My son Vinnie and daughter in-law Danni discovered a little slice of Italy right here in Wisconsin and we couldn't be more thrilled for them (and for us). Located on the coast of Lake Pepin, the Villa Bellezza winery offers everything one might expect in an Italian winery -- lush vineyards, a cobblestone courtyard, delicious [...]
Thanks to the owner/developer of one iconic Up North destination, we discovered another. Lee Bergsbaken, who rotated his crops six years ago and grew Wisconsin's prettiest Sunflower Festival, spent a little time chatting with us Saturday afternoon and urged us to check out the Hammen Family Orchard, Cider Mill and Winery. So, after a quick [...]
Shortly after we marked the end of our active parenting years, our daughter Katherine gave us a little pep talk from her apartment located a maddening 2,078.4 miles from home. “You should call these the Bloody Mary years,” she said. Her idea to rebrand our empty nest life in that kind-of-Wisconsin way sprang from a [...]
We have known and admired Kassidy and Michael Andrus since they were teenagers working long hours bussing tables and slinging drinks at the Washington Inn. So, when we heard they'd bought a supper club, we stopped by to wish them well. We've been back a few times since then, drawn by the warm atmosphere and [...]
For nearly all of the 10 years I have been writing this blog, I have wanted to write a post about cranberry bogs. Wisconsin produces more than half of the world's cranberry supply, but all the bog action takes place on the western side of the state. So, until yesterday, I had never been to [...]