Two Great Lakes and the Land Between

Day 11 ~ Our Great River Road Adventure

Jamie snapped this awesome photo of the Aerial Lift Bridge last night from the steps of our camper at the Lakeside Boat Basin.

Yesterday's overcast sky and cool wind gave way to sunny blue skies this morning in Duluth, MN on the shore of Lake Superior.  The riggings on the sailboats in the marina jingled in the breeze like windchimes.

The view from our camper this morning

Our view at the marina

We pointed our compass southwest; we're headed home, but not without some sightseeing along the way. Today's destination is Lake Michigan.

What's a trip through Wisconsin without a cheese stop?  We found Miller's Cheese House in Rice Lake, WI, just a mile or so off the highway.  We sampled and sampled and sampled, before finally selecting some take-home goods: dill pickle cheddar, tomato basil cheddar, cheddar horseradish and cheddar onion spreads, landjaeger, creamy pecan caramel fudge, and coconut almond ice cream.

Miller's Cheese House in Rice Lake, WI

Sampling the goods at Miller's Cheese House

Further down the road, we located the Lienenkugel's brewery in Chippewa Falls, where we (Becky and I; not our drivers!) sampled several of their brews.  I've never been a beer drinker, so I didn't really like them, but the Berry Weiss was at least fruity.  Honey Weiss, Watermelon Shandy, Grapefruit Shandy, Sunset Wheat, Wisconsin Red Pale Ale, Royal Nektar -- they all sound so interesting, and for beer enthusiasts, they are quite tasty. I just like the packaging!

Leinenkugel's Brewerey in Chippewa Falls, WI

Water rushes over rocks in the river in Chippewa Falls near the brewery

Daddy had recommended we visit Williams Bay and Lake Geneva; years ago, he and mama visited there and loved it.  I was pleased that our route took us through there today.  Though we didn't stop, the view of the lake was beautiful and the streets looked like a Norman Rockwell painting.

Lake Geneva, WI

Lake Geneva, WI

After an extra-long day of crossing Wisconsin from the northwest corner to the southeast corner, we arrived at our campground, Illinois Beach State Park.  The sites are quite large, making it easy to situate our campers.  We are right on the beach at Lake Michigan; I'm listening to the sound of waves crashing as I write tonight.

Of course, this beach doesn't begin to compare to our favorite Florida white sand beaches, but it is amazing to see this gigantic body of fresh water.  Though we are about an hour's drive (not sure if that includes traffic!) north of Chicago, we could see some of the city skyline from the shore at dusk.

I'm still awestruck by how late the sky remains bright; we were on the beach taking photos again tonight at 9:00 PM.

Lake Michigan

Jamie and John on the shore of Lake Michigan

City skyline from the beach on the Lake Michigan