Pictorial of our 30 State, 1,000+ photos, zero small talk

Above photo is a Advrider retired home page photo


North Branch Milwaukee River



Jim Klas
BMWMOA Ambassador



Hawaii


Labrador





2006 Rides & Rallies


2007 Rides & Rallies


Current Rides and Rallies



Old Shooling on the "Lone Star Trail"
https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?32967-OldSchooling-on-the-quot-Lone-Star-Trail-quot
Old Shooling on the "Lone Star Trail"


Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail Link
https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?31629-OldSchooling

Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail Link








Thanks for coming along with me on my Wisconsin adventures,
hope to see you on the road!




Welcome to Wisconsin





Buddy peeking out of the tankbag
posing at the cornerstone of my kin's homestead barn




http://www.bridgehunter.com/wi/

Wisconsin
Half way to the North Pole

​

This Picture is taken a couple of miles west of the Holy Hill
where Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive crosses State Highway 167

The Church on the hill is Holy Hill,
located 20 minutes northwest of Milwaukee

Holy Hill ranks as the 30th highest point in the state

When a Wisconsin Biker says they are going to Holy Hill,
They not only mean they will be going up to the Historical Church,
but that they will be
riding the curvy Wisconsin Rustic Roads that network around the Church

Linkys:

Wisconsin Rustic Roads System

Northern Kettle Moraine Website


The 1880 Saint Mathew Church
about 4 miles south of Holy Hill
on Saint Augustine Road, Rustic Road #33.

Wisconsin's Rustic Roads
are the only type of this road system in the United States.

It is not only the destination,
but it is the journey.

The 101 Rustic Roads were picked because of heritage & nature​

Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive
The 115-mile KMS Drive
traverses six Wisconsin counties.

Its northern end is near Elkhart Lake in northern Sheboygan County
and its southern end is at Whitewater Lake in southeastern Walworth County.




Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive travels North and South.

Once you are on the Drive,
you will have the green & white Acorn KMS Drive signs
marking your way



​

Elkhart Lake is on the northern terminal of Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive.
Elkhart Lake’s early growth as a resort destination was helped by the arrival of the railroad to the village in 1873.
The Depot is now a Museum, and the admission is free.












Elkhart Lake is an old resort Town

Siebkens Resort, a fourth generation, family-run business,
is comprised of three buildings:
the three-story 1882 Elm Park Hotel,
1891 Lake View House,
and the 1916 Lake Cottage.

Siebkens Resort in Elkhart Lake













Well known for its shops. . .






And Gessert's Ice Cream






And also very famous for its Road America Road Race Track

And at Elkhart Lake, make sure you ride the 1950 track
that uses the County Highway P and J for it's course.

The KMS Drive north start/finish at the Sheboygan (Broughton) Marsh Park.
The Park has a great place to eat.
The KMS Drive . . . approved by the Wisconsin Highway Commission in 1948.
The objective of the drive was to provide the most effective and scenic highway route
that people could use to spend a day or possibly two,
seeing the best in the way of natural features in the Kettle Moraine region.




​

The 3.35 mile 1950 circuit

followed a closed loop immediately north of Elkhart Lake
beginning on CTH P midway between CTH JP, J proceeding north to the corner of CTH P and J,
turned right and proceeding southeasterly on CTH J to CTH JP,
turned right onto CTH JP and proceeded west to CTH J
where it turned north on CTH P to the start/finish line


The 6.5 mile 1951/52 circuit

began on Gottfried St. across from the feed mill in Elkhart Lake
proceeded to Lake St., followed Lake St. to CTH J and A,
then south to the corner of CTH A and turned west on CTH A to CTH P.
It then turned onto CTH P and preceded north to CTH J,
turned southeasterly on CTH J
and back to the start/finish line at the feed mil

Historic Race Circuits of Elkhart Lake
listed on the National Register of Historic Places
February 17, 2006









Historic Race Circuits of Elkhart Lake,
in conjunction with the Sports Car Club of America and the Great Race,
announced the first annual Elkhart Lake Historic Rally,
to be held in and around the Village of Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
























http://www.roadamerica.com/








Elkhart Lake Historic Summer Houses
the boat launch
Located on the west end of the Elkhart Lake
historic All Saints Chapel in the Woods

​

Saint John Lutheran Church,,
Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive, New Fane
was erected in 1871 of field stone found in the local Kettle Moraine area
and marked as a National Landmark in 1986.

It is one of two outstanding examples in Wisconsin
of the Celtic Gothic architecture of Ireland and Scotland.

The Church tower has a 1200 lb. Copper alloy bell purchased in 1886







New Fane 1880 Catholic Church
KMS Drive
​

In Spring 2006, this
New Prospect 1876 General Store (Zahn's Trading Post)
had scenes from the movie "Legend Trip" filmed here.

The Movie was a horror flop.

This General store, much like many of the old building in Wisconsin,
have been "modernized" in the 1920-40 era
with siding, windows and new interiors.

I have talked to many Eastern Wisconsin residents
whose home are 100 plus years old and have log and mortar frame work,
but, by it's exterior looks, you would think that the house was built in the 1940's.


Inside the Dundee Mill










Extreme Home Makeover helped restore the floor
in this historic 1855 Dundee Mill
they also built a $300,000 home down the road. The show aired November 19, 2006.

This 1855 Mill is on Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive.
It is on the south end of Long Lake State Park,
uses the spring fed lake to power its turbine.

The Mill produces about 3-4 thousand dollars of electricity per year.





​

Dundee Mountain
Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive

Dundee Outhouse


Long Lake, Dundee










Dundee Area





​

Hwy 45 Farm

At one time in Wisconsin history

barns were tools to make a living,
and were very well maintained.

In the present,

barn have lost much usefulness,
as more modern building have replaced them.

Many barns lay vacant, while others are used for storage.

A survey by the American Farmland Trust
ranked the Upper Midwest as the third most-threatened agricultural region in the nation,
after central California and parts of the Northeast ​

very cool trip report.

This Rustic Road image was photographed between Fond Du Lac and West Bend
near the hamlet of Saint Killian.

Rustic Road 82


The dog is a 9 pound Toy Poodle mix named Buddy.
Buddy has been a tank bag dog for 15 years.

Quote from the Milwaukee Journal:
"Wisconsin farms covered 15.5 million acres of land in 2004,
down from 17.6 million acres in 1990 - and 23.6 million acres in 1950.

The triangle between Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago is No. 3 in the nation for the loss of farm land.
That area has some of the nation's richest, most productive crop soil."[/I]

.

I have lived in this area for over half a century (Holy Cow).
In my lifetime I have seen many changes, much like many other areas in the US.

The big houses moved north,
many of the small farms and farmers are getting older,
the scenery is changing.







​

Dundee Farm
Kettle Moraine Drive




​

A brief Wisconsin history

Before 1830, Wisconsin was home to just Indians
and a relative few settlers & southwest Wisconsin miners

1832 Black hawk War ends and the signing over of the Indians land

Mid 1830's opening of Land Settlement offices in Wisconsin

Mid 1830's nearly half of Wisconsin’s people were living in the southwest lead mining region,
producing half of America's lead

Mid 1830, the opening of the Erie Canal.
Travel for immigrants made easier,
traveling from US East coast port, Hudson River, Erie Canal, Great Lakes
and on to Wisconsin.

Another immigrants port of entry was Quebec City, then Great Lakes to Wisconsin Harbors

1840-50 mass advertising & letters home in Northern Europe of settlement land in Wisconsin

1848 Wisconsin becomes a State

In 1857, the first east-west railroad from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi was complete.
Soon after, a line from Milwaukee to La Crosse opened,
and other lines were extended north from Chicago.

1869 America's first transcontinental railroad is completed
with a ceremony at Promontory, Utah.
Again, travel for immigrants made easier

"largest concentration of 19th century old-world settlements in America
is found along the Wisconsin shore of Lake Michigan" -- Wisconsin's Ethnic Settlement Trail (W.E.S.T.)

Milwaukee evolved as port city.
Started out exporting leather & grain back east,
then importing shoes & flour at a much higher expense.

Having a large amount of Iron just west of West Bend,
Milwaukee decided to make their own finished products,

so they created industrial foundries and machine shops
to make the gears
and tooling to grind the grains
and make the shoes
and so started the industries,
besides beer, that made Milwaukee famous. :)

Between 1840 & 1880,
400 families (including my relatives) of Luxembourg decent
settled 20 miles north of Milwaukee
in the Port Washington/Belgium area.
Making it the largest settlement of Luxembourgers in the Americas.
When I was a kid, I remember Luxembourg/German was spoken by many of the old timers.

Luxembourg American Cultural Center Website


Wisconsin State Trunkline Highway Overview Map.............​

Gourmet Delight Mushroom Farm




​

All the photos were shot Between June 2006 and the present.

They were all taken with a pocket digital camera (Canon S70 or Canon 610).
I mostly shot with the camera set at Cloudy, Vivid Color and 3 shots in a row 0/+/- half of a F bracket setting.
Some of the photos are cropped and very slightly color corrected.
None of the photos have anything photoshopped in or out of them





​

in a nutshell:
Here is the Heart of Luxembourg Tour


Starting at the Last Covered Bridge in Wisconsin


Directions:
Return south on Covered Bridge Road to 5 Corners,
south on Washington Avenue, to downtown Cedarburg.
At the downtown three way stoplight

you will see this.



Cedar Creek Settlement and Winery is down the street



A few miles from from downtown Cedarburg
you can take one of the optional tours, Hamilton Settlement,
or go to Grafton for the Lime Kiln and Blues Monument.

From downtown Cedarburg,
you will travel east to Lake Michigan & Lion's Den Natural area.
Take Washington Ave south, about two miles,
and turn left on "C" and travel to Lake Michigan and make a Left (north).
From Cedarburg there is only two ways to get to Lake Michigan,
as Interstate 43 has only has a overpass at Hwy 60 and Hwy "T".

Lion's Den County Park





From The Lion's Den turn north, (keep the Lake to your Right)
and travel 3 miles to Port Washington.
Enjoy this New England Style Town!




From Port Washington,
travel north up the large hill past Saint Mary's Church,
and take Hwy "H" 9 miles to the sleepy town of Waubeka
and enjoy Stoney Hill School, the home of Flag Day.
If time permits, take the Lake Michigan circle (north) tour from Port Washington



From Waubeka stay on Hwy "H" for about 10 miles.
When you cross Hwy 144 travel 3 miles and look for the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive Sign .
Take KMS Drive North for about 20 Mile to Elkhart Lake.



From Elkhart Lake,
you can take Hwy 28 to144 south,
or 67 south to 45 and be back to West Bend in 40 Minutes.
Or you can back road it on various roads of your choice.


Optional Tour:
If time permits, angle toward the Horicon Marsh,
cross the Marsh on Hwy 49, then backtrack east on Hwy 49,
travel south on Horicon Parkway.
When you cross Hwy 33, decide if you would as Hwy 33, 60, and 167 (Holy Hill Road)
are your best options to cross Hwy 41.
If you choose to cross at Holy Hill Road,
the are many great rural roads that will take you to Holy Hill.

When you get near the Shrine,
the spires of Holy Hill are visible for miles in all directions
From Holy Hill Road, travel west to Dheinsville Historic site,
Enjoy


​

The Washington County Courthouse
downtown West Bend, Wisconsin






http://www.historyisfun.com/Jailhouse.htm
http://www.city-data.com/states/Wisconsin.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Registered_Historic_Places_in_Wisconsin
http://www.westbendlabyrinth.com/
http://www.explorewisconsin.com/communitypages/west-bend.asp
http://www.westbendconnections.org/
http://www.wlhn.org/washingtonco/
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/
http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/listings/index.html



The Old Jail house Museum is next to the courthouse

Touring Historical Museums is not for everyone,
but admission is free, and that is for everyone.



Justice is Blind and Half Naked,
on the side of the West Bend Historic Courthouse.




1894 West Bend Building




West Bend City Hall




Historic West Bend Home




Downtown West Bend





























​

West Bend's
Barton Historic District





Saint Mary's School, West Bend,
Built in 1856






Big Cedar Lake








Scenic Drive,
between Hwy NN & 33





























​

West Bend at Night