We never thought we would have the opportunity to participate in the world’s largest BratFest but that’s the kind of opportunity RV travel affords! From Milwaukee we drove the 80 miles to Madison, home of the Wisconsin Badgers and BratFest!
We camped at a great county park, Lunney Lake Farm Park, which is just a three mile bike ride into town and the grounds of BratFest along a bike-only path. Since it was so easy, we were able to come and go to participate in the festivities that interested us most. We started with the BratFest Bun Run 5K. In addition to some good exercise on a lovely morning, we were rewarded with t-shirts, brats and beer!
Bratfest has fun for the whole family. Music on three stages, a petting zoo, and lots of games. Meeting the Budweiser Clydesdales up close and personal was also pretty cool. My favorite was Ace. And with all the fun (and beer) it’s for a good cause. They’ve been doing Bratfest for 30 years, and it supports a ton of local charities. We were happy to support the effort!
Volunteer Brat CookersWe counted over 35 grills going at all timesThose who benefitWinding upBullseye!My Clydesdale friend, Ace
On summer Saturdays Wisconsin’s capital city of Madison has one of the largest farmers markets in the state. We followed that great bike path right into downtown and enjoyed exploring the market and the beautiful capitol grounds. Along the way we picked up some “only in Wisconsin” goodies. Beer cheese popcorn, baked cheese, and rhubarb will sustain us for awhile. In fact, the rhubarb will be turned into Steve’s favorite rhubarb crumble.
Beautiful day to explore the cityGorgeous State CapitolYes, it’s good!!Fresh rhubarbThis booth caught our attentionAnd we made a buy!
Madison is a beautiful, clean city with the university as a driving force. We enjoyed our ride through the campus, up to the famous Terrace overlooking the lake, and then back to the grounds of Bratfest to enjoy our hard-earned brat and beer.
Wisconsin is America’s Dairyland so we thought we should learn a little about dairies. The Hinchley Family Farm tour, located right outside of Madison, was the perfect choice. Tina Hinchley shared her passion for dairy work in an almost three hour tour through the farm. The time just flew!
Tina HinchleyOver 100 year-old farm
We learned how the small farm (about 280 cows) has dealt with a challenging market with automation. They have invested millions of dollars into “robots” that monitor and milk the cows two or three times a day. And the cows line up on their own to be milked! Computers monitor each cows output, quality, and health. Amazing! And then we had a chance to do it the old fashioned way.
Robot cleaning the teatsAutomatically hooking up to the cowCows line up for the milkingSteve was a naturalMe? I would not have enjoyed this if I was raised on a farm
The farm also has the requisite animals including calves, lambs, ducks, and chickens We even came away with a dozen fresh eggs.
Lots of new friendsHungry little lambs
Madison ranks up there as one of our favorite cities in Wisconsin. The college vibe, the beautiful capitol, the miles and miles of bike paths suit our interests. But then it’s only our third stop, and we have more to see!
We figured we couldn’t come to Wisconsin without a stop in the state’s biggest city, Milwaukee. And while we didn’t hit all the sites (yes, we missed the Harley Davidson museum) we think we got a good feel for this historic city.
We started with a bike ride along the Hank Aaron trail to get our bearings. It also allowed us to scope out the path to American Family Field, the home of the Milwaukee Brewers. Then, we walked the 1.7 miles on the Hank Aaron Trail and were led directly to the stadium for a game. We had great seats to watch the Brewers beat the Houston Astros 4-0. We hadn’t been to an MLB game in quite awhile and were amazed at all the interactive things to do. With the new time limits implemented this year, the game was over in just over two hours.
Interactive fun at the stadiumFront row upper deck
We were also determined to check out some of Milwaukee’s legendary breweries. Our first stop was a tour of Lakefront Brewery which is actually along the riverfront in downtown. We enjoyed the tour, which ended just in time for us to join in on Drag Queen Bingo which was being held at the brewery. We didn’t get a Bingo, but we sure enjoyed ourselves!
Lakefront BreweryDrag Queen BingoNo winning cards
On our last day in Milwaukee we took the tour of the legendary Miller Brewing Company. We learned about the brewing process and were in awe of the history of the site. Frederick Miller started the operation in 1855 and it has now grown to a global brand under the parent company Molson Coors.
Inside the brewhouseHistoric art and buildings
After the tour we stopped at Sobelman’s, a bar and grill housed in one of the original Schlitz taverns. Famous for burgers and bloody marys, we had one of each! The slider on top of the bloody mary was enough lunch for me.
BIG Bloody MaryWe loved Sobelman’s
We finished our time in Milwaukee back at the Lakefront Brewing, followed by a stroll along the riverfront to watch the scullers. Ultimately we were on the search for the Bronz Fonz, as we both grew up on Happy Days and couldn’t come to Milwaukee without meeting the Fonz “in person.”
Row Row Row Your BoatSteve hangin’ with the FonzBronz Fonz
There’s certainly more to explore in Milwaukee but we were so full of beer, it was time to move along.
For many years I’ve kept a “life list.” Some may call it a bucket list but I prefer to think of it as experiences that enrich my life, rather than a list of things to do before death. It’s a long list, and we ticked off quite a few experiences this summer in Alaska. Now that we are headed back to our home base, it’s time to recap this epic summer adventure and offer some tips for anyone heading to Alaska in an RV.
Dog sleddingFishingRoot Glacier Hike
We had expectations for what would be the big highlights this summer; some didn’t disappoint, others surprised us. The lesson: be open to whatever experiences are presented to you along the way. You never know what (or who) is going to really have an impact.
Birthday dinner at Tonsina Lodge with the Russian ownerHiking Johnston Canyon with Russ and SusanSalty Dawg Saloon with Peggy
Here are a few of our top experiences:
Driving the Alaska Highway – While the drive itself was not originally on my list, we knew from research that this is an epic drive, from Arizona to Alaska, over 3,200 miles. We took a full month to make the journey, stopping at Banff, Jasper, and all of the main towns along the highway through Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon Territory.
We made it to Mile 0
Joined by our friends Russ and Susan, we hiked, biked, shopped, and ate our way through some of Canada’s most beautiful areas. Along the way we spotted 14 bears, 21 caribou, 10 moose, 3 fox, 6 porcupines, and countless bison, bald eagles, and trumpeter swans.
One of many along the wayRuss and Susan at snowy Lake LouiseNear Liard Hot Springs
Rubbing shoulders with bears – Once we got to Alaska we splurged on the flight to Katmai National Park to see the bears at Brooks Falls. The iconic shot of the bear catching salmon on the falls is real and we got it!
Hmmm…what’s over there?Caught one!Brooks FallsFour cubs
Walking through the park and seeing bears just off the trail was a little unnerving at first and then just awe-inspiring. For me, this was one of the biggest highlights of our summer. Steve, however, saw bears numerous times while out running (in Jasper and in the Yukon). One large grizzly even followed him back to the camper, which allowed me to see the big guy from our back window.
Congdon Creek Provincial ParkMillion Dollar Falls Provincial Park
Catching trophy fish – Okay, this wasn’t on my list, but Steve set out to make this a summer of fishing and he was very successful. He caught King Salmon on the Klutina River with Mitch, Red Salmon on the Kenai with Dave, and Halibut from Resurrection Bay near Seward with Sam.
Coho (Red) SalmonHalibutKing Salmon
In all we shipped about 50 pounds of fish home and cooked the catch at least twice a week most of the summer. Besides catching the trophy fish, Steve spent some quality time with some of our favorite people.
Mitch catches a Silver SalmonDave catches a Red SalmonSam’s fishing
Seeing the northern lights – The Aurora Borealis has been on my list for decades, but we didn’t really think we’d see them with so much daylight in the summer. Sometimes the best things happen when you least expect it. When our ferry to Skagway was cancelled we were re-routed through Whitehorse, Yukon. Steve just happened to look out the window at midnight and BAM! The lights were making their first appearance of the year and we caught it at just the right time. Breathtaking is just one word that comes to mind.
Our list of highlights could go on and on and previous blog posts have captured most of them in great detail. Instead we’d like to offer a few tips for anyone thinking about making the epic journey to Alaska with an RV.
Tip #1: Take your time. It’s a long drive and there’s so much to see along the way. While there are RV parks along the way, we highly recommend staying at Canada’s Provincial Parks. These beautiful government facilities are in picturesque locations and cost less than $20 a night. British Columbia and the Yukon Territory both knocked our socks off with beauty and warm people.
Million Dollar Falls Provincial ParkMeziadin Lake Provincial ParkCongdon Creek Provincial Park
And, while you’re taking your time, drive slowly, especially where the road is not in ideal condition. In the north you’ll encounter frost heaves, potholes, and road construction. We took our time, rarely driving over 60mph. While others reported broken axles, shredded tires, and chipped windshields, we only experienced one flat tire on the truck all summer.
Tip #2 – Reservations not needed – I’m an over planner and had reservations for most of our summer. We learned quickly that it really wasn’t necessary with the exception of the popular places at popular times (Seward at 4th of July, Denali, Homer). Part of the fun of seeing Alaska with an RV is discovering new places and being surprised by where you’re spending the night. We are glad we booked the two campgrounds in Denali National Park, Savage River and Teklanika. Both gave us more time in the park than we otherwise would have had. It was also good to have a place to land in Seward and Homer. Other than that, you can totally wing it and find inexpensive or free places to camp with no problem.
Seward 4th of JulySavage River Valley
Tip #3 – Roll with the punches – As much as I like to plan, in Alaska some things can’t be controlled. Our original bear trip to Katmai was cancelled and we had to reschedule to another day, our ferry from Haines to Skagway cancelled at the last minute, and on some days it just rained and rained. The more time you have, the more flexible you can be to adjust to the curveballs that will inevitably be thrown your way.
Marnie & Mitch in rainy ValdezFinally going to Katmai
It really was a summer of a lifetime, one that we won’t soon forget. Our recommendation: do it! And if you need any help with planning, just let us know!!!
Marnie and Steve Travel 