The Cabin

Latest Episodes:

A Deep Dive into Cold Weather Bushcrafting in Wisconsin Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we’re featuring Door County; https://bit.ly/3N0TU1c

Campfire Conversation:

Eric and Ana welcome Ramsay Plautz back into The Cabin for a hearty conversation on bushcrafting - that is, camping without all the creature comforts - in Wisconsin. Ramsay relates his previous experiences bushcrafting, where you only bring serious basics and travel as lightly as possible. He reiterates the four C’s of bushcrafting we covered during summer episodes on this topic, but adapted for winter. When bushcrafting, you make your own shelter, hunt or forage for your food, and be one with nature as much as possible. Of course you’ll need a survival kit attuned for winter, which is different from what you’d pack for summer. Ramsay covers those basics along with constructing the best shelter and winter foraging and hunting. We learn some interesting tidbits here, including the nutritional value of squirrels, pine cones, and more; getting and storing the best fresh water, which is actually much easier in snow-covered winter forests. You can use a number of natural items and tools in the forest, and Ramsay covers ways to make use of what is around you. He also covers some of the best places for true bushcrafting in winter and the best ways to stay safe, including monitoring and sensing weather conditions and how to handle animals - and anyone traveling with you. As a lone adventurer or with a group of friends, this episode helps winter campers truly test their skills when communing with nature - and it’s coldest and sometimes least forgiving. Join us for some winter bushcrafting inspiration!

Check out Ramsay’s IG channel here: @northmen_bushcraft or https://www.instagram.com/northmen_bushcraft

Inside Sponsors:

Best Western (Region #7 Northwest) - https://bit.ly/3zCCK3f
Wisconsin Counties Association - https://bit.ly/3ehxDHH

VFW Halls of Wisconsin & Why You Should Check Them Out Nov 07, 2023

Show notes

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we’re featuring Crawford County; https://bit.ly/3Pbkeon

Campfire Conversation:

Eric and Ana welcome Adam Wallace into The Cabin to discuss the many VFW Posts and Halls that you’ll find all over the state, as well as the country. As State Adjutant for VFWs of Wisconsin, Mr. Wallace knows a thing or two about the history of these establishments and what they have to offer. We discuss how the Veterans of Foreign Wars posts were originally established in the wake of the first World War, how they function as a community resource for not only these veterans, but the entire community. We talk about how the posts get their numbers and names, the similarities and differences among them, how they relate with American Legion posts, how they serve as a gathering place and support center for veterans who have fought overseas, and how the general public is welcome. VFW Posts and Halls have great little bars in them with friendly patrons and fascinating history. Many offer a variety of menu options from their kitchen as well as event space that proves popular for everything from community meetings to wedding receptions. These VFWs across Wisconsin are part of a network across the nation and indeed the globe where these common themes are woven together. Adam, Ana, and Eric discuss some particular posts, sharing stories and stats that will help you notice the VFW posts and halls you see in your town and on your travels. Stop in and explore them when you have a chance!

Find out more about the Wisconsin VFW here: https://vfwwi.org/di/vfw/v2/default.asp

VFW Posts of Wisconsin directory with links, Google Map locations, and more:: https://vfwwi.org/di/vfw/v2/default.asp?pid=13797

Find out more about the Unmet Needs Program here: https://vfwwi.org/di/vfw/v2/default.asp?pid=5646

Inside Sponsors:

Ho-Chunk Nation https://bit.ly/3l2Cfru
Washington County https://bit.ly/3qayJAL

Haunted Wisconsin ‘23 Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we’re featuring Vernon County; https://bit.ly/34JWV1Z

The Cabin is also presented by Jolly Good Soda, where we get a chance to talk with Nicole from Jolly Good about the latest happenings. Jolly Good is available in all your classic favorite flavors that we remember from childhood. The diet line offers 0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 sugars, and no caffeine – perfect for mixers or just enjoying on a warm summer day (or any day, for that matter); always Wisconsin-based, you can follow @jollygoodsoda on social for the latest on new flavors, fun promotions, and more. Learn more here; https://bit.ly/3TSFYY4

Campfire Conversation:

Eric and Ana welcome “Brick” into The Cabin to talk terrifying haunts for Halloween across Wisconsin. These are places rumored - and as far as some people are concerned, verified - to be haunted with some crazy and unexplained things that happen. Places like the Bloody Bride Bridge in Stevens Point - can you guess the stories behind that one? The legendary Summerwind Mansion - or what’s left of it - deep in the North Woods has had numerous reports of hauntings and more ever since its construction, the mysterious fire, and the aftermath ever since. Cemeteries are always rife with haunting rumors, and the Dartford Cemetery in Green Lake has a special reputation that Brick discusses. Similar for Sanitarium Hill in Madison, with plenty of history that just might freak you out. Milwaukee’s Ambassador Hotel has long been rumored to be haunted, as is Shaker’s Cigar Bar in Walker’s Point, which gives ghost tours. Manitowoc, home of Windigo Fest, has a major World War II-era submarine called the USS Cobia in the water and plenty of hauntings have been reported on the sub, where people can still spend the night. In Marinette County, McClintock County Park near Silver Cliff gives you an outdoor area to explore and make yourself vulnerable, while on the Door Peninsula the Institute Saloon lets you raise a glass of beer with the ghosts that hang out there. And the legend of the Mabel Tainter Theater in Menomonie is just not for elegant beauty in its architecture and staging wonderful shows; it, like many theaters, has some spooky stuff happening when the curtain is down. We discuss all of these and more in Haunted Wisconsin on the episode of The Cabin.

Inside Sponsors:

Best Western Hotels: https://bit.ly/3zCCK3f
Marshfield Clinic: https://bit.ly/3Wj6pYj

10 Halloween Festivals Throughout The State Oct 24, 2023

Show notes

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we’re featuring Clark County; https://www.wicounties.org/counties/clark-county/

The Cabin is also presented by Jolly Good Soda, available in all your classic favorite flavors that we remember from childhood. The diet line offers 0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 sugars, and no caffeine – perfect for mixers or just enjoying on a warm summer day (or any day, for that matter); always Wisconsin-based, you can follow @jollygoodsoda on social for the latest on new flavors, fun promotions, and more. Learn more here; https://bit.ly/3TSFYY4

Campfire Conversation:

Eric and Ana preview Halloween with the last big batch of events leading up to the holiday. Some celebrate the holiday with a bar crawl, which is as Wisconsin as it gets. Milwaukee is home to the “Milwaukee Official Halloween Bar Crawl” which features a multi-day pass to multiple venues in the city with drink specials, costume contests, “ghostly cocktails” and more. Multiple cities and towns across the state are having similar crawls, so check for one near you! Meanwhile, cities on Lake Winnebago have a lot of these events. At the bottom, Fond du Lac’s Witherell House – an old house built in 1853 – is filled with haunting stories and history and you can visit and experience some of that for yourself. Up in Oshkosh, the Grand Opera House offers ghost tours. The lovely building dates back to 1883 but like many performance venues, stories of hauntings and strange happenings abound; the Grand Oshkosh Haunted Happenings Ghost Tour will take you behind the scenes. Just north of there in Neenah, you can attend the Burial Chamber, where you can spend the night at a complex of haunted houses – and with opportunities like the “Trapped & Buried Alive Experience,” there’s a good chance you’ll get freaked out. Meanwhile to the east, Road America between Plymouth and Elkhart Lake hosts Wisconsin Fear Fest through Sunday the 29th with three terrifying haunted houses amidst the world-renown race track grounds. Over in Sheboygan, the Dominion of Terror is run by the local Jaycees and they know how to terrorize you in a haunted house with over 20 rooms; you can also check out a 45 minute escape room. Meanwhile down in Hartford, Terror on Rural Street is open one more time this weekend with a 17-room haunted house and over 30 actors bent on giving you a hair-raising experience – it’s one of the highest-rated haunted houses in the country! For an outdoor experience, you can check out the Little Park of Horrors in Menomonee Falls where you navigate a course in Old Falls Village Park outside, in the dark, and you have to be 13 or older to even try it. For an indoor experience designed to freak you out, it’s always wild at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! in downtown Wisconsin Dells. It offers over 200 ghoulish artifacts including cannibal skulls, two-headed calves, and the mummified head of a real serial killer – who some say haunts the building. Finally, if you want a moving experience (for real), the East Troy Railroad offers haunted dinner trains – and the Osceola Express in northwestern Wisconsin has rides too, more about pumpkins than hauntings – or is it?? Check these out for a wild experience as we approach Halloween!

Inside Sponsors:

Washington County: https://bit.ly/3qayJAL
Marshfield Clinic: https://bit.ly/3Wj6pYj

Where To Find the Best Cheese Curds in Wisconsin, Part 3 Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we’re featuring Barron County; https://bit.ly/3EUtWqu

Campfire Conversation:

On the heels of Sunday’s National Cheese Curd Day, Eric and Ana welcome Samantha Buschman, the Instagrammer behind @wisconsin_cheese_please, into The Cabin. Samatha joined The Cabin remotely from her RV in Wyoming, where she found a restaurant offering “Wisconsin Cheese Curds” and they offered a side of honey, kicking off a conversation about dips for curds. Marinara and ranch are two of the most popular, but many variations exist; some add spices like Spanish Paprika, others offer aioli blends including a Bloody Mary aioli at Copper State Brewing in Green Bay. Some go sweeter with jam variations, others with more savory sauces. They all pair quite well - we all know how versatile cheese is! From there, the conversation delved into locations where you can find some of the best curds. Eric, Ana, and Samatha discussed some of their favorite fresh curds - often right from the factory - as well as fried curds across the state that are worth the trip. Highlights include cheese factories offering their curds fresh from Ellsworth - Wisconsin’s “Cheese Curd Capital” to Watertown with Kraemer Cheese with spots in between from Door County to the Driftless. Curds offering up in restaurants and select bars - usually fried, but not always - are listed by all three. Cheddar curds from places like Merchant and The Old Fashioned in Madison, Guu’s in Stevens Point, Courthouse Pub in Manitowoc, Parker John’s BBQ (where they blend chives and garlic into the batter), Bavette and Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, and many, many more. Curds are usually cheddar, but Muenster works well, such as at Sconnie’s in Schofield, Even curds made with goat cheese get a salute, with the ones at La Merenda in Milwaukee; their goat cheese curds are also served with Tia Paquita chorizo cream sauce. The variations are many, but all are delicious. Join us for the full list in this episode!

Inside Sponsors:

Best Western (Region #5 - Central) https://bit.ly/3zCCK3f
Ho-Chunk Nation https://bit.ly/3l2Cfru

Welcome to Southwestern Wisconsin Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we’re featuring Rusk County; https://bit.ly/3wKH2nY

Campfire Conversation:

Eric and Ana take you on a broad scope tour of southwestern Wisconsin, home to the land in the state that the glaciers went around, not over, and consequently has a topography unlike anywhere else in the state - or the Midwest. They cover a wide variety of topics across the area, including the unique history of southwest Wisconsin centered around mining; the state parks across the region including around Blue Mound, the highest point in southern Wisconsin; also unique towns with fascinating histories, points of interest, architecture, and more. Some hidden gems get revealed, such as Driftless Music Gardens outside tiny Yuba, to some of the most well-known attractions in the state like House on the Rock and Cave of the Mounds. They cover bigger cities like La Crosse to popular towns including New Glarus and Viroqua, to hamlets like Paoli, they all offer things to see and do that may surprise you. Join them for a look at a region that will inspire you to dive deeper and uncover some soon-to-be-favorite spots for yourself!

Inside Sponsors

Visit Lake Geneva: https://bit.ly/3wHvilf
Menomonie Chamber: https://bit.ly/3q16T9Y
Marshfield Clinic: https://bit.ly/3Wj6pYj

10+ Pumpkin Patches & Apple Orchards to Visit in Wisconsin Oct 03, 2023

Show notes

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we’re featuring Manitowoc County; https://www.wicounties.org/counties/manitowoc-county/

Eric and Ana highlight some of the best apple orchards and pumpkin patches to maximize your Fall fun now that it’s October. Many of these include not only orchards and/or pumpkin patches, but other fun family-friendly activities from mini-train rides and kart tracks to petting zoos and make-your-own pizzas with fresh farm ingredients. Eric and Ana explored the offerings of Glacier Rock Farms near Ixonia; the popular Apple Holler on the Racine-Kenosha County line along I-41/94;, Ski-Hi Fruit Farm, nestled in the Baraboo Hills; Apple Hut near Beloit; Apple Barn west of Elkhorn; Seehafer Farms outside of Marshfield; Turner’s Fresh Market near Waupaca;, Polly’s Pumpkin Patch near Chilton, a place where Eric had filmed for a Discover Wisconsin episode on Calumet County; Helene’s Hilltop Orchard near Merrill; Basse’s Taste of Country on the Waukesha-Washington County line just west of Menomonee Falls; Mommsen’s Harvest Hills Pumpkin Patch and Orchard south of Rice Lake, where Eric also filmed with Discover Wisconsin and participated in some serious pumpkin chuckin’; Ecker’s Apple Farm outside of Trempealeau, which also offers live music and a craft beer bar; and Shanahan Orchard between Plain and Loganville in Sauk County. The discussion also zoned in on two specific areas known in Wisconsin for growing fruit: Bayfield County and Door County. These two counties feature more maritime climate tendencies than the rest of the state, and as such they’ve attracted clusters of growers. In Bayfield, they discussed Blue Vista Farm, Hauser’s Superior View, Hillcrest Orchards, Rabideaux’s Orchards, Sunset Valley Orchard, and North Wind Organic Farm, all part of a trail you can follow in the hills above Bayfield for a full day - or weekend or more - of fun! In Door County, Eric and Ana checked out Lautenbach’s Orchard Country & Wine Market, the Wood Orchard Market, Wildwood Market, and the Red Barn Corn Maze - which offers quite the challenging maze along with, as so many offer, pick-your-own options.

We wrap up the Campfire Conversation talking about the upcoming Discover Wisconsin episode on West Allis, with its neighborhood renaissance, emerging culinary scene, and renewed civic pride. Apurba Banerjee hosts this episode and Ana, as producer, discusses it all with us ahead of its release on the Discover Wisconsin app this Wednesday, October 4th, and on local broadcast channels as well as all the online stream options this weekend, October 7th & 8th.

Visit Lake Geneva: https://bit.ly/3wHvilf

Menomonie Chamber: https://bit.ly/3q16T9Y

Marshfield Clinic: https://bit.ly/3Wj6pYj

Wood County: A Hub of Outdoor Adventure Sep 28, 2023

Show notes

Ana and Eric light the fire on Wood County, a diverse county in the heart of Wisconsin offering cities like Marshfield, a major medical hub, and Wisconsin Rapids, known for its papermaking, water skiing, golf, and - more recently - competitive BMX racing, as well as beautiful, serene rural areas from farms to forest and plenty of open space for outdoor fun. They open the Cabin door for Matt McLean from Visit Marshfield and Meredith Kleker from the Wisconsin Rapids Convention & Visitors Bureau for an in-depth look at the county they both call home. One major note about Wood County is its penchant for cranberries. Not only do they produce a sizable share of Wisconsin’s cranberry crop (which leads the nation and is tops among the world), Pittsville is home to the only Cranberry Program in a high school and a “Cranberry Road” Auto Tour offers people the opportunity for a colorful tour of the bogs and marshes. Pittsville is also the geographic center of the state, by the way, in case you were curious about why we say Wood County is in the heart of Wisconsin. Outdoor adventures abound in the county, from bountiful hunting areas to beautiful trails; designated areas like the Mead Wildlife Area offers opportunities for both. Powers Bluff near the center of the county is a literal standout, rising prominently among the landscape while offering winter recreation from tubing to snowboarding. Wood County is becoming more of a golf destination, from nearby Sand Valley to Lake Arrowhead. The Wisconsin River, which runs along the eastern side of the county and right through Wisconsin Rapids, is home to active water ski groups who put on popular shows in season. We dive into Wisconsin Rapids with Meredith, checking out the city’s sports offerings from its Central Wisconsin BMX track to baseball games at Witter Field for Wisconsin Rapids Rafters action - and unique way they deliver beers to you! If hockey is more your sport, the Wisconsin Rapids River Kings have you covered in winter. The city’s paper history is showcased in the Papermaking Museum, and one of the newer breweries in the state, Two Doors Down Brewing, is right downtown, not far from Hotel Mead, Wisconsin Rapids; own boutique hotel. Matt highlights Marsjhfield with us, including art galleries, museums, historic sites, the World’s Largest Round Barn on the Central Wisconsin State Fairgrounds, and some excellent shopping up and down the city’s main drag, Central Avenue. Blue Heron Brewpub is Marshfield’s own brewery, and if you want to wander among some remarkable sculptures and metal art, the Jurustic Walk downtown will mesmerize. Marshfield also offers a fantastic (and free) zoo in Wildwood Park, which features an impressive display holding two Kodiak bears along with a wide variety of other animals. Wisconsin’s reputation for cheese shines in Nasonville with their dairy and the very popular Dairy State Cheese Store in Rudolph, which also has the amazing Rudolph Grotto nearby and is the home of Dick Trickle and other popular race car drivers. We cover it all in this episode - make sure you cover all of Wood County to truly experience it!

Wood County: https://www.woodcountywi.gov/

Visit Marshfield: https://www.visitmarshfield.com/. Follow on social @VisitMarshfield
Wisconsin Rapids Convention & Visitors Bureau: https://www.visitwisrapids.com/. Follow in Instagram @visitwisrapids.

The Top 20 Strange Places to Visit in Wisconsin Sep 26, 2023

Show notes

Eric and Ana dive into a book about strange places in Wisconsin, where Ana has the book, Eric randomly picks pages, and they discuss wherever it lands. They end up discussing the mysterious orange moose you can spot by I-94 and Highway 54 in Black River Falls aka “the world’s most unusual ornament.” They then head to the Viking Motel in Buffalo County with the oversized viking and its legend, the “world of miniature buildings” in Logan’s hometown of Pardeeville, and a church haunted by old Norwegian ghosts south of Amery. Several places in Wisconsin lay claim to being the “UFO Capital of the World,” and they explore the legends in Elmwood, Belleville, and Poland (the town in Wisconsin, not the country in Europe.) Eric and Ana also discuss Wisconsin native Chris Farley’s unusual grave in Madison; the “Rock-in-the-House” Museum in Fountain City and the crazy stories that follow; Manitowoc’s experience with a spacecraft crash and the festival that has sprung up around it; unusual architecture with the Pebble House in Port Washington; and the Mustard Museum in Middleton, and more. Let it inspire you to seek out some strange - and cool - places across Wisconsin!

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we’re featuring Richland County; https://bit.ly/3va2f8F

https://bit.ly/3TSFYY4

The Byways of Wisconsin Sep 19, 2023

Show notes

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we’re featuring Fond du Lac County; https://bit.ly/3Lms7ob

Campfire Conversation:

Eric and Ana discuss Wisconsin’s five designed scenic byways and why each is a beautiful drive, with a little help from our friends. Jon Jarosh from Destination Door County joins for a look at the Door County Coastal Byway, 66 miles of beauty and charming towns on the Door Peninsula along Highways 42 and 57, from Sturgeon Bay north to beautiful coasts, state and county parks, and towns like Egg Harbor, Fish Creek, Ephraim, Sister Bay, Ellison Bay, Gills Rock, Baileys Harbor, and Jacksonport. Mary Motiff from Bayfield County (and the mayor of its county seat, Washburn) joins for the Lake Superior Scenic Byway conversation. The Byway covers 70 miles along Highway 13 in Bayfield County, showing off the beauty of the northern coast of the state from near Ashland through Washburn and Bayfield over to Cornucopia, Port Wing, and Herbster with beaches, forest, orchards, wineries, and even the first National Tribal Park in the nation along the way. Josh Ostermann joins Eric and Ana in The Cabin for a look at the others (yes, pizza gets a mention.) The Nicolet-Wolf River Scenic Byway is the newest, covering 145 miles through the Nicolet National Forest and along the beautiful Wolf River, which has a National Scenic River designation. It winds through Forest, Langlade, Oneida and Vilas Counties along segments of Highways 55, 52, 32, and 70 with connections to a wide variety of multi-use, all-season trails. The Lower Wisconsin River State Scenic Byway covers 100 miles along Highway 60 from Lodi to Bridgeport by Prairie du Chien, giving you a nice cross-section of Wisconsin’s incredible Driftless Area and the shifting courses of the Wisconsin River and its valley. Finally, Wisconsin’s segment of the Great River Road gets covered as it runs along the Mississippi River from East Dubuque to Prescott. This multi-state byway actually begins in Minnesota and follows the Mississippi River for 10 states until it ends in New Orleans, Louisiana, but Wisconsin’s segment is the most scenic (by many measures, not just ours!) It covers 250 miles, much of it along Highway 35, through 33 river towns. These include some of the oldest settlements in the state, the dynamic city of La Crosse as well as Prairie du Chien (the only place where two state designated scenic byways meet) and charming smaller towns like Trempealeau, Stockholm, Pepin, Alma, Fountain City, and Potosi. You can enjoy many scenic overlooks, with some great birding opportunities including bald eagles. All in all, Wisconsin’s five designated scenic byways provide over 600 miles of road trip beauty and fun. Be sure to check out our Discover Wisconsin episode on the two coastal byways coming up!

Links to more:

Door County Coastal Byway: https://doorcountycoastalbyway.org/

Lake Superior Scenic Byway: https://www.bayfieldcounty.wi.gov/855/Scenic-Byway and https://www.bayfield.org/

Nicolet-Wolf River Scenic Byway: https://nicoletwolfriverbyway.com/

Lower Wisconsin River Road Scenic Byway:

https://www.facebook.com/Scenic60

http://statetrunktour.com/routes/60-2/

Wisconsin’s Great River Road:

https://www.wigrr.com/