Mukwonago

We moved to a campsite just 30 miles southwest of Milwaukee so we could visit some friends and see some sights near Milwaukee. Our campground sat on a hill that overlooked the surrounding area.  Felt like we were really out in the boonies.  Donkeys and a miniature horse greeted us as we arrived. Lots of visitors to this campground, many of them seasonals who partied during the weekend and left to go back to work on Sunday afternoon. We pretty much had the campground to ourselves and just a few other travelers during the week.

Spent a wonderful afternoon with ex-Californians Walt and Diane Smith along with their daughter, Christina and a most delightful little guy. It was great fun to hear of their experiences and see how successful the move has been for all involved. While we miss them so much, it was a terrific opportunity for them to spend their retirement close to their loved ones. And the little one was an absolute delight, he enjoyed showing off his cars and having his picture taken.  He is so very much loved!

Our bucket list included the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee. I'm not that much a fan of motorcycles but even I enjoyed reading about the start of this company and its journey to where it is today. I remember back a couple of decades ago when they had a loyal following but their quality was terrible and, thus, their sales were slipping.  They decided to improve their processes using the Deming methods that had helped the Japanese automotive industry gain dominance in the U.S. and their sales rebounded. The story told by the museum displays doesn't dwell on that period but they did talk about the issues that occurred because they had been purchased by another company. By the time they were able to buy back their company, I think they had learned some lessons that motivated them to pursue a quality focused method. The museum was very well laid out and interesting.

Another day was spent at Old Wisconsin Village, which is a living history museum where lots of buildings from around the state have been moved and restored to their original condition. The buildings are organized according to the origin country of the immigrants: Scandinavian, Germans, Irish and Yankees (those who moved to Wisconsin from other states.) The docents were dressed according to the time period of the buildings- 1860s up to 1890s and were very well informed on the buildings and the way of life in the period. We had a beautiful day and spending it outdoors in this location was very relaxing and pleasant.

With the weather so nice, we drove to Lake Geneva and spent an afternoon wandering the downtown touristy stores and taking a boat cruise. The cruise took us all around the lake, giving us the history of the lake and the homes that surround it. Quite a summer destination for Chicago barons back in the day.

We are now moving westward to Madison to do some more genealogy work.

Weather was variable but when we did get rain, it wasn't in the form of a thunderstorm. Grateful for that, as the campground was on the top of a hill, higher than the surrounding area.

This miniature horse is over 30 years old. He has been living with the donkey family so long, he doesn't really know that he is a horse.

Along with a group of donkeys, the little farm had miniature goats who were hilarious. They just kind of jumped all over when they got excited. The camping kids loved bringing carrots and apples for the donkeys and horse to eat.  I don't think the goats ever stopped long enough to grab a bite.

Christina and her Declan. It had been a long time since we had visited with Christy and it was fun to get caught up with her.

You can tell who Grammy dotes on.

The guys have a good time hanging.

Spent a day visiting the Harley Davidson Museum Complex.  Very impressive.

The central exhibit was rows upon rows of motorcycles - one from each year that HD has been in business (1906). We were impressed that, each year,  they had the presence of mind to keep a motorcycle representing the best of that year's crop.

A signature feature of HD's motorcycles is the gas tank. This artistic exhibit illustrates tanks from across the years.

A really nice restaurant, decorated in a manner consistent with the museum, was in an adjacent building in the complex. We had a delicious lunch featuring BBQ.

Other exhibits in the museum featured HD motorcycles that had been featured in movies or had been used for special events. This was the motorcycle used in the movie, "Captain America".

A double seater, created by merging two motorcycles.

I thought Russ looked quite spiffy on this scooter.

But he thought this was more his style.

This is a motorcycle from the company's first year.  They initially focused on motorizing bicycles.

The company has an R&D area, full of motorcycles and engines, waiting to be restored.

A key market in the early decades were motorcycles designed for delivery services.

Motorcycle used by Evel Knieval to jump Hell's Canyon

This motorcycle was found in a container van which washed ashore in the U.S. after floating across the Pacific from Japan's tsunami.

This motorcycle was featured in "Easy Rider."

This sculpture captured the joy of riding. The museum is surrounded by a beautiful garden and canals. 

The museum is downtown, yet there is wildlife all around. 

This is a replica of the shed that Harley and Davidson started in.  What is there about geniuses and garages?

The first building we encountered upon entering the Old Wisconsin site was a bicycle shop. Bikes were really popular in the late 1800s and the wealthy enjoyed riding and socializing in bike clubs. The tricycles were built for women so they could participate in the sport.

The buildings were laid out in village streets with several of them stores. They were stocked with merchandise representative of the time period.

The docents were all working in some type of trade or home job. This blacksmith had a great repartee with the audience. Apparently, 4th graders take a field trip here and he has a good time playing the role.

Inside the houses, women docents were cooking, sewing or doing laundry and other household chores.

It wasn't hard to imagine that we had been transported back in time, though I suspect the houses, fields and roads might have been not so well groomed back in the day.

A small lake was part of the village complex.

Three Sandhill Cranes were taking an afternoon stroll.

The German immigrant homes and barns were built in the style of their home country.  Very sturdy places.

The farms included livestock that would have been raised during the time periods represented.

Wild turkey wandered the roads. Bet they aren't so casual when November rolls around.

I've never seen a fence like this.  Small sticks have been woven in to prevent small animals from invading the garden.

Several handmade quilts were displayed in the houses.

A ton of wooden shoes on the back porch of the German farm.  Helped to keep the house floors clean.

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Lake Geneva and lots of people were out to walk the boardwalk and take boat tours.

Beautiful Victorian hotels and homes abound in the city.

Lake Geneva attracted many wealthy and influential Chicagoans. The creator of Andy Gump was one of them. Andy Gump ran, as a comic strip in the Chicago Tribune, for 42 years, from 1917 to 1959.

Yerkes Observatory was established in the 1890s and is a facility for the University of Chicago.

This is the largest house on the lake. It has now been subdivided into luxury condos.

Another huge mansion on the shore. There is a path,, open to the public, that circles the lake and goes through the backyards of these very expensive mansions. We took it for a little ways and ended up entering a front yard, crossing the driveway just in front of the garage and exiting on the other side of the yard. Felt a little weird.

As we were sitting at Gino's East for dinner, we were treated to a balloon display. They landed at empty lots on the lake side.