Daddy's Christmas Angel

Monday, August 22, 2011

Getting There by Bus and Visiting Rhinelander

It's been a very long time since we've traveled anywhere by bus, so I was pretty reluctant when Olen suggested we use a bus during our trip in Wisconsin. However, we were in Milwaukee, and we needed to get to Wausau to meet our daughter. When we checked on renting a car one-way, we found it would cost over $200, plus we would be driving in a congested unknown city without our GPS. Since there was no train service to throw into the mix, I decided to reconsider. Olen had spent time researching Lamers Bus service in Wisconsin and wanted to try it out.

We truly enjoyed the five-hour bus ride to Wausau because we got to tour parts of Wisconsin we hadn't seen before. Some of the towns were university communities, so we drove through a variety of pretty areas. Our daughter met us at the bus terminal located not far from the hotel where were spent the night.

The next day en route to Upper Michigan, we stopped to tour Rhinelander. This is a pleasant community with a sewing machine shop in the midst of the downtown. Although I used to make many of my clothes using my Singer sewing machine, I had not seen machines for sale in quite a few years. The new versions, no longer Singer, fascinated and amazed me with their versatility and possibility.

Oneida County Courthouse MM Sikes
We had lunch at the Rhinelander Cafe and Pub, then decided to walk to the Oneida County Courthouse, a building with a truly impressive Tiffany glass dome. Built in 1910, the courthouse is worth a visit just to see the famous dome.

One of the Hodags MM Sikes

We discovered that Rhinelander is also famous for its Hodags. This fierce creature from folklore has gained quite a following there. Some of the athletic teams bear the name Hodag.

Ever seen a Hoday? There are a few different versions scattered around Rhinelander.

More to come ...

9 comments:

Gail M Baugniet - Author said...

I've never seen a hodag or even heard of one. But I enjoyed reading about Wisconsin, my home state. I'll be visiting the lakeshore area and Green Bay in September. Leave some warm weather for me!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Never heard of a Hodag! I've heard of a ho-down. Think that's dancing though.

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

They're scary-looking creatures. At least the sculptures are. I enjoy folks with imaginations and lots of creativity. That's how the Hodags evolved, I think!

Enid Wilson said...

BF and I did an overnight bus trip in Jan and he wasn't amused, because he's very tall and couldn't sleep at all. Of course, we didn't see anything either. Great that you enjoyed the trip.

Every Savage Can Reproduce

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

Wisconsin is a beautiful state. I never heard of a hodag though.
I always like it when someone else does the driving because I see so much more of the scenery.

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Thanks, Enid and Giggles for your comments. There were at least five Hodag sculptures in Rhinelander, all of there different. Guess it's okay for artists to create their own versions. Fun projects! Maybe I'll suggest it to my art students!

Marian Allen said...

Hodags! Thanks for the new critter, Monti! Now I totally have to write a story with one of those in it. :)

Mom and I love going on bus tours (usually day trips) because we can both look at the scenery and don't have to worry about traffic and routes. It's also cool to be able to look DOWN at trucks. lol!

Marian Allen
Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes

Chuck said...

I'll bet my Packers could defeat a Hodag! Yep, I'll just bet.

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Marian, you should take a bus trip to Rhinelander and visit some of the Hodags.

Chuck, we visited Lambeau Field and took a tour. That's a story for later!