The first morning of our third annual trip to Wisconsin.
In 2015, we stayed at the Rochester Inn in Sheboygan Falls. Last year they were full, and this year they were full again. I guess we need to make reservations earlier.
The place we are staying this year, The Inn on Hillwind, is about two miles south of Plymouth. Rather than wonder around town, I decided instead to walk the county roads.
I started out walking east on Sumac Rd., which is one of the few rural roads in Wisconsin which does not have a “county road” designation. Like everywhere else in Wisconsin, there are no big climbs, just lots of little 50-100 up & downs, carved by the glacier which covered Wisconsin during the last Ice Age.
As I headed down Sumac Rd. towards the railroad tracks, I spotted three deer. They watched me approach. When I got closer, one wandered off into the woods. As I got my camera out, another jumped into the woods, while the third — in typical deer fashion — did the least logical thing imaginable, and bolted back across the road. That’s the difference between deer & elk: An elk will calmly watch a car or human wander by — like I saw a few weeks ago near Pine, Arizona — but deer, in their panic, will instead do the thing mostly likely to cause them, or your vehicle, harm when a much safer option is easily available.
I turned south on Blueberry Ln., which had a bit more traffic, but still not bad. Unlike Sumac Rd., the side of the road was mowed, so there were fewer wildflowers.
After a half mile, I turned west on Winooski Rd., which curved back down to the railroad tracks. I was surprised to pass another walker going the opposite direction. I didn’t think rural folks did that. Guess I was wrong! 🙂
Just past a gravel pit, is Drewry Farm, which produces 100% pure maple syrup, and has been in operation since 1847, the year before Wisconsin became a state. Next to Drewry Farm is a historical marker for the town of Winooski, which was founded in 1846. None of the original structures remain.
At County E, I turned north. I walked well on the side of the road, as traffic was heavy, with frequent heavy trucks. After crossing the Onion River, I turned east, back onto Sumac Rd., heading downhill to The Inn on Hillwind.
After my walk, my wife & I drove the original road racing circuit around Elkhart Lake, then had lunch at Lake Street Cafe, followed by a Choco Taco at Fireman’s Park & Beach, where I used to watch fireworks during the Fireman’s Picnic back in the late 60s.
Distance: 4.50 mi.
AEG: 247 ft.
Time: 1h 23m
Roadside Flowers of Sheboygan County
Roadside Flowers of Sheboygan County from Preston McMurry on Vimeo.
