Tour the Winnebago Factory, Forest City, Iowa

Connie Attractions & Events, Iowa September 3, 2014June 28, 2017Forest City Iowa, Iowa attractions, Winnebago factory, Winnebago Factory Tour, Winnebago Tour, Winnebago Tour Iowa 0 Comment

What a treat was in store for our group of travel writers. Following a gourmet picnic lunch at the Pilot Knob State Park in Forest City, Iowa, instead of hopping back into the van that had been our transportation the entire trip, we were greeted with two huge Winnebago motor homes. After oohing and aahing at the $224,000+ homes on wheels, we buckled ourselves into seats. Some sat on a sofa; I sat at the dining table. Our destination: Winnebago Industries in Forest City, Iowa, where we took the Winnebago factory tour. Read more

Rockford City Market: Celebrate the Start of the Weekend

Connie Attractions & Events, Food & Drink, Illinois August 31, 2014August 3, 2015Market in Rockford, Rockford City Market, Rockford Friday market, Rockford IL attractions, Rockford IL market, Rockford Market 0 Comment

Rockford rocks on Friday afternoons. What better way to start a weekend than to grab a bite to eat at an open-air market and wash it down with a cold beer? Or you may choose to munch on a bag of popcorn while wandering through the market of over 60 vendors selling everything from cupcakes to bowties. Read more

Lauritzen Gardens: Blending Nature with Omaha’s Railroad Heritage

Connie Attractions & Events, Nebraska August 28, 2014November 1, 2017attractions in Nebraska, attractions in Omaha, Lauritzen Gardens, Lauritzen Gardens Omaha, Nebraska attractions, Nebraska gardens, Omaha gardens, Omaha NE attractions, Omaha Nebraska attractions, Omaha tourist attractions 0 Comment

The Union Pacific train rolls through a tunnel cut out of a tree trunk, past Omaha Central High School and several other historic Omaha buildings. You become mesmerized as you watch it exit the covered bridge that spans a flowing river. Then you spot another train cross an overhead steel bridge and travel back into the woods. There is something fascinating about model railroad layouts, especially miniature versions of real existing structures and trains. Add Lauritzen Gardens’ natural landscaping, and the Model Railroad Garden, a miniature Omaha, becomes a work of art. Read more

Fred Scheer’s Lumberjack Show, Hayward WI: Skill, Competition, Laughter

Connie Attractions & Events, Wisconsin August 26, 2014Fred Sheer's Lumberjack Show, Hayward, Hayward WI, Hayward Wisconsin, Lumberjack show, Northern Wisconsin attractions, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Lumberjack Show 0 Comment

Two teams of two lumberjacks compete in ten events, sawing through logs with a two-man bucking saw, racing up and down a 90-foot pole and running across logs in the water. More often than not they don’t make it across before tumbling into the water with a big splash. The crowd boos the opposing team and cheers for their team with a loud Yo-Ho! At a Fred Sheer’s Lumberjack Show you’ll learn a little about logging life, witness the skill that it took to be a lumberjack, and have a whole lot of fun.

The 1800s lumberjack spent months in northern Michigan, Minnesota or Wisconsin felling trees, hauling them by wagon or sleigh to the river and floating them downstream. Logging was hard work that took skill, teamwork and the use of manual tools, either one-man or two-man bucking saws or cross-cut saws and axes. At times lumberjacks had to climb high in the trees, and once they were felled, the heavy logs would have to be cut into sections and lifted onto a wagon or sleigh with the help of a rope.

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At the end of a season, lumberjacks left their camp and headed to the nearest small town. There could be 10 to 12 logging teams going to the same town, and one of the first places they visited was the local watering hole. The lumberjacks would greet each other with a Yo-ho, and conversation would eventually turn to banter about who was the better skilled team. They would challenge each other to competitions to prove the better lumberjacks.

The Fred Sheer’s Lumberjack Show emulates those challenges with skilled lumberjacks but adds comedy, making for an entertaining hour. Held at the same arena as the annual Lumberjack World Championships® in what used to be a holding site for Weyerhaeuser’s North Wisconsin Lumber Company, the audience is divided into two sides, one half cheering for one team and the other half cheering for the opposing team. The competition includes events such as a cross-cut saw contest, an axe throwing contest and relay races.

Some try to cheat by using a chain saw.

One contestant demonstrates his speed carving talent.

Okay, so it doesn’t look like he’s such a great carver, but when finished and turned over, the not-so-great carving turned into a cute little stool that was given away to a child in the audience.

You’ll be amazed at the way the lumberjacks can climb 90 feet up a pole and back down again within seconds.

Log rolling and the log boom run are great fun to watch. Most contestants fall in the water at some point. However, lumberjack Charlie, two-time world champion, made it across the log boom several times without falling once.

The final, hilarious act of the show is canoe jousting, where opponents fight until one knocks the other into the water.

With logging such a big part of 19th century Wisconsin Northwoods, a lumberjack show makes fitting and entertaining addition to your trip, particularly a lumberjack show held in the arena used for the annual Lumberjack World Championships.

Fred Sheer’s Lumberjack Shows, located at Lumberjack Village one mile east of Hayward, Wisconsin, on Highway B, run June through August. Lumberjack Village also includes the River Deck Restaurant, a mini golf course, an ice cream shop, a boutique, and log cabin rentals. Check the web site for details, including exact schedule and ticket prices.

Disclosure: My visit to Fred Sheer’s Lumberjack Show was hosted by Fred Sheer’s Lumberjack Show and the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, but any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

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Bristol Renaissance Faire, Kenosha, Wisconsin: Experience 16th Century Life

Connie Attractions & Events, Food & Drink, Wisconsin August 23, 2014August 22, 2016Bristol Renaissance Faire, bristol renaissance festival, Bristol WI, Kenosha attractions, ren faire, ren faire bristol, Wisconsin Renaissance Faire 0 Comment

The year is 1574, and the Queen is visiting the English city of Bristol. Merriment is everywhere: parades march down the streets, merchants hawk their wares, and minstrels and jesters entertain the villagers. For two months every summer, you can go back in time and take part in the recreation of Queen Elizabeth’s Bristol visit at the Bristol Renaissance Faire in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Read more

Holiday World, Santa Claus, Indiana: Family Friendly Theme Park

Connie Attractions & Events, Indiana August 20, 2014April 23, 2015Holiday World IN, Santa Claus IN, Santa Claus Indiana, Splashin' Safari 0 Comment

Don’t get me wrong. I love adventure. That love affair, however, doesn’t extend to the sensation of falling to my death. I am not a roller coaster lover, never have been and probably never will be. Nor can I tolerate spinning and spinning on a ride until I am nauseous. But I love theme parks anyway. I enjoy the festive atmosphere, the shows, and the rides that don’t totally freak me out or make me lose my lunch.

I visited Holiday World, in Santa Claus, Indiana, with my daughter and granddaughter and was pleasantly surprised at the number of options both for me and for my granddaughter who is too old to go on rides designed for little kids but not quite ready for the big stuff. My daughter went along with whatever we wanted to do. Holiday World categorizes their rides by Child, Mild, or Wild, helpful in determining which rides to choose. All of the rides we went on were rated Mild. The park is family friendly in other ways, too, from the shows to budget-friendly menus, including free beverages.

The Rides
We did actually go on a roller coaster. It wasn’t the Voyage, the #1 Wooden Coaster in the nation according to TIME magazine.

We went instead on the Howler, about as much as I could brave.

All three of us rode the carousel.

And later took a twirl on the Turkey Whirl.

I took a pass on the Kitty’s Tea Party, though, and I’m glad I did. At the rate that my granddaughter was making the teacup spin, my daughter came stumbling off of the ride in dizziness. I could only imagine what state I’d be in if I’d ridden it.

The Holidog Express ride was on the short side. Whereas at many theme parks the train goes around the park and you get somewhat of a guided tour, this one was more entertaining for small kids, going past cute nursery rhyme scenes.

When my granddaughter saw all the other kids driving the old-fashioned cars on the Lewis & Clark Trail, she jumped right into the driver’s seat at took off at top speed. I thought for a minute that we’d be the first car ever to jump the track.

I didn’t get photos of my two favorite rides because one ride was too wet and the other too dark. I had taken freezer bags with me to tuck my phone and wallet into during the water rides, but found that Holiday World provides free lockers at the Raging Rapids. Put the items you don’t want to get wet into the locker, take the key, and your possessions are kept safe and dry for the duration of your ride. We didn’t get too wet on the Raging Rapids after all, whereas the folks on the other side of our raft got drenched in the waterfall. If you do get drenched and want to dry quickly, Holiday World has family dryers near the exit of the ride. The cost is $5, but since we didn’t need it, I didn’t check to see how they work or how well they work.

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My other favorite ride was the Gobbler Getaway. You sit in a car that takes you along a dark track and shoot a laser gun—er, a turkey caller—to try to round up the turkeys in time for Thanksgiving.

The Shows
From “Santa’s Storytime” and “Holidog & Friends” geared toward the little ones to song-and-dance shows and a thrilling diving stunt show, those who want a break from the rides will find an option to suit them. Several shows are scheduled throughout the day in both indoor and outdoor theaters. We had time for just one performance, which was a Christian show called “EPIC Praise.”

Free Beverages and Reasonably Priced Food
Something I haven’t seen before at any theme park is free soft drinks. Holiday World has several Pepsi Oases throughout the park with complimentary self-serve soda and water. Food prices are listed on the web site along with an allergen-friendly menu, a healthier options menu and nutritional information, making it easy to plan ahead.

Splashin’ Safari
Pay one price and you get into both Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari. In fact, you don’t have to leave one park to go to the other. The Splashin’ Safari entrance is located within Holiday World. Because we had only until early afternoon before we had to leave, we didn’t get a chance to experience Splashin’ Safari, but it looked like a lot of fun with water coasters, water slides, wave pool, a river ride and areas geared toward young children.

More Free Stuff
Besides free soft drinks, free sunscreen is available in both Splashin’ Safari and Holiday World. In addition, inner tube use in Splashin’ Safari, parking and Wi-Fi are all free.

Even though we got in quite a few rides before we had to leave, there were still a few more rides, a lot more shows and an entire waterpark that we left unexplored, which means we will have to make a return trip. No matter whether your family includes older kids or adults who love wild rides, small children or wimpy grandmas, you’ll find plenty to fill at least one day, if not two or three, at Holiday World and Spashin’ Safari.

Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari, located at the junction of Highways 162 and 245 in Santa Claus, Indiana, are open May through October, but the schedule varies throughout the season. Check the web site for the exact schedule, hours and ticket prices.

Disclosure: My visit to Santa Claus was hosted by the Spencer County Visitors Bureau. However, we paid our own way to Holiday World. Any opinions expressed in this post are mine.