Saturday, August 7, 2010

Still going South to Spring Green and the House on the Rock

This is the Mill offices at Park Falls. Slim and Bill work for the mill, and have for some time.
I am a curious person by nature. Also my mind doesn't grasp huge things like our national budget, national debt, the number of cars imported or the number of trees in the woods. Now in the above picture you see what the folks in Park Falls see daily.
These stacks are a few stacks of wood held by the mill to make paper. I estimated the stacks to be about a 1/4 mile long, I would think that would make enough paper for the whole world, and when they used that up Bill and Slim would lose their jobs.
They told me birch wood makes the best paper, so you are looking at birch wood. Also they want it to age a year before it is used. Every scrap of that log is used. The skin is used to fire boilers for the Electricity generators for the plant. The rest makes our paper. Thanks guys, I use a lot of it.
We said good by to the Concrete park as we drove by it on highway #13.


This is summer, but since I was curious a few years ago I know those are Ski Slopes in the winter we are looking at. Sherry and have hiked a few of them in Vermont and New Hampshire while on the Appalatchian trail.

Sherry snapped this sign for Green Bay, Wisconsin, becvause it is such a world famous name and we are passing it.


I asked for this shot 'cause I just love barns.





Now we are further south and the land smoothes out and back into farm land.



Ahhh, I love these huge corn fields. Somebody has to raise the corn to feed the cows to give the milk to make this Wisconsin Cheese!!!



I am curious, here near Baraboo, WI. at a motel I see what looks like a cyclotron, I know it isn't, and it must be some indoor ride, but I will find out. Hey, Bill & Dar's grand daughters live near here I think. We got to meet them briefly up in Park Falls. They like their Grandma are beautiful girls.



Ohhhh, I couldn't pass up this field of SunFlowers. I thought of John's daughter down in Texas knocking some down for the land lord, I never did ask why! I thought folks ate the seeds.




This picture and the one below leave me wondering, what are these empty train cars used to haul. What ever it is there must be a lot of it because there were a BUNCH of cars empty waiting.
the cars have a center spline like something is held or stacked on both sides. I might find out, I don't know about that one, do you?


Sherry caught this house near Spring Green Hige above the fields that surround it. NOOOO it is not the House on the Rock.
We visited it today, tomorrows entry will tell some, I just wanted you to know it is one of the best tourist attractions we have ever seen. INTERESTING!! I'll say. Not boring that is for sure. The man who designed it, Alex Jordon was a genius.
We are parked at Valley Camp ground until tomorrow then we head for Iowa and Missouri.
Thanks for coming this way,
Nite Shipslog
PS:
WHY ATHLETES CAN'T HAVE REGULAR JOBS:
Bill Peterson, a Florida State football coach:
"You guys line up alphabetically by height."
And, "You guys pair up in groups of three, and then line up in a circle."
Boxing promoter Dan Duva on Mike Tyson going to prison:
"Why would anyone expect him to come out smarter? He went to prison for three years, not Princeton ."

7 comments:

~mel said...

So happy to hear that all is well and you once again reached your destination. House On The Rock is amazing! Those empty rail cars look like the ones that they haul pulp wood logs in. They load them in lengthwise and the side bars keep them from rolling out. I'm so happy you're enjoying your tour through my state AND so happy that it included little ol' Slim & me and family!! Did you get some cherries for Sherry while in Door County (by Green Bay)? They're famous for it. AND .... I hope you stopped somewhere along the line and had some fresh cheese curds. Wisconsin cows make the BEST cheese ever. Busy week ahead for me ... getting this daughter of mine married off. Too bad you couldn't of stayed a little longer and had some wedding cake. You two take care and keep it between the ditches. Safe travels!!

Dar said...

Ski hills, would be nice if they had some nice cool snow on them...you were here for the cool of the month. It was another blisterer out there today topping near 90 and humid again. It just rained another full inch in less than 15 minutes.
So So happy you came. I will have to show you all of my barn pictures one of these days. I have always loved them.
That Baraboo cyclone is a waterslide at the Wolf's Inn ?not sure I got the name right, I have not been there...it's a great log lodge. My boys take the kids there in the winter time, as they also have an indoor water park. Sy loves it.
I'm anxious to see the House on the Rock...another WI place we have yet to see.
Have a safe trip. Go see boot hill...I think there must be at least one in every county in Missouri. Haaa!
If you love pork chops, Iowa has the best chops around since they raise alot of hogs on that corn mash. Bill salivates every trip through their state.
BlessYourHearts and StaySafe

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Our USA sure is a beautiful country. No matter where you go it's a great place to be. It makes me so happy to see it traveling through your eyes. It's a little noisy hear this evening at our campground. There is a big party of tenters below where my camper is and I think they are partying.
Safe travels to you both.

Paula said...

Jack our sunflowers are not the giant ones that make the good seeds. Our just grow thick and sap the moisture from the land. Cows do not eat sunflowers they eat grass so therefore landlords do not like the sunflowers that grow here.

Y said...

We love the House on the Rock! I'd love to see the concrete park. Thanks for "introducing" me to Dar.

shirl72 said...

Well more beautiful Country. I feel like I
know Mel and Dar and their family after
reading about them and seeing WI Sights.
What a interesting trip. I need to rest after
traveling with you it has been a smooth trip
looking through your windshield.

Shirl

Fred Alton said...

Jack and Sherry - I so enjoy reading about your adventures. I was thinking - what did I do for entertainment before I started reading blogs? LoL. I'm enjoying seeing the country and visiting friends vicariously through your writings. Be safe! Have fun!