It is an honor and a great
lot of fun to be
a part of the 35th
anniversary season
of Discover Wisconsin.
What a celebration.
Just like the 34 years
before this one.
We are out as a team already
creating great stories
to share with you
about the wonderful people,
places, and things
that make this the best
state to hang out in.
Thank you for being a
part of our journey.
Sheboygan County
is the rare
Wisconsin destination
that's home
to globally
recognized companies
and world
renowned activities.
Today on Discover Wisconsin,
we share why the families
who have lived here
for generations and visitors
like you can't help
but fall in love
with Sheboygan County.
Hello and welcome
to Discover Wisconsin.
Welcome to Sheboygan County.
Where else
can you start your day
with a charter
fishing expedition?
Spend the afternoon
golfing and some of the
world's best courses.
Or watching a major
racing championship
and capping it all off
by tucking in for
a spectacular meal
that tastes like it
straight from Italy.
Would you believe us
if we told you
that all of that
can be seen inside
of 20 miles?
Well, it's true.
So let's dive right in.
Our first stop lets us
travel through time
to experience the Sheboygan
County of the mid 1800s.
The Wisconsin Historical
Society's Wade House
gives their guests
the firsthand experience
of all families traveled
and lived
in the early years
of the county.
Guests arrive at the
Wade House historic site.
They start here
at our visitor center
and the Wesley Young
Carriage Museum.
But the experience
into the past begins
when they hop on
the carriage ride.
And once you get down
to our historic end
of the property, there's
lots of
things to experience.
So we have a working
sawmill that's using water
powered saws,
which is very cool.
At the blacksmith shop,
you'll see demonstrations
of how they made horseshoes.
And then at the
Wade House hotel,
you can actually hear,
smell, see and experience
what a state Wade
House would have been like.
So not only do you
get to see history,
but you really get to
experience it here.
Another important part
of Sheboygan County's
history
is the multi-generational
family owned companies
that have helped to shape
it since the beginning.
Let's check in with Andrea
as she catches up
with Sargento Foods and
the Koler Company.
I'm with Louis, the
CEO of Sargento Foods.
So take me back.
Tell us a little bit
about your family history
and how Sargento came to be.
Yeah.
So my grandfather
and my grandmother
moved up
to the Plymouth area
back in the late 1930s
and actually started
a funeral home.
That's what brought
them up to the area.
And then it was in
the late forties
when my grandfather
started making gift boxes
for people and companies
down in the Milwaukee area
that he first started
to kind of dip his toe
into the
cheese making world.
Wow.
So started a bit
differently than how
you would think.
Yeah, for sure.
1953, our company was was
founded officially,
and he partnered with
local cheese maker
Joe Sartori and the
sartori cheese company.
From the
very beginning, they
started marketing
and selling consumer ready
size packages of
Italian style cheeses.
What does Sheboygan
County have that
you might not find
anywhere else in Wisconsin?
It's home to the cheese
capital of the world
in Plymouth, Wisconsin.
So that's very unique.
Over 15% of all the cheese
that you find in
grocery stores
across America comes through
Plymouth, Wisconsin.
It's great places
for our employees,
the Sargento family,
to raise their family,
enjoy their hobbies,
and just do the things
that they want to do.
So it's very important
for us to continue
to support our communities
so that we maintain that
just energy in that
thriving
aspect of the county.
I'm here with Laura Koehler
of the Koehler Company.
I grew up in this area,
so I know
the Koehler company.
Everyone does.
I think it started in 1873.
Right.
And that was John
Michael Koehler.
And, you know, our
first products were farm
implements
made out of cast iron.
So that was the market
right around Koehler
where the farmers
and he thought, well,
I can create product
that they need.
And then he evolved
that into, I would say,
garden implements.
So think of more
higher design work.
And then we moved into
plumbing products, which
he was making a hog
sculpture at the time.
So he decided, Hmm,
I think I'll put
four legs on that.
And it became the bathtub.
Why do you think Koehler is
a great place to work?
Why would you say that?
It's the employer of choice.
We really try to deliver
meaningful work
for our associates
and help them get involved
in stewardship
and sustainability.
And also, we are in
the state of Wisconsin,
which we're really proud of
and what makes this
an amazing place
to live and work.
You know, the environmental
aspects, the green,
the trails,
the biking paths,
the the open water,
you know,
some of the world's biggest
bodies of freshwater
are sitting right next to us
with Lake Michigan.
So all those things to me
make it really
this amazing place
to raise a family
or to really live
a really healthy lifestyle.
Hey it's Eric Paulson, Happy
35th to the whole show.
Discover Wisconsin,
I've probably been on it
for almost a
quarter of its life,
and I'm very proud
and happy to
share it with you. Thanks.
Welcome back to
Discover Wisconsin.
If you know Sheboygan
and you know good food, then
you know about the
Sheboygan hard roll.
They're great split
and buttered by themselves,
but they're incredible
with the Sheboygan Brat.
Now, today, we're
taking a culinary
look at Sheboygan,
and we're going to start
by heading down 8th street
and go to try to
Trattoria Stefano
and meet with Stefano,
Violetta
and his wife Whitney,
to talk
about their restaurant
and a bunch of other
must see foodie destinations
right here in Sheboygan.
Stefano and Whitney
have been at the center
of the culinary scene
in Sheboygan since opening
Trattoria Stefano in 1994,
and their influence
has only grown
as they have opened
Il Retrouvent,
field to fork and now
Stefano's Slow Food Market,
all in the same historic
block of downtown Sheboygan.
So what got you so much
into food and cooking?
My father was involved
in a local business here
that was in
orthodontic manufacturing,
and one of their strongest
partners
was in Florence, Italy.
And so I would go over there
every summer
and I just sort of
I guess I started falling
in love
with their view of food
and how much they valued it.
And I just found it
to be such a
pleasing cuisine
and the simplicity, the
the emphasis on ingredients
and the quality of
ingredients
and then the simplicity
of preparation,
you know, if you buy
great ingredients,
the cooking part
is a little simpler then.
And that took me some years
to figure that out.
Another story
I was walking through years
ago, one of these big guys
that owned Steak
House in Chicago
were sitting, having a big
ol having steaks
and things
are reading carpaccio
with Bruegel and the guy
the mayor
goes, why is it so
damn good?
And it's literally arugula,
beef curls of Parmesean,
lemon juice and olive oil.
That's it.
And he said, what?
Some sea salt. Exactly.
So why is it going so well?
Because it
was picked this morning
by Tom Tittle, our forager
up in Two Rivers.
And it's here tonight
on your plate.
That's about what went into
that thing's life
and what made it special.
So having a place like this
that's been diversifying
with new businesses
and everything,
you become a leader
in the community,
especially in
the culinary side,
but that gets you
more involved
in the community.
And clearly there's
a lot of community
activity going on
and giving back for sure.
For sure.
We want to support
local things and that's
what it's really about for
the people that support.
Yeah, they're the
people that dine here
and we're we're one of
those companies
that believes
in that big time.
And I think Sheboygan
is really special like that.
I mean, it's not just us.
A lot of the community,
all the businesses do that.
We hope to keep doing it
and hope to keep
feeding people and
keeping this going.
Speaking of community,
we
discovered that the
local food truck proprietors
have a longstanding
tradition of unofficially
meeting up at the park
every Monday night
during the warmer months
to create a smorgasbord
of deliciousness.
I got the chance
to meet Greg Lee,
who runs the Greasy
Spoon Restaurant
and Heroes to go food truck.
To talk about the event.
So it's a beautiful night
right off the shores
of Lake Michigan.
We're at the Park
here in Sheboygan.
It is food
truck Monday here.
And boy,
what a great event, Greg.
And you had a role in
getting this going?
Yeah, it's something
I'm super proud of.
We're going on ten years
now.
I open a food truck here,
and at the time there
wasn't any other ones.
And then
a few others opened up
and we had the idea of, Hey,
why don't we park together
at
one of our beautiful parks?
And we picked this location.
And we've been very blessed
that the town
caught on very early.
And they know that
every Monday,
all summer long,
this is where you come to
as a food truck.
Yeah, it's amazing
how many food trucks dot
the streets here.
And then you have
this beautiful area
where people can hang out,
try different foods, eat
different foods.
I just
I love the venue here.
It's perfect.
It's amazing for families.
It's amazing place
to come on a date.
I have little ones
and I love coming here
with them.
And I know so many of
my friends and family
just love this event
and because it's
just a beautiful way
to enjoy Wisconsin summers.
Well, the secret is out
on Food Truck Mondays,
so be sure to add
this must see event
to your itinerary
when you visit on
your own culinary
tour of the county.
Coming up next,
we're checking out
some of the courses
that have helped
make Wisconsin world
famous in the game of golf.
And we're back with
Discover Wisconsin.
Hey, whether you have
an absolute passion for golf
or you're just starting
to learn the game.
Sheboygan County
is the place to be.
It's one of the top
golfing meccas in
the United States,
if not the world.
And I'm standing
right here
at Black Wolf Run,
one of two destination
Koehler golf facilities
that bring in people
from all over the world,
including the Ryder Cup
and PGA Championship.
Now,
if you're not quite
to that level, don't worry.
There is a course
in Sheboygan County for you,
no matter what skill level
you have.
We're going to explore
a bunch of them today.
We're going to start
by heading over to
Whistling Straits
and saying hi to Mike
Black Wolf Run and Whistling
Straits are both
designed by Pete Dye,
who focused on incorporating
the natural
landscape of the area
into his designs,
which feature
the Sheboygan River
and Lake Michigan itself.
Pete worked hard to ensure
that each hole was playable
for the amateur
while still remaining
challenging to
the professional.
But one thing is for certain
all players get to enjoy
the astonishing views
that are available
on these courses.
You know,
the golf experience
here, it's about quality,
and it's not just
about quality of
the golf course,
although that is
incredibly important to us.
But another piece
of that puzzle is
the service level
that we provide to
our guests.
We want our guests
to come here
and feel like we are here
to take care of them.
In addition to that,
we want to provide that
same level of experience
to our local communities.
They feel
welcome to come out
to these destinations
that someone from New York
flew in from
that day as well.
Now we're headed
across the
county to Elkhart Lake
for a look
at the golf club's
beautiful
and unique courses.
The thing that makes
I think, our golf
course really unique
by today's standards
is it's very playable.
It's got a lot of
rolling hills, a lot of
a lot of great vistas,
but it's very playable
for every level golfer.
The way the golf course
was built in 1923,
they didn't have
power equipment,
so they used the
lay of the land.
So there's a lot
of character here
that maybe you wouldn't
have today
by today's standards.
Golf really does
seem to be a family
friendly sport that
everyone can do.
And regardless of
skill level,
this seems like a
good course.
I think it's something
that kind of transcends
golf is that you're
you're really about
spending time together.
Golf just happens
to be that activity.
You can spend a couple
hours with your kids
and talk to them
while you have them out
there.
It's
something that you can do
the rest of your
life and do it together.
Our last stop of this golf
tour is in Sheboygan Falls
and an excellent par
three course
called Sunset Hills.
So you said this
is built in 2000.
It's truly a 21st
century course.
You designed this, from what
I understand,
sat out on a hill and
drew it up about
four different ways
and decided on this one.
And it turned out
really nice.
Goes down around
a figure eight loops down
along the Sheboygan River.
And you can see the
river from seven
of the nine holes.
You play right
alongside of it.
We have a pond, the creek,
a lot of obstacles
that people say it's
par three.
And I said,
come on out and show me
what you can do.
So for me, it's a par six.
What's special about
a par three course?
Well, the par three
course is really going
to make you a better golfer.
The shot at the green
is where all your
scoring comes from.
You know,
you can hit a drive
300 yards
over behind a tree,
but it's that shot
that you take next
that's at the green.
So on a par three,
every shot is at the green.
Rest assured.
If you're like me
with a skill level
closer to none,
you want to try the newest
addition to Sunset Hills,
a full miniature golf
course that's perfect
for introducing kids
of any age
to this beautiful game.
And keep an eye on
Sheboygan County.
As the next generation
of pros develop their game
in the junior golf programs
they're offered at
each of the courses
we visited today.
Can you believe it's
the 35th anniversary
of Discover Wisconsin?
That's amazing.
I'm so excited to
be part of this.
All right.
I'll see you later.
Welcome back to
Discover Wisconsin.
With Sheboygan County
being right on the shores
of Lake
Michigan, it's primed
for some world
class fishing.
And I got the scoop
on some of the best charter
fishing in the area.
So we're here along
the Sheboygan
River, essentially
the port of Sheboygan.
The lake is near
blocks away.
And I'm here at Dumper Dans
with the Dumper himself.
How did you get that name?
Back when I was a little kid
working on a charter boat,
I was about
13, 14 years old.
I lost some fish
in the landing.
And when you lose them
in the landing net,
you call them dumping them.
So they call me Dumper.
Dan the Net man way
back in the day,
this is in
the late seventies.
And so it stuck.
It did, certainly.
And now it's
your own business
right here along the river.
This is so cool.
I mean,
you backed up against it
right off Pier Street here.
How long have you had this?
This is my 37th year now
in business here at Dumper
Dans, I started in 85
right out of high school,
ran my first year,
26 charters.
And it took a long time to
build up where we're at now.
What's unique
about Dumper Dans
is we're kind of the one
stop shop for everything.
We supply all the tackle
and all the rods and reels.
We also clean, big
and freeze your fish
for you too.
So what can people expect
when they jump on
a charter boat with you
and head out there?
Well, we're fishing for
I mean, we've got
a world class
fishery right here
out of the
port of Sheboygan.
It's all freshwater
lake Michigan, salmon
and trout fishing.
And we trawl for these fish.
So we put a wide
spread of
tackle out anywhere from
12 to 20 lines at one time.
And we troll a wide area
from the surface
down to just
about the bottom
and cover up a big spread
when we're trolling
for these fish and
they're fun to catch
and it's unique.
Just the other day,
we had one come in
at 31.86 pounds Wow.
Yeah, they do.
And they pull out
a lot of line
and they fight.
And I always say,
when the bobber goes down
here, you better
hang on tight.
Yeah, it's a
struggle sometimes,
but that's part of
the appeal.
We just like the excitement.
We like to cater to
everybody
all over the Midwest.
I mean, they come from
everywhere to do this.
And it's definitely
the destination,
you know, location
for salmon
and trout fishing.
So, yeah, get out here,
have some fun
and have some excitement
and we'll put some fish
on the grill for you.
If dry land is more
your speed.
One last place
you don't want to
miss is Road America.
This raceway is a favorite
for drivers and visitors
from across the globe.
We're
happy to be here
in Wisconsin.
Probably the greatest track
in the United
States of America.
Literally a thrill
to drive this thing here
and love this area.
The people of Wisconsin
were wondering
who's more friendly
Wisconsin
people or Canadians?
We're not sure it's
a toss up,
but they're all great.
But love it here.
That's my favorite track.
Favorite track
I've ever been to.
I love the flow,
I love the speed,
especially the back
section with the trees,
the echo.
It's it's amazing.
It's really a great
track for big reds,
given the big straightaways
and just the big sweeping
turns and stuff
that's really
good for this car.
Well, my son loves racing
and this is the
best place to be.
It is everybody's
favorite course.
And the reason for that
is it's America's
National Park of speed.
There's very, very
few racetracks in the North
American continental
United States where you can
sit under a shade tree,
put your feet in green grass
and watch some world
class racing
because everybody's
coming here for a good time,
whether they're
racing on the track,
whether they're
working in the media
or whether they're
working with the series,
we're always here
to help them
and really show them
a wonderful time
because that's really
what racing does,
whether you visit
by land or by sea,
Sheboygan County
is a perfect example
of Wisconsin hospitality
and has something
for everyone to enjoy.
It's home to globally
recognized companies
and some of the world's
best food, golfing, fishing,
racing and more.
So don't wait to come
and experience it
all for yourself.
For even more fun
that couldn't have
possibly fit
into this episode.
Be sure to check out
our Sheboygan County shorts
available now on the
Discover Wisconsin app
or YouTube channel.