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 ...