Making our way back to Virginia, we had some interesting stops along the way. I took one last picture of the St. Croix River before driving to Babcock County Park Campground in McFarland, just outside of Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin is known for its cheese, but we haven’t really seen it. We drove Rt. 8 east into the sun, then turned southeast on 53 through Eau Claire and the Chippewa River, then I94 and I90 to McFarland. I didn’t realize until writing this that we were running parallel to the Mississippi River. Our friend on the Ferry from Madeline Island had advised us to follow the Mississippi. That might require a dedicated Trip. Interesting how the St. Croix River had a feel of the Mississippi once we passed “The Dells”
Along the way, we stopped in Tomah to visit Humbird Cheese. I inspected the case, first seeing a price tag of $119. I was shocked until I realized each package of sharp cheddar was arranged by age. We got to our price range at 6 years. Each package was wrapped in wax. The lady helping us, Colleen, was very informative, patiently answering all of our questions. There were many kinds of cheese in the display case, making it hard to choose. The store also had cranberries, jams and an interesting variety of meats. https://www.humbirdcheese.com
“Wisconsin cheese is renowned for its high quality and variety, with over 600 different types produced, making it the largest cheese-producing state in the U.S. The state’s cheesemaking tradition, which dates back to the 19th century, combines European techniques with local expertise, resulting in award-winning cheeses that reflect a rich cultural heritage.” from AI.
Wisconsin has incredible, huge farms and lots of corn. It made driving pleasant along 8 and 53. On the interstates there were lots of orange barrels and bumps. LOTS!
After arriving in McFarland, we had some chores to do; groceries, laundry, gas and a car wash. It was all within two blocks of the campground. Martha made a wonderful dish of chicken, mushrooms, rice and peas for dinner.
In the morning we drove into Madison for the largest producer-only farmers’ market in the United States. “Approximately 130 members attend every Saturday. All of the items for sale are grown, raised, and produced in Wisconsin by the person behind the stand.” Called The Market on The Square, it surrounds the square around the beautiful capitol building. Prices and products are clearly labeled, and every booth was neat and clean. Wisconsin may be known for its cheese, but the flowers were incredible. Vegetables, fruits and mushrooms were abundant, but the largest lines were in front of bakeries with so many delicious offerings. Then there is corn. Having passed miles of huge corn fields on our drive, we wondered what the differences were. At the market there was a huge selection of colors, varieties and popcorn.
Back at camp I wanted to address the water heater issue that Brooke had pointed out in Apostle Islands. A great video showed exactly what to do – 🔥 RV Atwood Water Heater Soot Cleaning & Fix | Improve Efficiency. The problem is it is burning dirty, and essentially needed to be cleaned and also tuned. A short pipe with openings for air can be adjusted to get a clean, blue flame. I will check it more frequently, but it is amazing it isn’t knocked off kilter every day when you consider the bumps we have endured. I may launch into a rant on the state of our highways some time.
As a reward at the end of the day, we scanned our TV reception and found 45 stations using the antenna, which is pretty amazing. We watched the Ohio State/Washington Game while texting Ed and Diego. Ed was at the game and said we had a better view of the game than he did:} He said it is an otherwise beautiful view of the adjacent harbor where many come in boats to the game. They have sailgates instead of tailgates.