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

[Klasjm]

Above photo is a Advrider retired home page photo

Jim Klas
BMWMOA Ambassador



Hawaii


Labrador


Wisconsin


2006 Rides & Rallies


2007 Rides & Rallies


Current Rides and Rallies



OldShooling on the "Lone Star Trail"

:r icky
OldSchooling on the "Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail"

Thanks for coming along with on my Wisconsin adventures, see ya on the road!

Welcome to Wisconsin

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

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

[Klasjm]

This Picture is taken a couple of miles west of the 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
Day Trips: Kettle Moraine
Northern Kettle Moraine Website

This Picture of 1880 Saint Mathew Church was taken 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.

[Klasjm]

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.
Here is a PDF File that gives you directions for the Route.
Click Here: Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive Directions


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.

[Klasjm]

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 :eat

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. :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.

[Klasjm]

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 and 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 mill.

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

Link: SCCA to Stage Elkhart Lake Historic Road Rally

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (March 21, 2007) - 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, Wis., on October 5th and 6th, 2007.

Linkys
http://www.roadamerica.com/
Day Trips: Kettle Moraine (Northern unit)
Cheesehead University.com
National Natural Landmarks in Wisconsin
Kettle MorainSpruce Lake Bog
National Natural Landmark

Elkhart Lake Summer Houses

Located on the west end of the Elkhart Lake is historic All Saints Chapel in the Woods,

across from the boat launch

[Klasjm]

Saint John Lutheran Church, New Fane, Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive 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

[Klasjm]

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 and 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, and uses the spring fed lake to power its turbine. The Mill produces about 3-4 thousand dollars of electricity per year.

[Klasjm]

Dundee Mountain
Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive

Dundee Outhouse

Long Lake, Dundee

[Klasjm]

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.

[tuumi]

very cool trip report.

[Klasjm]

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 10 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."

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.

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, and the scenery is changing.



North Branch Milwaukee River

[Klasjm]

Kettle Moraine Farm

[Klasjm]

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

Photos hosted at Smugmug
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Photo Link: http://klasjm.smugmug.com/gallery/1543147/1/75085940

Directions: http://maps.smugmug.com/?feedType=geoAlbum&Data=1543147
Wisconsin State Trunkline Highway Overview Map

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[Klasjm]

Gourmet Delight Mushroom Farm

[Klasjm]