Out for a Local Cruise-- Old and New Places Part 1

My good buddy Frank came by yesterday and we, including Liz, took a trip to Cheesehead Land.

First we saw gas was $3.35 at the Rock Corner Marathon station. OUCH!!!

Continued northward on Wilmot Road into Wisconsin and by the original home of Gander Mountain and past Wilmot Ski Resort, which really has to be celebrating with all this new snow.

First stop was at Mars Trading Post Inn in Wilmot. Part of the building dates back to the 1840s and at one time it was actually a trading post for the Indians in the area. It is right across the street from the Fox River which Marquette and Joliet traversed way back when.

Thursdays they have $1 quarter pound burgers, 50 cents more with cheese. Also $1 domestic bottles. Needless to say, the place is quite crowded Thursdays.

Then on to Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes. This bar and motel place dates back to the 1920s and is a real taste of Florida in Cheesehead Land. It got its name from the movie of the same name starring John Wayne and Lee Marvin. They have a $3.50 Italian beef and fries special on Thursdays as well as a Happy Hour M-F. Domestic pints are $1.50 and bottles $2 from 4 to 7.

This place also has NTN, National Trivia Network, where you play other people in the bar and people across the whole US and Canada. Usually, there are about 3,000 places and 10,000 people playing at any given time. We had two top twenties.

Talked with a guy who had been a Round Lake student when we were teaching, although neither Liz or myself had ever had him in class.

One big problem with places just over the Illinois border is that the smokers go there these days since smoking has been banned in Illinois bars. The smoke can get quite intense.

New Places Tomorrow.

These were the Old Places That We've Visited Before. -- RoadDog