The Cabin

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

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 are joined by Ramsay Plautz to talk about foraging in the woods of Wisconsin. They discussed safety, which is first and foremost since many plants, berries, mushrooms and more have look-alike variations that are no edible or may have likely contaminants based on where you find them. Ramsay shared places where you're allowed to forage along the ethics and unwritten rules behind it. Also, which plants are available across various times of the year; for example, wild blueberries are usually available early July through mid-August while blackberries and raspberries tend to be available mid-July into September. Wild asparagus grows along some roadsides; wintergreen grows throughout the wild and can, like dandelions, be used for a healthy tea. And did you know that pine needles have 3x the vitamin C of an orange?  

Numerous other "wild" foods are discussed, too. Additional resources on foraging can be found on the Wisconsin DNR website; in books like Midwest Foraging, Fall Foraging in the Northwoods, and Wisconsin Wild Foods; even Ramsay's Instagram, @northmenbushcraft.

Let’s get back to our roots - literally! With this episode on foraging.

Inside Sponsors

Group Health Trust:  https://bit.ly/3JMizCX  

Washington County: https://bit.ly/3qayJAL  

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we’re featuring Oneida County; https://bit.ly/3G2tTZr

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 – with Logan too – hit the water in this Campfire Conversation, highlighting some Wisconsin’s “Must Visit” water recreation locations.  Much of the conversation begins in the north, with the Apostle Islands and its bevy of options in Lake Superior. The Brule River, known as the “River of Presidents” for its history as a popular fishing and getaway spot for U.S. presidents in the early 20th century, also gets some love as its flows into Lake Superior not too far to the west. Hopping the subcontinental divide, the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway offers all of fun and natural beauty you could expect from a river. The Wild Rivers Conservancy is active along the river, and the waterfalls coupled with fishing, paddling, and hiking along the shore offer abundant options for an adventurous day. We also cover the Vets on the River Program, which is active on the St. Croix. Flowing into the St. Croix in western Wisconsin is the Apple River, which offers tubing, floating, and a variety of popular water recreation activities in the areas around Somerset, making it a big summer destination. Of course the Wisconsin River gets its due, whether you’re fishing in the Eagle River area, water skiing with the best of them in Wisconsin Rapids, touring the sandstone and limestone bluffs around Wisconsin Dells, or kayaking the Lower Wisconsin Waterway. The Wolf River runs through much of the North Woods and offers unbelievably amazing fishing. Ana dives into the Madison “chain o’ lakes” (literally too, in real life) as she and Eric discuss the many options of Lake Mendota, Monona, Wingra, Waubesa, and Kegonsa in the Capitol region. Other chains of lakes popular in Wisconsin also draw a wide variety of water recreation opportunities, including the chains around Eagle River, the Cisco chain on the Wisconsin-U.P. border west of Land O’Lakes, and the Waupaca Chain O’Lakes. In the south, Geneva Lake and its nearby companions – including Delavan Lake and Lake Como – draw plenty of crowds but still offer areas of serenity. Geneva Lake is one of the deepest spring-fed lakes in the state; Green Lake, in central Wisconsin, takes the title of the deepest. Its also hugely popular for boating, fishing, and water skiing. Up for whitewater rafting? Head to northeastern Wisconsin and check out the rapids on the Menomonee River! Comparisons to rivers in the Mountain West are frequently made to a section of the Menomonee between Niagara and Pembine, where the rapids and drops are truly an adventure. The Peshtigo River in Oconto and Marinette Counties also offers fantastic kayaking and canoeing; the whole area teems with waterfalls. For extra twists and turns, we recommend heading to the Driftless Region in southwestern Wisconsin and exploring the Kickapoo River, which is one of the crookedest rivers in the Midwest – if not the country. Some great options for rentals can be found in Ontario, near Wildcat Mountain State Park. We didn’t forget the cities, either: explore charter fishing opportunities off the lakeshore in Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee, Port Washington, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Algoma, Kewaunee, Sturgeon Bay, Green Bay, Oconto, or Marinette on Lake Michigan, or from Ashland, Bayfield, or Superior on Lake Superior! And for paddling in urban areas, it’s hard to beat the La Crosse area on the Black and Mississippi Rivers – especially Pools 7 and 8 – or kayaking amidst the bustling action and tall buildings in Milwaukee on the Milwaukee, Menomonee, or Kinnickinnic Rivers in the heart of the city. Let’s just say your options are many – and we offer plenty to choose from on The Cabin today!

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Ana and Eric welcome Discover Wisconsin producer Jessica Voukoun into The Cabin to share some details involving outdoor fun in Calumet County, which is tucked along the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago. Since the Interstates swing people well to the west or east of the county, many travelers accidentally bypass the area - but here are some great reasons to follow the roads into Calumet County - like U.S. 10, U.S. 151, or Highways 32 and 57 - and dive into all that awaits here. The focus is the outdoors, with High Cliff State Park above Lake Winnebago getting the full love for its topography, views, and trails. Calumet County Park is also on Lake Winnebago further south, offering a variety of summer and winter outdoor activities, including a tubing hill and fat tire biking on groomed trails. If you’re into boating, Calumet County has two marinas where you can drop anchor, including High Cliff and Stockbridge. Nature and wildlife centers offer plenty of opportunities to learn, exercise, and take in Mother Nature. We discuss the merits of Ledgeview Nature Center south of Chilton, the Brillion Nature Center near (you guessed it) Brillion, and the interestingly-named Killsnake Wildlife Area. Along with more lakes and trails, Eric, Ana, and Jessica discuss farms and orchards including Mulberry Lane Farm & Petting Zoo, Heritage Orchard, and Polly’s Pumpkin Patch where you can visit, learn, enjoy, and take home some of nature’s best offerings. You can also enjoy motocross and ATV riding at Gravity Park USA or Farm Country ATV Park, or kick back and enjoy a flick under the stars at the Chilton Twilight Outdoor Theater. We cap it off with a discussion about the new and amazing Ariens Nordic Center, checking in with GM Sean Becker to find out all it has to offer in all seasons. The options are many for outdoor fun in Calumet County; get all the details here!

Find out even more about Calumet County and its many things to enjoy here:

Instagram: @travelcalumet

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TravelCalumet

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@travelcalumet3370

https://www.travelcalumet.com

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we’re featuring Calumet

County; https://bit.ly/3KjNc3T

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:

It’s a Campfire Conversation about… camping! Eric and Ana welcome Apurba Banerjee into The Cabin to

go “under the tent” and talk about everything from camping to glamping – including what helps define

the differences. Select locations for some of the best camping – including great activities, beautiful

scenery, and more – include many of Wisconsin’s state parks. Shout-outs go to Big Bay, Wyalusing,

Kegonsa, Interstate, Peninsula, Rock’s Island, Devil’s Lake, Mirror Lake, Yellowstone Lake (an Audio Dave

“hidden gem” from back in the day), and Hartman Creek, among others. Units within the Kettle Moraine

State Forest, especially Lapham Peak, get discussed as well as select recreation areas like the famous-

but-often-overlooked Bong Recreation Area. We also cover some camping areas that are businesses,

including Rustic Timbers in Door County and some of the Jellystone Park options, which often pair

family-focused activities along with whatever variety of camping you choose. For a more “out there”

wilderness experience, you can camp at locations all over the North Woods, including along the Peshtigo

River in Oconto and Marinette Counties where you go waterfalling nearby. Also covered are the Apostle

Islands and Apurba shares the story of Camp Wandawega, which offers a throwback experience. You’ll

want to pitch your tent after enjoying the episode!

Inside Sponsors

WCA: https://bit.ly/3ehxDHH

Group Health Trust: https://bit.ly/3JMizCX

Marshfield Clinic; All of Us Research Program; https://bit.ly/3Wj6pYj

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we’re featuring Burnett County; https://bit.ly/3pX15La

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 inspire to you enjoy a nice retreat or relaxing getaway with some places you can check out across Wisconsin that specialize in the getaway, immersion, or retreat experience. A modern retreat can cover anything from a weekend of not using your mobile phone (digital detox) to a few days of relaxation and healthy living in a bucolic countryside setting (wellness or mindfulness retreats). You can also go on a retreat to kickstart a new fitness regime, relieve stress, practice meditation and spiritual exercises, enjoy outdoor activities or cookery classes, tap into your creativity, improve sleep or self-esteem, have life-coaching - and, yes, lose weight if you must, although this is more often a side-effect to healthier living. Or, you can go on a retreat to do nothing at all. The word retreat means ‘draw back,’ after all. A variety of retreat options are offered; in the category of camping and recreation, we discuss Woodwind Park, Bent’s Camp, Big Rock Creek, and Camp Anokijig, which focuses on children. In the Spa/Resort category, we note several in the Lake Geneva and Sheboygan areas, including Grand Geneva, Lakelawn, and the Abbey Resort in Lake Geneva along with Sundara and Blue Harbor in Sheboygan plus the American Club's Kohler Waters Spa in nearby Kohler. We also cover The Edgewater Hotel & Spa near near the Capitol in Madison. For Artist Retreats, we cover the Woodland Ridge Retreat Center, Prairie Hill retreat, Durward's Glen (an artist’s cottage) and Bethel Horizons with its Adamah Art Studio. For Spiritual retreats, we note the Christine Center, The Wilderness, the Redemptorist Retreat Center in Oconomowoc, and Holy Wisdom Monastery in Middleton. Then we do a deeper dive with guest Anne Krogstad, who recently went to the Wild Rice Retreat near Bayfield.

If you’ve been considering a retreat or specialized getaway, this episode could provide the guidance and inspiration to help you find a place that can match what you may want – or need!

Inside Sponsors

Jefferson County: https://bit.ly/3gt0Nau

Group Health Trust:  https://bit.ly/3JMizCX

Marshfield Clinic; All of Us Research Program; https://bit.ly/3Wj6pYj

Bent’s Camp began hoisting hunters and loggers on expedition. They would hunt, fish, or cut

and send meat, fur, fish, and lumber by rail to markets in Chicago, Milwaukee, Escanaba and

the Twin Cities. Some campsites and cabins initially made up Bent’s Camp, with a bar and

restaurant soon sprouting up along with additional cabins. Today, Bent’s Camp features 13

cabins, the oldest which dates back to its 1896 opening. The full service bar and restaurant –

located right on the restaurant and bar right on the shoreline, full service bait shop, and any

amenties people need for anything from a fishing weekend to an extended family vacation.

Situated on Mamie Lake, Bent’s Camp offers incredible opportunities for sportsmen and anyone

seeking recreational fun. The Cisco Chain of Lakes consists of 15 lakes total, including Mamie,

that offer over 270 miles of shoreline surrounded by forests and abundant wildlife. These

pristine, spring-fed waters are fantastic for fishing as well as water sports. Ice fishing and

snowmobiling dominate the winter activities, which are complemented by the annual Radar

Run – and the fan favorite Bikini Run – right on the ice in front of Bent’s Camp. Speaking of

events, they have a summer music festival called Northwoodstock, which brings in a mix of

national and local acts in July! NorthwoodstockMusicFest.com.

Such a rich history full of stories gave Craig, Jack, and others inspiration to begin documenting

photos and stories in what will soon become a book on Bent’s Camp history. We’ll keep you

posted on that! Plenty of stories get shared in this episode, which will inspire you to head for

Land O’Lakes and experience Bent’s Camp for yourself.

Learn more about Bent’s Camp at https://www.bents-camp.com and follow them on Facebook,

Instagram, YouTube and more @bentscampresort!

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we’re featuring Vilas

County; https://bit.ly/3EB1RDp

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, Ana, and Loga welcome Harmon Marien into The Cabin to discuss fishing across Wisconsin, where

you have 15,000+ lakes, thousands of miles of streams and rivers, the Mississippi River, and two Great

Lakes from which to choose. Harmon fished competitively through his high school in Eagle River - an

area amidst the World’s Largest Chain of Interconnected Freshwater Lakes – and continues to in college.

Fishing teams among schools are growing significantly (which makes sense, since fish cluster in schools,

too.) Part of the conversation includes how the tournaments work and how they’re growing in the

state. We also discussed best times of the season to fish – depending in part on what types of fish you’re

after – and the benefits or lack thereof of various types of cover.

Some locations noted include “pools,” including Pools 7 and 8 in the Mississippi River in the La Crosse

area and the Winnebago Pool waters consisting of Lakes Poygan and Butte de Morts along the Fox

Waterway heading into Lake Winnebago, where sturgeon spearing is quite popular in winter. The waters

in Green Bay and Lake Michigan around the Door Peninsula and Sturgeon Bay offer unique world class

fishing opportunities. Chains of lakes include the largest in the Eagle River and St. Germain areas, as well

as the Hayward Lakes chains along with the Chippewa Flowage in northwestern Wisconsin. In central

Wisconsin, the chain of lakes around Waupaca and the Mendota/Monona/Waubesa/Kegonsa chain in

the Madison area offer excellent fishing, with smaller gems nearby like Hope Lake, Lake Ripley, and Rock

Lake in Lake Mills. Spring-fed Green Lake is another fishing gem, and with depth going down several

hundred feet, it is the deepest inland lake in the state. Along with Lake Winnebago, Lake Koshkonong

offers many benefits of shallow lake fishing, especially with many areas offering cover. The many

interior rivers of Wisconsin offer incredible fishing opportunities, with some of the best being Wolf River

in northeastern and central Wisconsin, the Brule River in northwestern Wisconsin (known as the “River

of Presidents” for its history), and the Kickapoo River in the Driftless Area, where trout streams abound.

Along the Great Lakes coastlines, areas like Bayfield on Lake Superior and ports at Sheboygan, Algoma,

Kewaunee, Port Washington, Racine, and Kenosha offer fantastic options for charter fishing and even

just fishing off of piers and breakwaters. The bottom line? If you want to fish, Wisconsin has practically

every option you could want in nearly every part of the state across every season.

Inside Sponsors

Group Health Trust: https://bit.ly/3JMizCX

Ho-Chunk Gaming: https://bit.ly/3l2Cfru

Marshfield Clinic; All of Us Research Program; https://bit.ly/3Wj6pYj

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we’re featuring Shawano

County; https://bit.ly/3yn6z5r

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, Ana, and Logan dive into Wisconsin’s bevy of summer music festival choices. Summerfest is a

dominant one, along the lakefront in Milwaukee, with over 600 performances across 11+ stages over 9

days. It embraces a variety of genres from the largest titans in the music industry to local and emerging

performers with niche audiences. We have a discussion with Sarah Pancheri, President of Summerfest,

to discuss what’s new and happening for 2023 as Summerfest runs June 22-24, June 29-July 1, and July

6-8 this year. But a plethora of other music festivals around Wisconsin invite you, including some major

country festivals: Country Fest in Cadott, Country Thunder in Twin Lakes, Country Jam in Eau Claire,

Country Boom in West Salem, the Hodag Country Festival in Rhinelander and more. We also discuss Mile

of Music, a unique festival in downtown Appleton with over 200 artists performing across 40 venues –

which cover about a mile. Rock, folk, Americana, and even bluegrass get covered with events like Rock

Fest in Cadott, the Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival in Milwaukee (both the weekend of July 13-

15); the Blue Ox Music Festival and Eaux Claires, both in the Eau Claire area; events at Driftless Music

Gardens near Hillsboro and the Driftless Music Festival in Viroqua; the Sugar Maple Music Festival in

Madison; the unique Northwoodstock at Bent’s Camp west of Land O’Lakes, which we covered in a

bonus episode with Bent’s Camp; plus bluegrass festivals in Shawano, near Green Bay in Brown County,

and the Brittany Saylor Bluegrass Festival. There’s even Lifest, a Christian music festival near Oshkosh.

We have details on each in this episode to help you plan to attend your favorites!

Inside Sponsors

Group Health Trust: https://bit.ly/3JMizCX

Washington County: https://bit.ly/3qayJAL

Marshfield Clinic; All of Us Research Program; https://bit.ly/3Wj6pYj

Ana, Eric, and Josh head to Rhinelander in this Bonus episode where we welcome Lauren Sackett into

our mobile Cabin – which set up in her offices at the Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce – to talk about

what Eric calls the “James Brown of the Northwoods – the hardest-working town up here.” Rhinelander

does have quite a history of manufacturing prowess that has gone with the city’s lumber processing

history, a nod to its location along the Wisconsin River. Murals salute this history, and you can

increasingly find such references in the downtown area. One of the main topics is Rhinelander’s

legendary Hodag, which celebrates 130 years in existence in 2023. The legend has received national

attention since its inception, getting mentions on Scooby Doo episodes and a shout-out in one of J.K.

Rowling’s books. The Hodag still looms large, having just been named the best high school mascot in the

country. We discuss how the Hodag has changed over years, the small statues of hodags around town

(and by the way, you can pose with the World’s Largest Hodag statue at the Rhinelander Chamber), and

how you can go around and visit the hodag statues and win prizes. There’s a large and relatively unique

country fest every July in Rhinelander called the Hodag Country Festival; we discuss that and the first

Hodag Heritage Festival that just took place in May. We also cover other places to visit in Rhinelander,

from historic locales to emerging restaurants and shops that showcase the increasing diversity in cuisine

and recreation options in town. It’s all capped off under the beautiful green dome atop the Oneida

County Courthouse. Check out all the details in this fun Bonus episode!

Find out more about Rhinelander’s Hodag Country and its many sights to see and enjoy here:

Instagram: @explorerhinelander

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RhinelanderWisconsin/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjW5uZ1y6Vge9eNsimpyBAQ

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rhinelanderwi/

https://www.explorerhinelander.com/

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we’re featuring Marinette

County; https://bit.ly/3hPiwKZ

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, Ana, and Logan welcome John Heasley into The Cabin as we all go stargazing. Some of the best

places in the state for truly dark skies and great viewing are discussed, including Newport State Park in

Door County, which is Wisconsin’s only International Dark Sky Park. But other areas designated as “dark

sky” viewing areas exist in the state including the Kickapoo Valley Dark Sky Park in Vernon County,

nearby Wildcat Mountain State Park, and the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway along Highway 60 (a lot of

these “dark skies” areas are in the Driftless!) We also discuss observatories across the state, including

Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, which opened in 1897, served as the birthplace of modern

astrophysics and still hosts the World’s Largest Refracting Telescope. Other observatories include Hobbs

Observatory in the Chippewa Valley, the Leif Everson Observatory in Door County, and the Washburn

Observatory on the UW-Madison campus. For events, don’t forget Wisconsin Observers Weekend is

coming up June 15 th -18 th in Hartman Creek State Park near Waupaca, and the Northwoods Star Fest goes

on August 18 th -20 th in Beaver Creek Reserve near Eau Claire. We get full Moons on July 3 rd and August 1 st

& 30 th this summer, with an evening gathering of the Crescent Moon, Venus, and Mars on the Summer

Solstice (June 21 st ) this year. Also, the next Perseid Meteor Shower is the weekend of August 11 th -13 th ,

while during much of August Saturn will be quite visible in the evening sky and relatively easy to view

and admire through a telescope. Astronomers’ clubs offer resources and gatherings, too. Check out

https://wisconsinastronomy.org for clubs and programs, and listen here for details!

Inside Sponsors

Group Health Trust: https://bit.ly/3JMizCX

Wild Eagle Lodge: https://bit.ly/2WhX1r9

Marshfield Clinic; All of Us Research Program; https://bit.ly/3Wj6pYj