spring fever
I don’t know about you, but I’m in total spring fever mode over here and gearing up for the summer! There are 28 days of school left (but who’s counting?…..oh wait….my kids are….they are definitely counting) and our summer is already filling up. We’re headed out to Rapids City right after school lets out to show the boys the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer Park….ALL the things! Then when we get back, they have summer school, my sister’s coming for 10 days from Virginia, we’ll go camping for a week in the U.P…..camping some more at High Cliff. It’s crazy how quickly the summer can get away from you without you even doing some of the things you want to do.
SO! Two years ago, I created a list. The Steffen Summer Sun list (because I’m weird and love a good alliteration). I wanted to make sure we were actually doing some of the things that were amazing in our area and that I didn’t miss out on. Otherwise, at the end of summer, I’m like “oh damn! we didn’t do that….or we didn’t go there” and I have FOMO. So….the list. I add to it every year. The kids are getting older, their abilities and interests have changed, so it’s necessary to modify. Feel free to copy it, let me know what I should add to it…..or completely disregard it!
Steffen Summer Sun List
Mulberry Petting Farm : Have you been? It’s a little over an hour away from Stevens Point, on the east side of Appleton. I came upon this farm for the first time in 2018 right after our dog died and I needed to snuggle some animals. Since then we’ve made it a yearly trip. You can hold baby bunnies, kittens, milk a cow, play around with the goats, sheep, go on a tractor ride…. They also have a huge sand area with different toys to play and dig in. It’s really worth the drive and fills my need to snuggle animals!
I promise I won’t show pictures of every list item…but come on!!!! They’re so damn cute! And this was from 2018 when my babies were still babies!!! *sniff
Minocqua Zoo : Wildwood Wildlife Zoo - about 90 mins north of Point. Awesome zoo where you can feed the giraffes and parakeets (my family’s favorite), dig up dinosaur fossils and come across deer on the paths.
Shamba Safari : the location of my most favorite video of my family. Jonny repeatedly screaming “HONK THE HORN!!!” while Jon tries to muscle a camel out of our car. Seriously….hilarious. But this place is a super fun drive through safari.
Strawberry picking at Arnolds: I have been taking the boys here for years. They are great with the kids! And the berries are even better!
Raspberry picking at Lakeview Berry Farm: I love this farm. The landscape is breathtaking, they have a multitude of different kinds of raspberries, blueberries and currants. Highly recommend checking them out and then hanging at the playground a little bit afterwards on the tire swing
Blueberry picking at Chets: Even though my kids like the golf cart rides more than the actual picking….Chet has kept his property filled with plump blueberries that are delish!
Sunset Lake: Not everyone loves Sunset, but I do! We pack a picnic, bring some tubes of some sort, goggles and a net. I like trying to catch the frogs in the parking lot that has been flooded for years.
Fishing (Lake Pacawa is easiest): It’s easy to get (and keep) the kids interested in fishing when it’s so easy to catch bluegills! We’ve learned some tricks to catch bass as well.
Bay Beach Amusement Park: Cheap! Love it! I’m not the hugest fan of carnival rides anymore….what with getting old now…..but I can still handle most of the rides here and even if I end up filling sick the rest of the day, it’s cheap and the kids love it!
Municipal Pool: Let’s not discount our local pool. If you get a membership (which is really inexpensive!) you can easily take a quick dip before dinner in the summer and work off some of that energy.
Rapids Aquatic Center - Witter Park Aquatic Center: Big fan…..Big. When they first allowed “outsiders” in after covid, I was totally overwhelmed. Jameson was only 3 and Jonny 6 and they weren’t great swimmers, so I felt pulled in all the directions. But now, since both boys are confident in swimming, I don’t worry…..AS much. Plus they have life jackets that you can rent for free!
Henry Vilas Zoo: FREE…..free zoos are the best and this is one of them! We recently just went to St Louis where their zoo is also free. It’s amazing but HUGE. I love the Henry Vilas zoo. They have a great variety of animals and you don’t feel overwhelmed by it’s size.
Green Bay Botanical Gardens: Have you been yet???? You need to go!!! They just created a BEAUTIFUL playground/splash pad area that’s built into the landscape so it’s quite a different “park” than anything else you’ve seen. The grounds themselves are gorgeous, but when you’re taking the kids, they’re going to get sick of just looking at flowers……the playground is a fantastic way to break up the day….for those of us who LIKE to look at the flowers :)
Kohler-Andrae State Park: Just go. It’s so pretty.
Central Waters Brewing Co.: I love this brewery. It’s kid and dog friendly (outside…..for both! ha! jk). Sitting outside on the picnic benches, grabbing some of Chef C’s Munchie Mobile truffle fries and an HHG, while my kids run around and play cornhole or connect four on a summer evening? Sign me up!
Hot Air Balloon Fest : This used to be in Wausau in July, but I heard rumblings it’s moved….so I’ll keep you posted
Oasis in Hancock: We went here for the first time with friends to kick off the summer last year and the boys talked about it FOR THE REST OF THE SUMMER.
Levitt Amp Series at Pfiffner: We are so lucky to have this incredible series every summer. It’s my favorite way to spend Thursday nights. I love the music, I love the atmosphere, I love just seeing my friends and letting the kids hang out!
Stoney Acres Pizza Nights: I have to admit…..we’ve never been here, but it’s been on my list for several years! Maybe this year’s the year!
Wolf River Tubing: I’ve done this when I was little and I’ve done this in my twenties, but I haven’t done it yet with my kids……we’ll see how it goes!
Riverfront Rendezvous: I hear the line-up for music this year is pretty sweeeeeeeet!!!
WI State Fair: Okay, the state fair is not my thing, BUT……..I might make an exception for a cream puff.
Cave of the Mounds: How cool that we have these amazing caves, not too far away….then you can hike around Mr. Horeb while you’re down there as well!
Elroy Sparta Bike Trail: Now that the boys are older and can bike more of a distance without me hauling their little asses on the bike trailer, this is a must do for us this summer and I’m so excited.
Devil’s Lake: Jonny is always saying “I want to climb rocks and climb up mountains!” and Devil’s lake is the perfect place for that kind of adventure.
Hartman Creek: 18 mins from our house in Plover and a great way to burn off some steam with a nice hike around the lake and then swimming or kayaking at the beach
W.O.W (Wausau on the Water): On those rainy days, you may need a little bit of arcade action and if you’re like me, you’ll most likely grab a game-card for yourself. Those arcade games where you drop quarters down and then it pushes the other quarters forward? Those are the death of me.
Iola Car Show: a classic. Bring a wagon or trailer so when the kids are tired of walking….give them a root beer float from the A&W food truck and let them ride along while you keep looking at the cars.
Crystal River Kayaking: Another thing I’ve done as a kid, but not “with” my kids…..we’ll see how it goes this summer!
*Fun Fact: I can come hang out with you and your family if you go to any of these adventures and I can capture it all! Why should YOU be taking all the pictures? You should be IN them!
