Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Quick Trip to Kenosha, WI, 8/08/2015

This was our first visit to the beautiful state of Wisconsin. Where we are staying (Union, IL) during our visit to Chicago is about 50 miles from Kenosha, located in the southeast corner of the state.  

As a huge fan of the National Park Service, I always look for sites to visit wherever we stay. I found a reference on-line to the Chiwaukee Prairie Nature Preserve. It is a 410-acre prairie that is home to many wildlife species and plant life. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1973.  



This was our first stop, but there were no hiking paths or other information about the site other than this signage, but here is a view of the prairie.


Next I looked for the Kenosha Dunes but again, there was no access to the the area. Well, that was a bit of a bust!


There was a small city park along Lake Michigan that we stopped at to give Sadie a chance to run around a bit. Of course, she headed straight for the water.




 The second place we visited was the "world famous" Brat Stop. This is a restaurant and tourist attraction that is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 




It is a very causal dining experience and the food was only average, but the service was good. Not only are they famous for their brats, but they sell a huge array of cheeses and other goodies at their market. Additionally, it is a venue for music performers. We had lunch (garlic brat for me) and purchased several varieties of cheese. 



Website:  www.bratstop.com

Stop three for the day was Petrifying Springs Park. We had some difficulty finding it because it is not well marked unless you are driving on Petrifying Springs Road. 


This is a lovely city park with many bike and hiking trails, playgrounds, ball fields and pavilions (that can be rented).






Various memorials are located throughout. 




There is also a large off-leash dog park with two sections: one for large dogs and the other for small ones. Needless to say, Sadie had a blast meeting new friends here.




It was fun to see all of the cheese shops everywhere once you arrive in Wisconsin. Driving along Lakeshore Drive here we saw many lovely homes on the lake. But we couldn't help but wonder how bitterly cold it must get in the winter!

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