Scenic drives through the Southwest Wisconsin unique glacial carved driftless topography, featuring award winning cheese factories, historic towns, interesting attractions, campgrounds, swiss and cornish culture, and interesting things to see and do.
An exceptional RV campground in SW Wisconsin Some RVers visiting the collection of quaint and historic cheese producing communities along Wisconsin Highway 11 from Dubuque, IA to Monroe, Wisconsin may need a good overnight camping spot along the route. If that is you check out this neat little campground in the tiny village of Gratiot, … Read more
About a mile south of historic Shullsburg, Wisconsin is an interesting and fun phenomenon that must be seen and experienced to believe. Some would say there are mystic forces involved. Others will go with the scientific explanation that it is a trick of perception – your eyes deceive you, what you “see” is not “what you get.”
Driving South of Shullsburg on County Road U there is a point in the road where you are going downhill. However if you stop your vehicle at a certain point and put your transmission in neutral, take your foot off the brake, you will find yourself coasting backwards uphill!
See our video of this amazing experience.
How to get to Gravity Hill.
In downtown Shullsburg go to the intersection of Water Street and Judgement Street. Turn south on Judgement Street and take it out of town (where it is now known as County U).
Once clearly out of town, look for a paved road on your left (Rennick Road). Continue past that intersection about 600 feet and look for a GH and a line painted on the road. That is where you stop to try your coasting uphill experiment. Put your flashers on and beware of oncoming traffic.
If prior to your Gravity Hill experience you haven’t stopped and spent time in Shullsburg, do it. Things to do include: visiting the Shullsburg Creamery Cheese Shop, stopping in some interesting shops and boutiques, browse antique and collectable items, dine at some neat pubs and restaurants, visit the mining museum, and do a walking tour around town looking at the historic buildings that have been restored.
After our Gravity Hill experience, we stopped in Kingsley Crossing where Jo and the girls got some ice cream cones.
Keena about to enjoy a “Superman” flavor ice cream cone.
Settled in 1827, Mineral Point was prominent in the creation of the Wisconsin Territory, serving as the host town for the July 4, 1836 inauguration of the first territorial governor, Henry Dodge. As the center of the evolving lead mining industry, Mineral Point grew quickly and drew immigrants from Cornwall England an area with a rich mining history. By 1850 the majority of the residents of Mineral Point had Cornish ancestry. The Pendarvis Settlement, a Wisconsin Historic Site, preserves some of the early structures and relates the history of Cornish settlements and mining in Mineral Point. Many other Mineral Point buildings from its early history have been restored and are found along Commerce Street, High Street, and ShakeRag Street.
Today Mineral Point is a center of artists, artisans, unique restaurants, galleries and boutiques. There is about 25 galleries and studios of sculptors, fiber arts artisans, woodworkers, potters, glass workers, painters, etc. The town hosts several annual events including a 4th of July Festival (always held on the actual 4th), the Mineral Point Car Show, the Fall Art Tour, and the annual Cornish Festival. Mineral Point is also home to Hooks Cheese, producers of over 50 varieties of award-winning cheese.
A few highlights around Mineral Point
The Gray Dog Deli is one of Mineral Point’s favorite cafes.
Shake Rag Alley
In addition to preserving several historic buildings that was the heart of early Mineral Point, Shake Rag Alley is an arts education center offering workshops and classes are offered in a wide variety of arts and crafts. In the summer they offer day camps and programs especially for young people.
Jo checks out the information booth at the entrance to Shake Rag Alley
Taking a walk through the gardens and “village” of Shake Rag Alley
This pioneer cabin is one of 9 historic buildings in the Shake Rag village.
Many of the historic buildings in the Shake Rag village are used as classrooms and workshops.
Pendarvis Historic Site
The Wisconsin Historic Society offers narrated tours, with costumed interpreters, of the buildings, artifacts and gardens of the 5 acre historic site. Pendarvis is open Thursday through Sunday, June 1 to October 15th. Guided tours are available 4 times a day or at other times you can do a self-guided tour.
The original Pendarvis and Telawny Miners homes. on Shake Rag Street.
The Pendarvis House Restaurant operated for 35 years until 1970
Fourth of July Celebration
A rarity these days, the annual Independence Day celebration is always held on the 4th itself. It is an “old school” day-long and evening celebration featuring a Parade, an Ice Cream & Pie Social, a Community Band Concert, a Softball Tournament, and Fireworks.
Young and old alike line up for ice cream and pie before the concert at the Soldiers Park pavilion.
Fireworks are on Christmas Mine Hill next to Soldiers Memorial Park.
The Longbranch Gallery features rustic, folk, and fine art, the works of over 60 local, regional and national artists
Mineral Point Restaurants & Pubs
One of Mineral Point’s most popular places to eat, according to Zomato Reviews, is Brewery Creek Pub (see our review here) on south Commerce Street near the old Depot.
Jo enjoying her burger and fries at Tony’s Tap outdoor patio.
Other highly rated places to eat and drink are Tequila Point and the Gray Dog Deli both on High Street. We’ve eaten a few times at Tony’s Tap Bar & Grill also near the Depot and although nothing fancy about the menu, the food and prices were decent and they gave us attentive, friendly service. Nice outdoor patio too.
New Glarus Wisconsin – America’s Little Switzerland
Attending one of the several seasonal festivals in New Glarus, it is not unusual to hear people conversing in Schweizerdeutsch or hear English spoken with a decided German accent!
The Swiss culture traces back to 1845 when a Swiss community of 200 immigrants from the Canton of Glarus, Switzerland purchased 1200 acres of land for their new settlement. In succeeding years, immigrants from other Swiss cantons arrived to fuel the population growth of New Glarus as well as other areas in Green County. Learn more about the history of the settlement here.
Young and old(er) enjoying the annual Polka Fest held the second weekend in June.
While the town has become more ethnically diverse, it maintains its strong connection to its roots in its architecture, food and drink, festivals, and cheese. The historic (1853) New Glarus Hotel (pictured at the top of this page) anchors the downtown business and entertainment district. While no longer housing guest rooms, the hotel’s restaurant has a long history of authentic Swiss cuisine and Swiss hospitality. And on the weekends, the hotel treats you to another piece of Swiss culture – polka music and dancing.
In the lower level of the hotel, the Edelweiss Cheese Factory has its factory store offering a selection of their award-winning cheeses and a selection of excellent cheeses from other area producers and from Switzerland. While the shop is more modest in size and offerings it is not to missed by a cheese aficionado. Despite smaller size, in addition to the cheese are a selection of wines, sausages, local beers, crackers, and other gift items, plus a small sidewalk café where you can enjoy your deli purchase with glass of wine or stein of beer.
Across the street from the hotel is the Maple Leaf Cheese and Chocolate Haus that offers a broad array of cheese and other goodies (like Swiss chocolates and ice cream). Next door is the New Glarus Bakery (doing business here since 1910), known for its excellent Swiss and German pastries, breads, cookies, or dessert items. Further down the street is one of our favorite Swiss restaurants – The Glarner Stube. Nearby is another New Glarus favorite – Puempel’s Olde Tavern which dates back to 1893. Several other interesting shops, boutiques, pubs and restaurants are within walking distance of downtown. Like Monroe, the Swiss Heritage has been well preserved in its buildings and structures.
Slide Show: Walking around downtown New Glarus
The Swiss United Church of Christ was built in 1900. The congregation originated in 1850. A replica of the original log church is in the nearby Swiss Historical Village Museum.
Edelweiss Cheese Shop features the award-winning cheeses of the Edelweiss Creamery as well as cheeses from other local producers. Also offers sausages, crackers, wine, and beer which can be enjoyed on their outdoor patio.
The New Glarus Bakery offers Swiss and German pastries, breads and dessert items. We love their New Glarus Stollen, a popular Christmas gift.
Brendas Blumenladen Shop has an extensive collection of unique items for the home and garden, as well as gifts and fashion apparel.
The Glarner Stube is one of our favorite Swiss Restaurants in New Glarus
Another New Glarus fixture worth visiting is the New Glarus Brewery on the top of a hill south of town. It began life as a small craft brewery in 1993 and has grown in size and has attained a national recognition for quality brews. The brewery moved from its original location to an entirely new facility featuring state of the art brewing technology and automation. Both self-guided tours and guided tours are regularly available and its old world style beer garden offers an opportunity to taste several brews.
At the annual Music Fest, members of the Mannerchoir perform the Swiss National Anthem on Alphorns
Annual New Glarus Festivals
Popular annual events include The Polka Fest, Heidi Festival, the Volksfest, Wilhelm Tell Festival, and OktoberFest, sponsored by the New Glarus Brewery. Two weeks after OktoberFest, the annual Fall Harvest Fest is held at the Swiss Historical Village, a replica of an 1850s Swiss settlement with 14 artifact-filled shops and buildings from that era.
According to Zomato reviews and recommendations from friends, Brewery Creek Pub is one of Mineral Point’s most popular places to eat. The Inn and Pub are located in a restored 1854 Warehouse. In the pub the original thick limestone walls, exposed hand-hewn timbers, solid oak tables and chairs, and classic bar complete the intimate and genuine old time pub atmosphere. The dining area and its adjacent bar are not very spacious, yet you didn’t feel crowded. Something to do with how the space was arranged with an eye towards good use of space and providing variety. Perhaps it was also the high open ceilings exposing the thick old floor joists of the floor above and the rough sandstone rock walls did a nice job of cushioning conversation from the bar or adjacent tables.
Their own beer is brewed on-site and they offer a limited but diverse selections of brews. They were temporarily out of their Porter so we chose their Dark Amber ale instead. While advertised in their menu as “mild” we found the brew had good body and a full taste. And it was darker in color than the usual amber brew. Perhaps the “mild” referred to alcohol content, which we didn’t miss, particularly on a day when the temperatures were headed above 90 degrees!
Jo ordered their California Burger and I had their Wild Sockeye Salmon sandwich. Each came with a choice of sides; we both elected the fries. Brewery Creek touts their use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients, and injects an home-cooked artisan approach to their pub menu. The California burger came with tomato and red onion and their specialty garlic mayo sauce. Jo gave it good marks for taste. The hand-made patty was moist and not over-cooked and just the right size for a filling meal but not over-board.
In contrast, my Sockeye Salmon sandwich was a disappointment. All the ingredients were right. Nice sesame seed bun, adequate size salmon fillet, crisp fresh lettuce and tomato, decent sauce, etc. But as I picked up the bun, I could feel the top slice was chilled! And when I removed the tooth pick with the mini-cucumber at the end the mini cuke itself was chilly too. Undeterred I took my first bite, the salmon was room temperature, not at all hot. I was too hungry to send the dish back for a replacement, so I finished my meal. Something weird must have happened to my salmon sandwich because this is not the usual customer experience. Perhaps the finishing procedure of preparation is to flash microwave the entire sandwich once all the ingredients are assembled and somehow mine never got this final treatment. Perhaps the cold bun and cuke fresh from the fridge served to cool off the salmon which sat too long before served. A mystery.
Our waitress was friendly and courteous but only gets about a C+ compared to what one would expect from Brewery Creek’s reputation. She wasn’t attentive in asking how things were going mid-meal, nor noticing that my water glass was empty. She didn’t inquire how we “liked the meal” until we just about done. When I told her about my salmon sandwich, she’d said she’d have to tell the kitchen staff about it. But she never came back later with any mention of my complaint. It was as if I never said anything. Our dining at Brewery Creek was on a Sunday lunch time. They were busy but not over-crowded, still a few empty tables. Considering its reputation and neat ambiance, this dining experience was a disappointment. We’ll do a re-visit sometime and hope our next experience rises to their reputation.
A Unique Cheese Country Attraction – The Toy Train Barn Museum & Railway
Kids of all ages and model railroad enthusiasts will have a fun-filled afternoon touring Buck Guthrie’s toy train exhibit and riding on his Argyle & Eastern railroad.(see our Toy Train video near the bottom of the page)
One leg of our Cheese Country Scenic Drive passes through Argyle, Wisconsin. In 2016 on our way through Argyle to visit Monroe we noticed the sign and the uniquely painted barn of the Toy Train Museum along Wisconsin highway 81 about 2 miles east of Argyle. We didn’t stop but later looked up the attraction on the Internet and made a note to find an occasion to visit them soon.
That occasion came when we were looking for fun things to do with two of our grand nieces who were visiting with us. So we loaded Keena and Dee Dee in the Rialta motorhome and took off for a day trip to Argyle to visit the Toy Barn.
Inside the Toy Train Barn near Argyle, Wisconsin
Inside the barn is one of the most extensive model railroad collections I’ve ever seen. As a kid I enjoyed the huge Christmas time train layout at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. While the Science and Industry layout may have more feet of track, it doesn’t have near the amount of detail in the surrounding villages as the Toy Barn layout and I think there are a larger number of operating trains in the Toy Barn layout.
Surrounded By Model Trains
Every where you look you’ll see a train operating, running across trestles, through mountains, tunnels, cities, and villages. And in the various villages you’ll find action, things moving, and animated action figures working and playing. In some respects the running trains are a backdrop to the unique village creations as there is so much detail and activity depicted a person could spend hours inspecting and discovering the goings-on within the villages. Push buttons allow visitors to control the movement of some of the trains and activate other action features of the displays.
Our railroad conductor-host Jan Guthrie operated the trains, provided an entertaining history of the development of the train and village layouts, and helped guide the kids in exploring all the fun things to do.
The creator of the Toy Train layout and interactive villages is Jan’s husband Buck Guthrie. Prior to his retirement Buck was a real-life engineer for the Southern Wisconsin & Calumet Railroad.
Riding the Argyle & Eastern Railway
Although retired, Buck has found a way to continue being an engineer. On the farm surrounding the Toy Barn is a narrow gauge railway Buck has constructed and named the Argyle & Eastern Railway. He also built a locomotive, the Zepher, and several passenger cars to operate on the railway that runs among the 18 acres of the farm. The railway crosses creeks, runs over trestles, and passes intersections. A fun ride for all ages, for kids and for older people who enjoy being a kid again every once in a while.
Kids can actually operate the trains at the Toy Train Barn
Taking a ride on the Argyle & Eastern Railway
See our Video of the model trains in the Train Barn and taking a ride on the Argyle & Eastern Railroad
Billing itself as the Cheese Capital of USA there are about twenty cheese factories and producers within 25 miles of Monroe. While best known for its cheesemaking and related dairy industries, the town itself is steeped in Swiss Heritage. Lots of interesting things to see and do. I cover some of them in this article.
1891 Green County Courthouse with its 120 foot high clock tower (that actually works)
Downtown Monroe has a traditional historic town square, centered by the 1891 Green County Courthouse with a 120 foot clock tower. All around the square are interesting shops, restaurants, and retail operations.
Monroe Area Cheese Factories and Stores
In addition to being the home of National Cheesemaking Museum, the Monroe area is home to several prized cheese factories, many with retail factory outlets that will give you an opportunity to taste and buy exceptional and frequently award-winning Wisconsin cheese.
One of the largest of these cheese outlets is the Alp & Dell Cheese Store located adjacent to the Emmi-Roth Cheese Maker’s factory and warehouse. In addition to being able to browse and sample over a 100 different varieties of locally produced cheese and sausages, there is a a viewing hall where you can watch the Roth Kase cheesemakers at work. Currently they offer 17 varieties of state, national, and international award winning cheese including Gran Cru, Grand Queso, Butter Kase, Vintage VanGogh and Raclette. The store also offers imported cheeses from Europe and a selection of wines, distilled spirits, and locally produced beers.
Alp & Dell Cheese Store is the factory outlet for Emmi-Roth, a world class cheese producer.
The Historic Town Square, surrounded by the stately 1891 Green County Courthouse, is not only steeped in well-restored historical structures (built between 1870 and 1910) it hosts several unique shops, boutiques, sidewalk cafes, pubs, and retail businesses.
One of my favorite town square establishments is Baumgartner’s Tavern and Cheese Store. We always have a great time enjoying a draft beer, a bratwurst, a cheese sampler in a real swiss tavern. They’ve been doing business in the same location since 1931.
Having a brat, cheese, and a beer at Baumgartners
Here’s a slide show of just a few of the interesting shops around the square, all of them located in historically significant buildings.
Slide Show: Walking Around the Monroe Town Square
Visiting the Monroe-Huber-Minhas Brewery
About two blocks off the square, within walking distance, is one of Monroe’s oldest establishments – the 1845 Joseph Huber Brewery – now doing business as the Minhas Craft Brewery and Distillery.
The Minhas Brewery offers tours and their own retail store and sampling room.
Minhaus claims the title to the Midwest’s oldest brewery, originally founded as the Monroe Brewing Company in 1845. It became the Blumer Brewery in 1906 and continued operations under that name until Joseph Huber purchased the brewery in 1947. The Huber family managed the brewery for several years until 1994 and then was sold to Weinstein family who continued to operate it under the Huber name. In 2006 the Minhas family acquired the brewery, modernized its operation, and renamed it the Minhas Craft Brewery.
The Brewery Sampling Room has an old world pub look and feel to it.
Minhas Brewery Tours
Minhas Brewery offers tours 7 days a week. When my wife and I took the tour two years ago, we also received a complimentary six pack of 4 craft beers, a Blumers Soda, and Minhas Sampler glass. After the tour we were able to sample up to 30 different brews in their tasting room. It was a fun and interesting tour.
While modern methods and business practices are used in the Minhas Brewery, they have retained some traditional brewing methods and traditional equipment. So you’ll see a mixture of old and new in the brewery facilities. It will be quite a contrast to those who have taken the New Glarus Brewery (15 miles north on Hwy 69) tour, a very new facility that is the apex of automation and modernization.
Minhas brews quite a variety of brews and most of them are not under their own label. An important part of their business is private label brewing and bottling for a number of smaller breweries using their recipes and specialty brewing for other retailing entities (like Trader Joes) who want their own branded beer product.
The Welcome Center and Gift Shop is very modern and filled with several varieties of beer at sale prices, and beer and brewing clothing, glassware and collectibles.
Top Monroe Restaurants
Turner Hall provides one of several excellent restaurant options while visiting Monroe. Turner Hall is located in a historic building with a Swiss Ratskeller atmosphere & Swiss cuisine in their restaurant.
The Swiss Emmenthal-style chalet is listed on both the National and State Registers of Historic Places.
The Monroe Turner Hall organization was established in 1868, it is believed to be the only Turner Hall of Swiss origin left in the United States, and is likewise one of the oldest, continuously-running Swiss entities in this country. The building, a Swiss Emmenthal-style chalet designed by German architect Max Hanisch, is listed on both the National and State Registers of Historic Places and is handicapped-accessible.
The original structure burned to the ground in 1936 and was replaced on the same site by the current swiss chalet style building in 1938.
Within the historic Monroe Turner Hall is an authentic Old World Ratskeller Restaurant, an elegant Grand Hall with the area’s largest wooden floor, and a “retro” 8-lane Family Bowling facility. Its’ Swiss Heritage Series of special events features an annual line-up of programs, concerts and events that perpetuate and nurture all things Swiss.
The weekend after Thanksgiving Turner Hall hosts their annual Christkindlmarkt – Old World Holiday Shopping Market Christkindlmarket is a German tradition dating back to the 14th century, the Christkindlmarkt features unique items from hand-selected quality vendors for your holiday gift-giving.
Shullsburg, Wisconsin – Driftless Area Scenic Drive
Shullsburg History
Founded in 1827, Shullsburg’s early development, like many communities in SW Wisconsin, came from lead mining. The Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad established rail service in the 1880s which added more impetus to the development and prosperity of the town. Most of the brick buildings that now occupy the Water Street Historic District were built from 1880 to 1900. Mining remained an important economic mainstay to the Shullsberg economy well into the 1940s but ceased altogether by the 1970s.
Visitors can learn about Shullsburg’s mining history at the Badger Mine and Museum. Several exhibits and artifacts illustrate Shullsburg’s mining history and guided tours are available through what is said is the only primitive lead mine open to the public in the country.
Cheese Factory & Store
Dairy products and cheese is another lynchpin in Shullsburg’s development in the 20th century. The Shullsburg Creamery began operations in 1934 and continues to this day manufacturing and selling Shullsberg Cheese.
The Shullsberg Cheese Store is the factory outlet for the Shullsburg Creamery products. They also package products from other area cheese producers in their private label. Like many other factory outlet cheese stores along the Cheese Country Scenic Drives, the Shullsberg store offers an array of other artesianal food products, including craft beers. You can purchase pre-packaged cheese products or have your cheese cut to your desired amount from their deli case.
The Creamery Outlet Store also has many other artisanal products and unique gift items
Beginning in the 1980s local business people and civic minded entrepreneurs began restoring the old and abandoned commercial buildings along and near Water Street, the main downtown thoroughfare. Today there are 44 buildings that are part of Shullsburg’s historic district that now contain interesting retail shops, artisan galleries, gift boutiques, antique stores, restaurants and pubs, inns, and of course cheese shops. See our slide show below from some of the historic buildings in downtown and lower down the page see our link to the “Walking Tour of Historic Shullsburg.”
Slide Show: Walking around Downtown Shullsburg
The 1881 Brewster Hotel building currently hosts the Shullsburg Cheese Store and Brewster House Restaurant.
Located in the 1887 former Hillenmeyer general store, Kingsley's is a unique shop offering home decor, gifts, coffee, ice cream and other attractions.
The 1842 Edward Vaughn building is now home to the Risken-Lee Gift Shop in the lower level
Built in 1894 and for many years a grocery store, it is now the home of the Water Street Market, an eclectic emporium of antiques, house and garden furnishings, etc.
The 1883 building was the former home of the Douglas Bank is now a Restaurant-Pub with a B&B rooms on the second floor.
Newly remodeled for the Burg Tavern, this location was originally part of a three shop building built in 1886.
Dining Review The Burg Tavern.
We first dined at the Burg Classic Tavern on a late Sunday afternoon when the other popular dining establishments were closed. The Burg opened in November 2015 after remodeling a space that had served a variety of business enterprises since 1886. The ceiling was raised and plaster removed from the walls to reveal beautiful brick stone work. The high ceiling and brickwork present a nice combination of historic and new, offering spacious and comfortable dining with a touch of sports bar atmosphere provided by several large flat screen TVs. Jo had her favorite sandwich, a ½ pound Mushroom and Swiss Burger that came with a fresh portabella mushroom vs the canned stuff you sometimes get with this style burger. While the burger was large, the bun wasn’t overly big which made it easier to eat. Taste-wise it rivaled some of the best she has had. I had the Chicken Ceasar Wrap which came nice and hot, good portion size, and very tasty. We loved the sweet potato fries side dish. Service was super-friendly and efficient. Price was decent for the quality. The Burg menu, in addition to sandwiches, wraps, and pizza also offers a good variety of traditional dinner entrees – steaks, seafood, chicken, and ribs.
The comfortable interior melds century old brick walls with modern sports bar interior.
Second impressions. We did a return visit on the first Saturday in November of 2016 to see how things were going at The Burg. Upon arrival we were greeted by the friendly bartender as soon as we were in the door. I ordered a Leinie Oktoberfest while Jo sample tasted the cabernet and merlot (eventually picking merlot) while we deciding on our late lunch. We decided to split a 12 inch veggie pizza and each order a salad bar add-on to go with it.
The pizza was decent, but what we found exceptional was the salad bar, offering a wide variety of salads and fresh vegetables. It would have been easy to make a meal from the salad bar alone. Jo felt it was one of the best salad bars she’s had in ages. And as an add-on to a sandwich or pizza for only $3 more it was a terrific deal.
Later one of the owners, Jeff Doyle, whom we met a year ago, returned to working behind the bar. That’s another thing I like about the place – ownership is on site and working side-by-side with the staff. So the Burg continues to get high marks from us for service, good food, and a comfortable atmosphere.
Two other restaurants in Shullsburg get very good reviews in Trip Advisor (see below). We’ll have to try them the next time we are in town.
Brewster House Restaurant & Cafe Located next to the Shullsberg Creamery, in the former 1886 Brewster House Hotel. It gets strong favorable reviews on the Internet with many repeat customers who make it part of their tradition in visiting Shullsburg. The restaurant is connected to the Shullsburg Creamery Cheese and Gift Shop, another favorite stop for Shullsburg visitors.
Water Street Pub & Restaurant The Water Street Pub is part of the Water Street Place Inn originally built in 1883 and for a time served as the First National Bank of Shullsburg. The bank ceased operations in the Great Depression and later was home to variety of professional services and offices. In 2001, after being vacant for 20 years, it was purchased and remodeled by Chuck and Jill Staab, experienced Inn Keepers and Restaurant Managers. The Staabs continue to run both the historic hotel and the Pub & Eatery. It gets 4 ½ stars from Trip Advisor. Reviewers particularly like their Reuben Sandwich and enjoy the old time atmosphere including the old bank vault which has been re-purposed as part of the Tap Room.
Scenic Fall Drive, Mount Horeb to Monroe, Wisconsin
Featured attractions in this article: Yellowstone Golf Course, Toy Train Barn, Monroe Town Square
On beautiful October fall day, we decided to take a trip to Monroe, Wisconsin following rural roads through one leg of our Wisconsin Cheese Country Scenic Drive (see our Map). Our trip began at Hwy 78 west of Mount Horeb (Wisconsin’s Troll Capital) and proceeded south. We experienced some decent views of Blue Mounds and some nice color shots along the ridge heading towards the burg of Daleyville and later along the route to Blanchardville.
Fall color along highway 78 south of Mount Horeb, Wisconsin
Fall color along Highway 92 south of Mount Horeb, Wisconsin
Argyle, Wisconsin
We continued south on Hwy 78 another 8 miles to the village of Argyle. A little northwest of the village is the Yellowstone Golf Course and Gnarly Oak Restaurant. We had read online of their “senior fall special” green fee and cart for $13 so Jo and I packed our clubs to give the course a try. A bonus was some nice color in the trees surrounding the course.
Yellowstone Golf Course Review. It is a links style course with only a sprinkling of trees here and there lining the fairways. But the course is surrounded by woods so it is not as open as some links style courses. They have 3 sets of tees (Blue – 3158 yards for longer hitters; White – 2766 yards for the regular Men’s tees; and Red – 2324 for Ladies Tees) . We found the fairways, tee boxes, and sand traps were in decent condition and the greens offered some challenge but had fair pen placements. Overall a well-maintained course and I liked the variety of holes, each one with a distinct character. The #1 handicap hole is the Par 5 #6 playing 545 yards from the Blue Tees and 512 yards from the White Tees. I saved some of my best drives and shots for this hole and managed to par it! Every tee box had a nice graphic of the hole layout but we found a few gave mis-information, indicating a fairly straight shot towards the green from the tee when the hole actually had a pronounced dog leg. So some golfers new to the course will get some surprises. The club house is the Gnarly Oak Restaurant and Bar, set in an attractive log chalet style building on a hill overlooking the course. They have Friday Fish Frys 12 months a year; we plan to catch one of them next golf season as we do plan to return for golfing; it’s a fun course and decent rates. By the way, the restaurant also offers Ribs, Steaks, and Shrimp dinners as well as occasional buffets. http://yellowstonegolf.com/
Kids can actually operate the trains at the Toy Train Barn
Another interesting Argyle attraction is the Toy Train Barn, about 3 miles east on Highway 81, provides fun for the entire family and an ever-expanding layout. Here, you’ll see an extensive collection of model train layouts in the barn, plus a 12″ gauge railroad that visitors are able to ride known as the Argyle & Eastern Railroad, built on 18 scenic hilly acres (near the highest point in Green County) that include a natural springs and creek. The Argyle & Eastern Railroad features a turntable, water tower, depots. There are many curves and trestles, semaphore signals, wig-wags etc. Retired train engineer Buck Guthrie built and runs the attraction. Among other trains, the museum features Buck’s extensive collection of American Flyer model trains (which is the model train I ran as a kid). We were anxious to get to Monroe before the Minhas Brewery closed so we didn’t have time to stop on this trip. But the Toy Train Barn is on our must see for the future.
Our main Cheese Country Scenic Drive route continues through Wiota to the village of Gratiot and then to the historic town of Shullsburg (see our Scenic Drive Map below). On this day, however, we drove to Monroe (via Hwy 81) which is Wisconsin’s Cheese Capital. Along the route you’ll see several large dairy farms nestled in the hills. You’ll also pass the Klondike Cheese Co http://www.klondikecheese.com/ a huge operation producing Muenster, Brick, Havarti and Feta Cheeses as well as Greek Style Yogurt. Unfortunately there is no retail store at the facility nor do they offer tours due to sanitation, health and safety standards.
1891 Green County Courthouse with its 120 foot high clock tower (that actually works)
Monroe, the unofficial capitol of Cheese Country and a town steeped in Swiss Heritage, has done an excellent job preserving the viability of their downtown square, anchored by the historic courthouse. Some of Monroe’s best shopping, dining, and entertainment venues are located around the square. One of our favorites is Baumgartner’s Tavern and Cheese Store, a Monroe institution.
Baumgartner’s Cheese Store and Tavern is located across from the courthouse in the city square. Baumgartners offers a large variety of cheeses produced under their private label by a number of Monroe area Cheesemakers. They are Wisconsin’s oldest cheese store, open since 1931. The adjacent Tavern, offers a ton of atmosphere & nostalgia, some terrific Swiss and German sandwiches, and 24 beers on tap. Fast and friendly service. In the past I’ve had their terrific Reuben sandwich. On our latest visit I went with their smoked bratwurst with kraut and onions. Jo elected their all beef hot dog with a side of cole slaw. The sandwiches came with a dill pickle and a hunk of Muenster cheese. Both were tasty and topped off with cold pints of beer. Funky atmosphere with Swiss and beer memorabilia hanging from everywhere. Good food, good brews, superb service, and a fun experience.
Cheese lovers will also want to stop at another Monroe institution, the Alp and Dell Cheese Store, 657 2nd Street. Here you can peruse a wide selection of locally produced cheese and sausages. From a total of over 100 different cheeses you are able to taste many of them in their store. They are also the flagship store for Roth Kase Cheese Factory. Viewing windows provide an opportunity to see Roth cheese being made.
