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Savor every last summer moment with inspiration from ‘Wisconsin Life’
August 12, 2024 Leave a Comment
A seasonal version of the “Sunday scaries” tends to cast its shadow over Wisconsinites in the back half of August. The final camping trips of the summer are locked in, if they haven’t already passed. The words “back to school” are whispered — or loudly proclaimed on banners if you’re out shopping. The infinite possibilities of summer give way to the structured and scheduled days of fall.
But wait! There’s still time, and if you need some inspiration to squeeze in that last summer outing, Wisconsin Life has you covered.
One last adventure
Wisconsin has so many trails, bike paths, lakes, rivers, and other fun to enjoy — we know you can fit at least one more adventure in the waning summer days.
Mirror Lake offers a bit of it all, with 19 miles of hiking trails and 137 acres of calm, reflective water (hence the name). Sure, you can chill at the beach or rent a boat for the afternoon, but if you really want to take in the best views — similar to the women of “Girls Who Hike” — you’ll want to hit the hiking trails.
If you’re looking for a bit more excitement — and you don’t mind getting wet — planning a river trip might fit the bill. The Bois Brule River — in addition to being a favorite fishing destination for formerUnited States presidents — has a reputation as one of the most beautiful rivers in the state for canoeing. The upper river is pretty calm, but if you’re looking to paddle some rapids, the lower river can offer a challenge. Look out for “Little Joe.”
But if you want to stay dry — and still cover a lot of ground — Wisconsin’s extensive bike trail network should be your adventure destination. There are more than 800 miles of trails to explore statewide — and that doesn’t include if you plan a trip over the border into Minnesota. You can stick to a 20 or 30 mile day trip, but if you need inspiration to truly go the distance, listen to the story of Nick Schmelter and Mark Blaskey, two friends who used their celebration of a multi-state bike adventure in 1973 as a fundraiser to support cancer research.
Marveling performances
Perhaps you’d prefer to relax and leave the stunts to the professionals. Since 1960, Plum Lake has been host to water skiing performers “looking for something constructive to do with their time,” a humble way of describing feats of defying physics while being towed by a boat at high speeds. Weekly performances packed with jumps, flips, pyramids and more delight of community members cheering from the shoreline.
Baseball season is winding down — okay, technically it goes into October, so baseball is eternal. But Menomonie’s Vintage Baseball Festival can take you back in time if you missed it. And not just to the season opener…all the way back to 1860, when baseball bats were called timbers, admission cost two bits and no one wore gloves.
Closing time for the garden
How’s your garden doing? Do you have a game plan for all that kale? Time to get that canning operation in motion to preserve the cabbage, squash, tomatoes and anything else you can’t pawn off to neighbors.
“Summer canned; is there anything better?” asks poet Amy Jo Barker. Okay, perhaps a wistful poem capturing the moments of summertime doesn’t exactly help you with the kale situation. But if you do need a recipe, this sauerkraut from Brett Laidlaw could put your extra garden bounty to use.
If you’re already thinking about next year’s planting season, learn a bit about sustainable gardens like the Native Wellness Garden in Milwaukee, which grows sweetgrass, sage, cedar and other medicinal plants that support the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center there.
End of summer rituals
The panic of cramming in more summertime fun can crowd out the more important thing to keep in mind during these August days — slow down, relax and take in the small moments of the season. The distant song of an ice cream truck and the gaggle of kids yelling for Choco Tacos behind it. Or taking in the intergenerational experience that is an afternoon at the community pool:
Toddlers piddle around the south shore of the pool, which, at its edge, is only as deep as a shot glass. Bigger kids venture out to where their feet don’t touch. You have to be 40″ to ride the waterslide alone, a fact that forces some lumbering adults into the mid-pool crush. Down the slippery chute come these brave elders – mothers and fathers, big sisters and big brothers – each one holding a grinning preschooler, each one raising that small fry up high, protecting that child from the slide’s final, face-rippling plunge. Exhausted-looking mothers dip their infants’ feet into the pool. Somebody’s granddad shouts at a pack of grade school boys, “Time to get out! Time to go home!” Nobody’s listening. Finally, grandpa kicks off his shoes, wades in and grabs a toe-headed yeller by the rash guard.
Or maybe the end of summer is the time for your favorite summer ritual — gathering for “wave parties” in order to bid farewell to the tourists leaving Wisconsin communities to head back to Chicago.
However you celebrate your final summer days, cherish them. And remember — Halloween is only a few months away! 🎃
