July 2020 - Big Guy Tiny Trailer

Wisconsin Camping

Our Wisconsin camping trip included five nights in two campgrounds, both of which were State Parks. There are a few things to know about camping in Wisconsin during COVID-19. One, the campground offices are not open for check-in. You just drive to your assigned site. Two, you must have a vehicle permit and you are expected to pay online for it before entering.

Kettle Moraine State Forest, Pike Lake Unit

Pike Lake Unit is a pretty, small campground in Hartford on Pike Lake. Though we were there in the middle of the week, it was mostly occupied. We had a large electric site, but the area where our camper and SUV was parked was in full sun. Unfortunately, there was a heat wave while we were there, so air conditioning was a must.

Wisconsin Camping at Pike Lake Unit — Pike Lake Unit Site # 31

However, there was a nice shaded area on one side of our site that provided a nice place to sit in the shade.

Wisconsin camping in the shade — Enjoying the shade

Hiking to the Tower

I was happy that my husband agreed to take a hike to a tower in the campground. I have struggled getting enough exercise and the hike was a good one which required some effort. Fortunately, the trail was totally in the shade, which made it relatively cool. This was one of my favorite parts of the campground, but was probably my husband’s last favorite.

The 60 foot tower is at the top of Powder Hill, which is a Moulin Kane, formed from glacial rocks. They had the tower closed and blocked from climbing. I would have liked to climb it, but not enough to go through their barricades.

Wisconsin Camping at the Pike Lake Tower — Pike Lake Tower

We had a rainy day where we just hung out at the campground, but we did go into Hartford in the rain for ice cream for dinner. We’re old, so who’s to stop us.

Historic Cedarburg

Cedarburg is small town founded in 1885 and is a suburb of Milwaukee. It has some interesting architecture and an old covered bridge.

The town has many buildings that were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Most of the shops in this little town were closed, but we had a nice lunch at the historic Stilt House. The outdoor seating was right by Cedar Creek, a large tributary of the Milwaukee River.

Milwaukee was just twenty miles away, so we drove through the city and stopped briefly at Riverwalk. It was very hot and we were tired, so we headed back to Hartford.

We checked out Pike Lake before we went back to the camper. It was a busy place and the lake was lovely. We weren’t tempted, which I took as proof we are old.

Wisconsin camping at Pike Lake — Pike Lake

Wisconsin Camping in Chippewa Falls

Lake Wissota State Park

Lake Wissota campground is larger than Pike Lake with over a hundred sites. Our site had no electricity and we were planning to use our new generator. But, we discovered that generators are not allowed. I must use a nebulizer twice daily, so it was a health issue for me. Park personnel were working to allow special permission to use the generator when a sweet young lady in the office discovered a cancellation. They were most helpful in solving my problem and moving us to one of the few electric sites.

Wisconsin camping at Wissota State Park — Pull through Site #91

Our site had a large open area at the back. It was too bad that we did not have friends along with us to hang out.

Wisconsin camping at Lake Wissota — Back of Site 91

Chippewa Falls

Chippewa Falls has one of the nicest parks we have ever visited. Because many businesses are closed, we really appreciated being able to enjoy this safe environment. Riverfront Park was one of my favorite stops in Wisconsin in this new pandemic world.

The park has a shady swing where you can sit by the river.

We have never seen solar powered benches before. There were also several places with electrical outlets. This park has so many amenities for its visitors!

Solar Charging benches — Solar Charging Stations on Benches

We were concerned about finding clean and safe bathrooms on this trip because of the virus. The park was great in this area! The building below is an enormous park bathroom that is modern and was exceptionally clean.

Lunch at a Winery

We were more interested in the food truck than the winery. However, they limited the number of people inside the winery and were wearing masks, so we went inside for a tasting. We bought a couple of bottles of wine and some sausage and cheese.

River Bend Vineyard and Winery — River Bend Vineyard & Winery

The Island Vibe jerk chicken was delicious. We had our chairs with us, but there was no available shade. So, we ate in our car, as so many meals are eaten these days.

The Place We Didn’t Go

Leinenkugel’s Brewery is a major Chippewa Falls attraction. The inside tours are not currently occurring, but we thought we might stop and try one of their beers. When we saw the number of people inside and how close together they were, we passed on this. It had me really wanting to try the beer though, so we got some at the local grocery store. It was pretty good.

In Conclusion

This was the first time either of us have visited Wisconsin. The pandemic made it difficult to interact with the people and experience its culture. We logged more time in the campgrounds than our typical trips. The state is beautiful though and our few interactions with its residents were positive. If you are interested in our trips to other states, check out our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource.

Stay safe out there!

Illinois Camping

Illinois was a new camping state for us. Previously, we visited Chicago, but were not camping. So, we camped five nights at three different campgrounds: one was a state park and the other two were private.

The pandemic was definitely a concern, but we considered the risk and had planned ways to reduce our chance in infection, Travel Amid Covid19 for At-Risk Campers. Covid-19 greatly hampered our ability to do what we most love—taking in the local sights and experiencing local cuisine. However, we still managed to do a few things that were high on our priority list.

Eldon Hazlet State Park

Our first Illinois camping site was in Carlyle. The park was lovely with large sites and lots of shade. Unfortunately, we had one of the few that were in full sun and it was during a heat wave. Setting up our camper in that blistering heat was most unpleasant. We were drenched in sweat in no time.

Our site was very large though, with a shady backyard on the lake. Carlyle Lake is an enormous reservoir which covers 25,000 acres. Carlyle is the largest lake in Illinois and the largest lake located solely in one state. If fishing or boating is your thing, this campground is for you.

We were at Hazlet for two nights and pretty much stayed in the campground. I saw a groundhog for the first time in the wild. There were all over the campground, but they are shy creatures who would not let you get too close. I thought they were kinda cute!

Illinois camping and wildlife — One of the numerous groundhogs in the campground

Nearby Eldon Hazlet State Park

We drove to a nearby beach on the lake, but did not go swimming. I did, however, dip my toes in the water.

After the beach, we drove into nearby Carlyle, a very small town. The town was cute, but pretty much shut down. We got ice cream through the drive through at the local Dairy Queen.

Our camping experience at Hazlet was good overall. Our neighbors on one side were very nice and friendly, but on a Friday night we had very noisy neighbors on the other side that were up till wee hours in the morning. I had to restrain my husband from going to talk to them. You never know what kind a person you might encounter. We wore masks the few times we were briefly indoors and practiced social distancing. I feel we were safe.

The Land of Lincoln

We seek Presidential Libraries in our travels and were very happy that the Lincoln Library was open. For that reason, camping near Springfield was a must.

Illinois Camping at Double J Campground

Our favorite Illinois campground was Double J Campground in Chatham, which is about ten miles south of Springfield. Full hookups with lots of shade trees was nice. Immaculate bathhouses, large pool, well-appointed laundry, and Route 66-themed carpet golf sealed the deal. We loved this campground!

We had an afternoon free to enjoy the pool. Though we kept our distance, we had some nice interactions with some Illinois residents. They were very friendly.

After the pool, we took the opportunity to do a little laundry. So, we were ready to spend the next day in Springfield.

Lincoln Presidential Library

Abraham Lincoln’s life and presidency is probably the best known of all American presidents. It is certainly true for me. Because of this, there were fewer new insights at this library than there would be in one where I did not know very much about the president. I did feel a great sense of sorrow for all he went through and gratitude for what he accomplished.

There were multiple wax figures and portraits and a couple of shows.

The Lincoln Home

The Lincoln home was where he lived for seventeen years while he practiced law. It was where his children were born. I suspect he was very happy during those years. Many of the homes of his neighbors are still standing on the street, which is closed to traffic. There is information provided about his neighbors and their relationships to the Lincolns.

Sadly, the home was not open for tours because of the pandemic. I would have loved to tour it. Hopefully, we will have an opportunity to take the tour one day.

Illinois Camping at Blackhawk Valley Campground

Blackhawk Valley Campground was a one night stopover to break up the miles to our next stop. It was a pleasant campground with full hookups, but no pool.

There is a river and a tiny little beach area.

Meals in Illinois

Most of our meals were in our camper, which is not our norm. We did not eat inside any restaurant, but we did have a couple of meals where they offered outside dining. Our first meal was in Camden at a strip mall. It was hot outside, but still nice to not have to cook. Service was excellent, but we were not crazy about the food.

Our second and favorite meal was at Obed & Issac’s. It is located in the house below and we were able to snag a table on the front porch. There were only two other people on the porch and they were at least twelve feet away.

I had chicken and waffles and my husband had an omelet. The food was very good and the service was excellent. We were grateful to have been able to have this dining experience, given the circumstances.

Illinois Camping Conclusion

Overall, Illinois camping was good for us and the people were friendly and accommodating. I mourn some of the things we were unable to see and do, but am grateful for this opportunity to visit this state and travel with my sweet husband.

Month: July 2020

Wisconsin Camping During Covid-19