Along with all of you
adventurous spirits.
We have been discovering
Wisconsin for 35 years
and to think it all started
in a fishing boat
with my dad, Dick Rose.
Over the 34 years,
we've discovered
all 72 counties
countless times,
and we have a lot
more in store for you
this season.
So stay tuned.
Today we experience
Wisconsin's cold
as we warm up with family
and friends in Baron,
Menominee, Sauk County
and Land O'Lakes
right here on Discover
Wisconsin.
Hello and welcome
to Discover Wisconsin.
Hey. Hey.
There you are. Hey.
We're heading to
Baron Wisconsin,
where it's fall,
and it couldn't be
any fresher.
We've got fresh air,
we've got fresh food,
we've got fresh greens.
And I'm talking everything
from Microgreens on the farm
to the greens on
the golf course.
That's all right here
right now
in Baron on Discover
Wisconsin.
Our first stop, Drag
Smith Farms, here
I'll meet Gail for a
tour of the farm
alive since 1988.
This family owned organic
vegetable farm is nothing
less than fresh.
And you won't need to pack
a lunch when you visit.
This is Basil.
So this is Basil.
That's Basil.
It's a tiny Basil.
I can just down the hatch?
Yeah. Go for it.
Drag Smith is a free
concession stand of snacks
that will make you wonder
why Cheetos even exist.
Aside from an endless
edible eatery,
this place is also a hands
on library of information.
One new word from
my noggin, fliffle.
So we made up a-fliffle?
We made up a new word
for this operation.
Lay your fingers across
and you just kind of
gently rake the soil.
So these were fliffled?
Yeah.
These are all fliffled.
Drag Smith grows over
30 kinds of microgreens,
which are then delivered
to various restaurants
around the Midwest
for salads, entrees
and garnishes on
your desired cocktail.
Their greenhouses
are also
home to pollinators,
hanging baskets,
herbs, succulents, lettuce,
tomatoes, which taste
like candy, by the way,
and other unusual
plants like fig trees
or hairy beard tongues.
Let's just say I did
not taste that last one.
So from roots to retail,
we head down the road
to meet Ezra, the owner
of Country Lane,
Market and Pantry.
Ezra this is amazing
how many vendors
you have here. Over 100.
Every Thursday. Yeah.
Quite the variety, too.
We're talking
fresh farm goods.
All kinds of food. Crafts.
A bulk food store
that runs year round
offering local products,
including cheese and curds.
These all come from
Yellowstone dairy,
chicken, grass fed milk,
a large variety of deli
meats and homemade fudge.
I don't even know
all the flavors.
Triple berry cheesecake.
Rocky road
cookies and cream.
Chewy praline.
Need I go on? I don't.
But it's all awesome.
Today, however,
I prep my wallet for Country
Lane's Outdoor Farmers
Market.
The property boasts over
100 vendors every Thursday,
and it is poppin
almost as much as
the popcorn,
one of many
delectable treats
that will buzz
your tastebuds
from woodfired pizza
and homemade ice cream
to Indian fry bread.
Navajo tacos.
The tents at this joint,
however, are selling
more than just food.
An artist's paradise.
Vendors from all
around the Midwest flocked
to sell their masterpieces
here, distracted
by the phenomenal
handmade artwork,
the gourd and pumpkin
stands reminded me
that I'd better get to
my next destination.
The annual Baron
Fall Festival.
Fall decor sprinkled amidst
Baron's storefronts
and businesses appropriately
foreshadowed the
festival scene,
which united a community
of vendors selling art
with a fall twist.
I even did
a little art myself.
But of course, I couldn't
end the season without one
more round of golf.
The festivities carried on
into the evening
at the church barn
where live music,
breathed a bit of magic
into the crisp autumn air.
A sweet reminder
that fall is here.
And indeed it is
that time of year.
Time
to get our sweaters out,
our apple cider brewing
and our fires are crackling
as we begin to chill
out in Wisconsin.
I am pumped to be
part of the historic 35th
season of Discover,
Wisconsin.
My name is Jack Taylor
and I join the team
as a host back in 2019,
and I can't wait
for you to join us
on some more Discover
Wisconsin adventures.
Welcome back to
Discover Wisconsin.
The cold has arrived
and gifted Wisconsinites
with its annual scenic
winter landscapes.
The city of Menominee
is no exception.
Angelic greenery
stretches across the city
via the Red Cedar
State Trail.
Riverfront views
and coniferous coves
envelop bikers and nature
as they travel
the Red Cedar Route
just off the trail.
Nestled away on the south
end of town rests
a winter wonder.
The devil's punchbowl
nearing the downtown.
The locals get in
on the winter action.
Wolske bay
a hotspot for local
ice skating.
Attracts outdoor
enthusiasts of all ages.
Downtown shops
and the Mable Theater
are also some of the locals
favorite places to cozy up.
However, nothing brings
Menominee Locals
together outside,
like the aromas and warmth
of a burning campfire.
The Menominee Candlelight
Ski and Hike
is one such example.
We're along the red
Cedar State trail
for some winter candlelight,
hiking and skiing.
This is a very cool event.
You can take part in skiing,
sliding, ice skating.
And so we just have
a lot of fun here.
People, when they move
away from Menominee,
they always seem
to come back to to live here
because Menominee really
is where the heart is.
And just as
the Mayor let on,
people really do
fall in love with Menominee,
Donna and Steve Menominee.
Locals can attest
to this lake Menomin
Ice fishing amidst
a cozy campfire is
one of many of Menominee
popular activities.
Growing up my dad,
he definitely taught
all the children
the respect
for the outdoors.
Yeah, I'm watching that
respect and love for nature.
Continue.
Especially
with your grandson, Leo,
who's out here today
fishing away.
Oh, he loves it again.
He wanted to go ice fishing.
The first snowfall.
He was ready to go
ice fishing.
And he's useful.
He's pounding stakes.
He is getting the fish.
He is he will help
any way you can.
And hopefully, you know,
they will learn the respect
and responsibility
that the outdoor has
to offer.
They're like,
we grew up and respect
for the outdoors doesn't
stop at Lake Menomin.
Previously a ski resort
and abandoned
in the mid 1980s
woodwind exhibits
a legacy for outdoor
adventure and Meagan
and Paul were just the folks
to resurrect the
property's charm.
We had been looking for a
place to give back
and I checked every box.
So it was the property
that kind of found us,
actually.
We've got the ice
skating out here.
There's tubing to
run me through.
Everything you can do here.
Now, he grooms
cross-country ski course.
The tubing hill is open.
You have to hike to earn
your turns at this point.
We have two rinks
ready to go.
A third is going to be
coming online soon.
And then snowshoeing
and winter hiking.
When I was a kid,
we went outside.
Didn't matter
what the weather was like,
we were outside opening
this up and people
coming in support
and talking about it.
It's been really cool.
Meagan and Paul have
definitely curated a Nook
for Natural Magic
at Woodwind Park.
And speaking
of unique places
and making things happen,
Ryan Verdon is one
amazing addition
to Menominee's culture
of positive change.
How did you find
this train station
and open a brewery in this
because it is a
beautiful building.
Yeah, well, thank you.
The building more or less
kind of fell into our lives.
I was working for
another brewery at the time
and the owner had been
basically trying to buy this
for a lot of years.
He felt that it would
probably be in
everyone's best interest
if he offered it to me.
And that was not,
you know, a thing
that I was like expecting.
And what do you love
about making beer so much?
I love being a part
of the community.
I love being a part
of making things
happen around here.
And maybe
it's the beer talking, but
I definitely think
these cozy bonfires
breed a strong sense
of community here.
And I think that's
what it's all about is
is working together
with the community
to do good things
for the community.
We just held the community.
Basically, we have
this place.
We'd love to
share it with you,
but you were going
to need some help
and they all
stepped forward.
And I think
they recognized that
there is something really
special about this place.
And we're back with
Discover, Wisconsin.
As the winter grows longer,
Wisconsinites find respite
in serene winter getaways.
And what better place
than the beautiful driftless
area of Wisconsin?
More specifically,
Sauk County,
home to many gorgeous
parks and waterways.
Frosted evergreens
glow in the placid
calm of Hemlock Park
and the Lake
Redstone Spillway.
Around here,
the word snowbird
takes on
a whole new meaning.
In the southwestern portion
of Sauk County remains
a secret hideaway,
White Mound County Park.
Here we experience
total calm.
Much less foot
traffic in comparison
to the other more well-known
parks in the area.
White Mound provides
a rustic escape with a quiet
and cozy ambiance.
It's got everything
for every season.
It's a great county park.
In nature, it's almost like
we're transported
to a different kind
of place.
And when we're out there,
we are going to be
detectives.
A magical winter escape.
White Mound County
Park is the perfect place
to experience the natural
wonders of Wisconsin.
In the winter.
Small puffs from prairie
smoke terrace remind us
that its wood burning
stove is at work,
providing a
comforting source
of Midwest warmth.
Overlooking the lake,
it is a perfect place
to enjoy a home cooked meal
and some games with
family and friends.
White Mounds natural beauty
carries on into the night
as well.
As a young child,
my mom would
bring us outside and just
we were just laid
out on the grass,
on our backs and just
find all and wonder in these
distant cosmic lights
are out there in the sky.
We're finding
our cities are adding more
and more lights
to our urban areas.
And so places like white
mounds are a rare jewel
in the fact that
we still have dark
skies in our countryside.
And it's a public place
where people can come
and still connect
with the night sky.
Naturally what humans
have been doing for
thousands of generations is
we make stories about
the stars
and we pass on those stories
to the next generation.
And this is kind of the
shared heritage for
all humans.
It's it's the place
where we make our stories.
It's
the place where we store
our stories.
Hanging out at White
Mound County Park
looks like a pretty
humbling experience,
to say the least.
I think everyone
could benefit
from a little time out here.
Hey, discover Wisconsin.
Maria Haberman here.
Happy anniversary.
Oh, and Jose,
I forgot to introduce Jose.
Cheers to the years.
And, oh, Josie's
bored by this news.
And here's to many more
years of endless adventures.
Welcome back to Winter
on Discover Wisconsin.
Yet again
we return to another
peaceful winter.
Wisconsin atmosphere,
the land of lakes.
Wait a minute.
Land O'Lakes, located
along the northern
border of Wisconsin.
Land O'Lakes is home
to a winter respite,
and nothing beats
a good retreat
like Bent's camp.
This, however, is the calm
before the storm.
And what's this?
Ladies will be outside
in the dead of winter
in their bikinis.
That's right.
In their bikinis.
Welcome to the Radar run
A fundraiser for the Frosty
Snowmobile Club.
It will be Ben's camp's
15th year hosting
the radar run.
I definitely need
to prep
myself for this event.
It's
the morning of the event
and I head over to the
lodge, Ben's camp's
bar and restaurant,
to meet up with my
good friend Jack.
The manager projects
at Ben's camp
to get the inside scoop.
Yeah, we got a lot
going on today,
and it all wraps up
with the bikini run.
These brave girls get out
and they'll go
100 miles an hour
with pretty much
nothing on
except the helmet.
So it's absolutely crazy.
I give them so much credit
and a lot of them are out
raising money
for a good cause.
You know I offered
to bring my bikini
and they said no.
What? Yeah, it's.
It's female only.
Sorry.
I've been doing it
for about ten years.
This is my 10th year
participating.
And it's not cold at all
until you get to the end.
And it didn't
get any less crazy
than fun watching that.
Fabulous. Fabulous.
It's a great time.
Yes.
2022
Who's your favorite
bikini runner?
I one of them went
112 miles an hour.
Check me out next year.
I know,
but
what's that saying again?
If you can't beat him,
get crazy with him.
So as we return to the calm
after the storm, I'll enjoy
a little riding myself.
Today, I'll snowmobile
from Land O'Lakes
to Bond Falls in the U.P.
with Rob and Melissa,
members of the Frosty
Snowmobile Club.
Quite the power couple,
by the way, as they also
own and run the alley,
a bowling alley and bar
in downtown Land O'Lakes.
Although the downtown
has numerous places
to dine at and explore,
including the Black Oak
in the Bear Trap
Inn and the Gateway Lodge.
Today we bulk up
with a meal
right off the trail route
at Brews, Pub and bar.
So you have a whole
extensive trail system here,
like Land O'Lakes
is kind of an epicenter,
a hub
for the trail system
in the county
and then extending
over into Michigan.
But they all kind of
gather here.
I mean, just to look in
the parking lot indicates
exactly this is where
they all come.
And with about
60 miles of trails
in an average of 90 inches
of snow per year, it's
no wonder this restaurant
has more snowmobile
helmets than food.
You know, they call us the
gateway to the U.P..
So it's not only people
that start here,
but there's a lot of people
that come from the U.P.
here and, you know,
all the surrounding
neighboring towns.
What's your favorite thing
about Land O'Lakes.
Community.
I love how friendly
it is, how supportive
everyone is of each other,
got great visitors.
Whether you're in
and out of town
or you live here,
you feel
like you're at home.
I'm not sure what
I was expecting, but
this Northwoods experience
was surreal,
to say the least.
And one thing's for sure
I did not expect this.
And after all the places
I've
traveled and experiences
I've had, this world
still somehow manages
to procure a sense of wonder
and awe in me.
It is for this feeling.
I braved the winter storms
and I'm so happy
to call myself
a Wisconsinite
from the shores
of Lake Superior
to the rolling hills
of the driftless area.
The adventures are
endless here in Wisconsin.
There are so many
beautiful places to see
and interesting people
to meet.
So hit the road and start
making your own
Wisconsin memories.