outdoor concerts and movies in the spring, summer, and fall. They will also be building condos here.

While there we had an amazing Tomato Bisque with grilled cheese croutons and a grilled cheese sandwich. (Rich had the ham sandwich, but I don’t think there can ever be too much grilled cheese!)

I could have definitely stayed at Titletown longer, but it was time to head to the airport.  

I had no idea that my flight would get cancelled, but it worked out. (Thanks, Dosh, for making it easy, while saving money).

I’m looking forward to returning to Green Bay and seeing the beach side in the warmer months.

Check for the best prices at Lodge Kohler now at TripAdvisor. 


Start the story with Day One in Green Bay

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Discovering Green Bay, Wisconsin

I am not a big football fan, so it seemed odd to many that I would be so anxious to explore the Packers’ Titletown, but when I had the opportunity to spend the weekend checking out this new section of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and stay at a new Kohler hotel, I was ready, willing, and able.

Titletown just opened last summer and will continue to add venues, all directly across the street from Lambeau Field. The idea is to give visitors something beyond the game to enjoy when coming to this area of town.

I took an early morning flight to Green Bay and arrived just three hours later, even with my plane change in Chicago.

My first stop was my home for the weekend and the anchor of Titletown: AAA Four Diamond Lodge Kohler.

I’ve stayed at The American Club at Kohler, Wisconsin, so I knew how luxurious this brand was, but I wasn’t quite sure until I arrived how they fit that in the football phenomenon of the Green Bay Packers.

Since my friend, Rich, wasn’t joining me wasn’t arriving until evening, I had plenty of time to find out.

I checked into my Lambeau Suite.
It was everything I expected from Kohler – spacious, well-appointed, and with a spectacular shower system.

It was also directly overlooking the famous stadium.

After freshening up, I went downstairs for a tour of the property.

I saw how they incorporated the team across the street, through color combinations, official photographs, and even memorabilia from the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in the lobby.

From the lobby you can also access a patio, where tailgating for hotel guests is encouraged on game day.

This is true throughout the hotel, including at the bar of Taverne in the Sky Restaurant, and in the larger suites, which have impressive patios overlooking Lambeau Field, which even include barbecues.

I also had a quick look at the spa I would be going to later in the day, as well as the fitness center, indoor pool, and restaurant spaces.

After the tour, I walked right next door to Hinterland Brewery, also part of Titletown.

While this brewery is not new to the area, this Titletown location includes both an expanded brewery and a farm-to-table restaurant.

The menu was tough to choose from, but I made the right decision in the Luna Stout BBQ Pork, which was flavorful and tender.

It came with a tasty kale-apple slaw and house made potato chips.

I didn’t finish the large portion because I had glanced and the dessert menu and knew I had to try something there.

I was again faced with a tough decision, I took the waitress’s recommendation and ordered the Luna Stout Peanut Butter Brownie, served with sea salt caramel ice cream.

It too was a big portion and I put half the brownie aside to take back to the hotel.

Before I left Hinterland, I took a tour of their impressive brewery. It’s quite a setup, with computerized equipment and a state-of-the-art tap system.

I saw where the beer is kegged, canned, and bottled, and some of it even barreled. (Tours are available to the public on Saturdays.)

When I arrived back to the hotel it was time for my spa treatment.

I had chosen Lavender Rain, one of the signature treatments of Lodge Kohler Spa.

It started with a lavender scrub, followed by a Vichy shower, then a scalp and facial massage, and, finally, a body oil rub.

After the treatment, I was also treated to a pedicure, before I went into the Deep Relaxation Room to rest while my toes dried.

I felt heavenly when I got back to the room and it was good that I had some time to rest before dinner.

Lodge Kohler provides complimentary local transportation, so we had them take us to the other side of Lambeau Field, where we were having dinner at 1919 Kitchen & Tap on this blustery evening.

This oversized sports bar has an impressive menu and I again asked for the server’s advice, although we knew we wanted to start with the Parmesan-Breaded Cheese Curds, which came with a buttermilk parsley dressing.

Those were fantastic, as was my Hickory Smoked Ribs, which came with beans, cornbread, coleslaw, and mac and cheese, none of which I could finish.

Rich loved the 1919 Steak Plate, choosing the center cut sirloin, with potatoes, beans, and a Chevre cheese butter.

Of course, we couldn’t leave without dessert, and decided to share two: Brandy Cheesecake and Apple Crisp. The cheesecake was good, but very sweet.

The Apple Crisp was just fantastic, with a cheese streusel and pumpkin ice cream, covered in a pumpkin caramel sauce.

After dinner we headed back to Lodge Kohler. We had much more ahead in our Titletown weekend.


Continue the story with Day Two in Green Bay

Friday, October 7, 2016

A New Edgewater Resort and Delicious Dines in Madison

My friend Roberta and I woke up in our beautiful room at The Edgewater Resort & Spa in Madison, Wisconsin.

I had been there on a “combo” trip – covering a college tennis tournament and checking out the city. It was our final day.

The first thing on the agenda was tour of the hotel with Jessica Arendas, Marketing and Public Relations Manager of The Edgewater.

I had actually been to this hotel before. It was 2010 and I was there for the Celebration of American Distilling.

Since that time, The Edgewater had gone through a dramatic renovation. I didn’t recognize the place – except it’s lakefront location – and I was looking forward to checking out more of it.

We met Jessica in the lobby and I remarked immediately how much I loved the spiral staircase and lighting fixtures.

It only got better from there.

The resort had taken on an understated elegance, enough so that you felt like you were staying someplace special, but not too much that you didn’t feel comfortable.

We were having a strange winter. It had been warm a few days prior and now a chill was in the air.

We walked outside and saw the ice skating rink and the Ice House, where you could get food, hot chocolate, and rent skates.

From there we went to check out the fitness center, salon, and spa. It was one of the latest to be re-done and it was quite impressive, offering every service imaginable.

We left Jessica and went to breakfast downtown at Marigold Kitchen. It had been recommended to me and we certainly weren’t disappointed.

The food was delicious. We loved our omelets, mine veggie and Roberta’s meat filled, with the Marigold potatoes. We also had their famous macaroons, which were fantastic.

I headed to the University of Wisconsin for a few hours to finish covering the tennis tournament while Roberta did some shopping.

We were running late for lunch at Sujeo and they were about to close, but they graciously told us they would stay open as we were led to the noodle bar.

With the open kitchen, I was able to keep an eye on my food.

It’s a big thing for me since I have a severe seafood allergy and rarely eat in Asian restaurants.

Sujeo is a Pan-Asian restaurant created by Chef Tory Miller, who has three other restaurants in Madison and a James Beard Award for “Best Chef, Midwest.”

They took good care of both of us as we sipped tea.

First, the Korean Fried Chicken came out and it was sweet and spicy at the same time. The rice kept the spice in check.

Then, we each got our noodle bowls.
I chose the Miso Chicken Ramen and it was filled with tender chicken, flavorful broth, and perfectly cooked noodles.

Roberta had something different. The Khao Soi also had chicken and noodles, but was in a spicy red coconut curry.

We arrived back at The Edgewater Resort with lots of leftovers and a forecast of snow for the next day.

Jessica Arendas arranged for us to stay an extra day at the resort.

She also put together spa treatments for us.

The Edgewater Spa turned out to be even better than it looked and we left Madison relaxed and rejuvenated.