Escape to Wisconsin

We are so grateful that our crew has been relatively easy-going throughout the pandemic. They quickly adapted to being stuck staying at home throughout the lock-down period in the spring. Kids are much more resilient than we give them credit for.

But once summer rolled around, we all needed a break from the monotony. Normally, we would spend several weeks travelling and visiting family, particularly during Jon's annual Army Reserves training. Yet this year, that training--like so many other things--was uncertain. Desperate to have a plan and desperate to have something to look forward to, we decided that if the training was cancelled, we would rent an RV and drive across the country to visit those friends and family we haven't seen in so long.

The decision was made at the last minute to proceed with the training, so Jon headed to Georgia, and the kids and I went to Kansas City to quarantine at Grandma's house. By the time we all returned, the school year had already been delayed to essentially September, so we returned to our RV plan. Since we had skipped our holiday trip to Washington due to a having a tiny baby, and our spring break trip had been derailed by the coronavirus, we were anxious to go out west and introduce Erik to his grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

Then reality sunk in. The thought of driving for five days straight with three kids--one of whom has spent very little time in a car seat--became increasingly unappealing. And then what would we do once we got there? Would our family even feel comfortable with us bringing our germs halfway across the country?

So, with those concerns in mind, we (wisely) decided to postpone our Washington visit until a later time and set our sights on Wisconsin. Why Wisconsin? Well, first of all, it is much cooler there, and we knew we wanted to do outdoor activities like camping and fishing. Secondly, we could get there in one day of driving as opposed to five, and thirdly, Jon has been itching to return to the area after completing his Army training at Fort McCoy several years ago.

Early on a Sunday morning, we loaded up the kids and hit the road. Our plan of logging a couple of hours while they went back to sleep was thwarted by the summer sunrise, but they were generally good travelers. Just like any time one travels with kids, it took much longer than anticipated, but we also took some much-needed long stops.

One of those stops was in the serendipitously discovered town of Lena, Illinois. Thinking that we would just take a picture of our Lena in front of the town sign, we stumbled upon the Lena Brewing Company, where we decided to have dinner and enjoy some delicious brews. The relaxed feeling of vacation washed over all of us, starting the trip off on a great note.

Lena welcomes you to Lena!

Ah, vacation...

Due to the prolonged stop, we rolled into the town of New Glarus, Wisconsin after dark. We quickly found our AirB&B and settled in for the night. We found ourselves charmed by the Swiss-themed village, discovering the bakery, cow hunt, and park (across the street just like at home!) the next morning. We explored a bit during the day--picking up some requisite Wisconsin cheese curds--and then introduced the girls to miniature golf.

     

Getting our Swiss on in New Glarus, hunting for cows around town, and practicing our putting

That evening, we made plans for the next leg of our trip: camping at Peninsula State Park, the peninsula in between Green Bay and Lake Michigan. We were curious about how Erik would fare on his first time camping, and we were relieved that he seemed to enjoy it as much as the rest of us. The campsite we found was not too far from the water, so the first morning we were able to dip our toes wade into Green Bay before swimming in earnest the following day. We also rented bikes, including a trailer for the littles, and checked out the trails nearby. We did a little hiking as well, and Jon even squeezed in a bit of telework. But mostly we hung out at the campsite, building fires, toasting marshmallows, and enjoying the fresh air.

I think he likes it!

First dip in Green Bay

Biking and hiking, oh my!

So proud of the fire and all we could cook on it

Sorry, Erik, no marshmallows for babies

We were then faced with where and how to spend our remaining days in Wisconsin. We were so smitten with New Glarus that we ended going back to the exact same AirB&B we had left earlier in the week. There were still activities we wanted to check out, and it was a clean and comfortable known destination that was especially important this trip.

One of those activities was tubing on "the sweetest river in the world," aka the Sugar River. I stayed in town with Erik, who was too little to join (and should have been napping anyway), but the pictures I saw were clear evidence that Jon and the girls enjoyed themselves immensely.

The sweetest girls on the sweetest river

On our final full day in Wisconsin, the whole family packed up and headed to Yellowstone...Lake, that is. We managed to squeeze in the trifecta of outdoor activities: hiking, swimming, and fishing. 

Ready to hit the trail

We were not going to let the fishing gear we packed be hauled around all week in vain, so we picked a quiet fishing spot on the way back to New Glarus and put in a few lines. Having fished many times, I knew the odds were against us, but I was hopeful that at least one of the girls would catch something. Yet after nary a nibble, we were getting close to calling it a day. I was headed back from the car after grabbing a snack for Erik when I heard excited squeals and was relieved to discover that Elsa had caught her first fish. The pride on her face--and Jon's--was priceless.

Proud fisherwoman

And just like that, our Wisconsin getaway was over. Travelling during a pandemic was not as challenging as it could have been, although I do confess to feeling a little guilty about not just staying home. The opportunity to escape, however, was good for the body and the soul, so I'm thankful that we were able to make it happen.