MEDIA CONTACT: Lisa Marshall, 1-800-236-PLAY/7529
SPICE UP FAMILY VACATIONS BY VISITING WISCONSIN'S WACKIEST PLACES
Each year, the family's search for a memorable summer getaway is a challenge. The quest is over: Wisconsin is filled with outstanding quirky attractions and events that can make each and every vacation one to remember. Here's a sampling of quirky spots:
Cheeseburger, Anyone?
Hungry hamburger fans can visit Seymour, the "Home of the Hamburger" and site of the Hamburger Hall of Fame (920/833-2615), paying tribute to hamburger inventor Charles Nagreen. According to local legend, Nagreen served the first burger in 1885 at the Outagamie County Fair. Kids especially enjoy "The Great Hamburger Meet," Aug. 2, at Burger Fest which features a ketchup slide and bun toss as well as the "world's largest hamburger parade."
Little Chute's Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival (920/788-7390), June 6-8, originated in 1989 in response to Rome, N.Y.'s claim of having the best cheese in the nation. To settle the dispute, Little Chute invited Rome's mayor to the festival for a cheese-tasting competition. Wisconsin cheeses prevailed. Today, the festival trumpets this victory with three days of "cheesy" fun, including a cheese breakfast, parade, cheese-carving demonstrations and a cheesecake contest.
As for condiments, Mt. Horeb's internationally known Mustard Museum (1-800-438-6878) holds the world's largest mustard collection (at last count 3,900 varieties) and celebrates National Mustard Day, Aug. 2. Unusual mustards that can be found at the museum include chocolate fudge and espresso varieties.
Athletic Feats
Wisconsin flexes its fishing muscle at the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward (715/634-4440). Families can stand in a giant fiberglass muskie that's half a block long, five stories tall and has an observation deck in its open, well-toothed mouth. Other buildings on the grounds contain hundreds of marine exhibits, including mounted specimens, outboard motors and tackle.
Professional male and female lumberjacks and logrollers from around the world compete in speed sawing, chopping, pole climbing and logrolling at the Lumberjack World Championships in Hayward, July 25-27 (715/634-2484). Saw-carving demonstrations and displays add to the fun.
Anyone can take part in the Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw (608/643-4317) in Prairie du Sac, Aug. 29-30, but it takes a powerful toss to win. The men's record (Greg Neumaier, 1991) is 248 feet and the women's (Terry Wallschleger, 1996) is 150 feet. Kids love chucking a dried cow chip of their own. More than 250 competitors and 40,000 spectators attend.
Eclectic Collections
Built atop a 60-foot chimney of rock, the House on the Rock's (608/935-3639) out-of-the-ordinary collections and bizarre attractions draw thousands of visitors each year. Among the hundreds of exhibits is the world's largest carousel, 35 feet tall and illuminated with more than 20,000 lights. There's also the Infinity Room, a glass-walled structure that projects 218 feet out over the Wyoming Valley, 156 feet below. Another masterpiece is a giant sea creature longer than the Statue of Liberty is tall.
Considered one of America's most unique displays of folk art, Wisconsin Concrete Park (1-800-269-4505) near Phillips features a collection of more than 200 "sculpted" concrete figures. The characters, created from 1950 to 1964 by an area lumberjack, come from local lore and legendary heroes, including Ben Hur, the Lincolns, Native American princess Sacajawea and Paul Bunyan. The cement figures are decorated with glass, mirrors, stones and other found objects.
The mystique of Appleton's favorite son, Harry Houdini, can be explored through the Houdini Historical Center's (920/735-9370) unique collection of his memorabilia and personal effects, including handcuffs, leg irons and lock picks actually owned and used by Houdini. Demonstrations and hands-on exhibits offer more opportunities to learn about Houdini's escapes, life and times. A Houdini historic walking tour covers sites from his childhood.
Watson's Wild West Museum (262/723-7505) in Elkhorn, a replica of an 1880s general store, features thousands of artifacts and memorabilia from the cowboy era. The treasures at Watson's include authentic 1800s firearms and artifacts, ornate spurs and clothing, unopened 100-year-old plug-tobacco pouches, more than 2,000 branding irons, 115 saddles and mounted buffalo, elk and deer heads. Kids can search for gold at the Tumbleweed Mine.
Out of This World
Travelers in need of an uplifting experience can visit Joyce Berg's personal collection of angels at The Angel Museum (608/362-9099) in Beloit. The museum, a restored church, is now home to more than 7,000 angels, including talk show host Oprah Winfrey's collection of black angels.
Docked at Tommy Bartlett's Robot World & Exploratory (608/254-2525) in Wisconsin Dells is an authentic Russian Space Station MIR. The core module was built to replace the MIR that once orbited Earth, but now it's the only place on Earth where visitors can literally step inside the world of Russian cosmonauts. The Exploratory also challenges visitors with everything from mind-boggling puzzles using simple blocks to computerized toys featuring virtual reality and simulation technologies.
Humans and aliens alike may stop at UFO Days (715/639-3792), July 25-27, in Elmwood. The town is the home of several reported UFO sightings since the 1970s and embraces its otherworldly connection with numerous events, including a parade with "extraterrestrial" guests.
For free travel-planning guides, including the Official Wisconsin Travel Guide and the Spring/Summer Event & Recreation Guide, the public can call the Wisconsin Department of Tourism's 24-hour, live-operated toll-free number, 1-800-432-TRIP/8747. Wisconsin travel information is also available on travelwisconsin.com.
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