Best Bets for Travel in Wisconsin
Susanne Thiede-Barnet of Wisconsin Travel Best Bets is offering some great ideas Monday on the CBS 58 News at 4.
She's sharing the best bets for springtime fun in our state. Take a look!
Birdwatching
Middleton, Dane County
Just 10 minutes from Madison, about an hour and a half from Milwaukee
Pheasant Branch Conservancy is almost 500 acres of woodland, wetland and oak savannahs
Beautiful creeks running through it
Right in the middle of town, but quiet and serene
Great place to see migratory birds in the spring
Look for sandhill cranes, herons, great horned owls, woodpeckers, ducks, geese, hawks
Around 200 species of birds call the conservancy home
Also turtles, mink, muskrats, woodchuck, otters, foxes, deer, turkey, possum
Geocaching
West Bend, Washington County
About 45 minutes from Milwaukee
Geocaching Capital of the MidwestTM
1,600 caches in a 10-mile radius of the city – some are larger boxes and some are as small as a coin (called microcaches)
Have their own GeoTour (West Bend Four Seasons Geotour)
20 special caches hidden at places like Museum of Wisconsin Art, Courthouse museum, historic downtown, Eisenbahn Trail (for biking, hiking).
You’ll learn the history of the city while you geocache!
Find them to earn a limited edition GeoCoin.
Home to the Midwest’s only geocaching “mega” event the $1,000 Cache Bash, so check it out this spring then come back in the summer for the event!
Going on August 11-12
Thousands attend from dozens of states and several countries around the world
ATVing
Rhinelander in Oneida County
Three hours, 45 minutes from Milwaukee
Trails open in late May
Lynne/Little Rice Lake ATV Trail System
Just west of Rhinelander
16 miles of wooded trails that connect with dozens of miles of road routes and open town roads
Lots of stops along the way and a very safe trail so good place to bring the family
Shady and tree-lined
Runs along Willow Flowage which is a great place to see waterfowl in the fall, including shorebirds and four different kinds of owls
Enterprise ATV Trail
South of Rhinelander in Oneida County
13 miles of trails entirely within the Oneida County Forest
A great place to see wildlife – deer, turkey, bald eagles
Biking
Heart of Vilas County Trail
Great for families
40+ miles of paved trails
Connects Manitowish Waters with Boulder Junction and Sayner-Star Lake and St. Germain
In Sayner-Star Lake, the trail is just a block off Main Street where you’ll find unique stores to pick up a souvenir, pubs, cafes to grab a drink or a meal before hopping back on your bike
Near Boulder Junction there are some scenic detours that run along parks and beaches, including down to Crystal Lake – one of the most beautiful lakes in the Northwoods, great for swimming
On the western part of the trail are some incredible bridges that cross the rapids of the Manitowish River and Rice Creek
For more information click here