5382. See a game at Carson Park in Eau Claire

The hubby likes old school baseball stadiums. He grew up going to games at Goodlin Field in Appleton. He wants to see the Corn Crib in Bloomington. He's an old school baseball guy.  When he found out games were still played at Carson Park he wanted to see a game there.

Carson Park was built in the 1930s. It is an old school baseball stadium -- stone stadium, big wide wooden grandstand behind home plate. The press box on the roof. Just the kind of stadium the hubby likes. Hank Aaron played at Carson Park when he was in the minors as well as Joe Torre and Bob Uecker.

Since the games at the tournament were done early, we headed over to Carson Park to catch the second game of a doubleheader. The Eau Claire Cavaliers were playing the Westmont Red Sox out of Illinois. The Cavaliers are a college age team that plays in the Chippewa Valley League.

I was not a fan of the bleachers down the third base side. They were steep and metal and I felt like I might fall through. We sat there for a few innings then headed down the first base side to watch from that angle.

The local tournament director found us and invited us to watch from the press box for an inning. Remember I said the press box is on the roof? We climbed to the top row of the grandstand, the hand to take a narrow flight of stairs to the roof and cross a catwalk over to the press box. The hubby got halfway up the stairs and decided he couldn't do it. I was like I'll go and I did. 

The view from the press box was like any other view from high in the stadium. It was nothing special but it was still cool to watch some baseball from the press box while they called the game.

After my excursion to the press box, we sat in the grand stand and finished watching the game. 

I want to say Eau Claire won but I can't remember for sure. The play wasn't bad but it wasn't memorable. There were a few bad bounces that made for some interesting plays.

The hubby says he wants to ump a game at Carson Park. He is already talking to the umpire that assigns for that league and hoping to ump a game there next year. We shall see.

I would say if you enjoy baseball, you should definitely see a game at Carson Park. It is old school as old school gets -- kind of like Wrigley Field. It's full of history and there aren't many old school ballparks in as good as condition as Carson Park. Treasure the relics as you never know when they will be gone.

5377. See the Hank Aaron statue at Carson Park in Eau Claire

 Ever since I heard that there was a Hank Aaron statue in Carson Park, I wanted to see it. We may have driven by it a few times but I actually wanted to get out of the car and see it. I met Hank Aaron as a kid when the Arby's in town opened. Seeing a statue in his honor where he started his Major League career was right up my alley.

I finally got my opportunity when we went to the Logging Museum and Chippewa Valley Museum. Since all of them are in Carson Park, it made sense to stop and check out the statue.

Hank Aaron's statue is in front of Carson Park stadium and is the focal point of the Eau Claire Baseball Hall of Fame. I didn't even know there was a Eau Claire Baseball Hall of Fame. You park in the lot and either walk up a flight of stairs or take the ramp to the small plaza. And there is Hank Aaron's bust in all his bronze glory.

I was slightly disappointed that it was not a full size statue instead of just a bust. It was still very cool to see. The Baseball Hall of Fame only has a handful of inductees but it was still very interesting to see who is the who's who of Eau Claire Baseball. I may have recognized one of the names.

For a baseball fan, the Hank Aaron statue and the Eau Claire Baseball Hall of Fame should be a stop when you are in the area. Just even if it's to a quick peek at history and go back in time for just a moment.

5380. Go to the Chippewa Valley Museum in Eau Claire

 The other museum I wanted to go to was the Chippewa Valley Museum. It was in the same park as the Logging Museum and if you visited both museums, you got a discount. It wasn't high on my priority list as the logging museum but if we had time, we might as well check it out.

The Chippewa Valley Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday 12-5 and Tuesdays 5-8 this year. It is $10 for adults and $5 for students. The combo ticket for adults is $16. 

The Chippewa Valley Museum is a history museum that encompasses the history of the Chippewa Valley from the 1600s all the way to present day. There are two many exhibit areas plus two smaller exhibit areas.

The first exhibit area is called Changing Currents features exhibits about how newcomers to the area integrated into their time and place. There are several different modes of transportation to explore from this area as well a trading post and really nice exhibit on the Uniroyal plant in Eau Claire.

The second exhibit area is called Farm Life. And you guessed it, it shows the change in farming through the history of the Chippewa Valley. It has a farm house and a rural church among other exhibits.

Both exhibit areas were very well done and full of information. There is a lot to see and learn about it. 

Once you are done with those exhibits, there is an exhibit about Folk Music where you can learn about music in the Chippewa Valley. Another very well done exhibit. In the children's gallery is an exhibit about local children and their families.

Don't forget the old fashioned ice cream parlor that you can get a scoop of ice cream in after your tour.

Outside is an old one room schoolhouse that we weren't planning on going in but since it was open we did peek inside. The docent was very knowledgeable but it was like any other one room schoolhouse. 

The museum was amazing. I wish we had more time to fully explore it. Hopefully one day we will be able to go back and explore more. I felt we rushed through it because I wanted to get back to the diamond before our lunch got cold. But when got back, our lunch wasn't there yet. 

I would definitely stop at this museum if you are ever in Eau Claire. It is worth the time and money. 

5378. Go to Wisconsin Logging Museum in Eau Claire

 When the hubby first told me the schedule for the Ohio Valley Regional Tournament in Eau Claire, games weren't going to start until like 4 on Thursday and he had meetings starting at 1. I started looking for something to do to fill my time. The hubby really isn't good at sitting around either. After looking through the bucket list, I came up with a couple museums. They both opened at noon and were located in Carson Park. THEN the schedule changed, less teams were coming but that meant more games. I told the hubby I where I wanted to go and he could come if he wanted. He opted to go with me but we went the next day when he had a break in games.

The first museum we checked out was the Wisconsin Logging Museum. Inside the museum you learned about life in a logging camp and the history of logging of Wisconsin.

Outside you are able to tour different buildings of a logging camp as it would have been in the 1800s. There was a blacksmith shop, bunk house, cook shanty. 

And no trip to a logging museum is complete without Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. 

The Wisconsin Logging Museum was very informational. It was well done and you actually learned a lot about the logging industry. 

Hours are Thursday-Sunday 12-4, June-September. Admission is reasonable at $8 and $4 for kids. 

It is definitely worth the stop while in Eau Claire. You don't need more than an hour or so but definitely worth checking out.

5518. See the talking cow in Neillsville

 On our way to Eau Claire, we always go by this giant cow. I kept telling the hubby we need to stop and check it out. He just rolled his eyes. I guess giant cows aren't really his thing. Then on our last trip to Eau Claire, he realized he needed a stretch break and I mentioned that the talking cow in Neillsville would make a good stop. He reluctantly agreed.

The talking cow is named Chatty Belle. She gives the history of the pavilion that she stands by. The pavilion and Chatty Belle both were part of the Wisconsin pavilion during the 1964-1965 World's Fair in New York. It does cost a quarter to listen to Chatty Belle but it is definitely worth it. I am slightly disappointed that her mouth doesn't mouth though.

After the fair, WCCN radio station bought the pavilion and moved it to Neillsville where they continue to operate a radio station out the pavilion.

Besides having a working radio station inside, there is also a gift shop that sells Wisconsin souvenirs, ice cream, chocolates, and wine. Yes the pavilion probably could use a paint job but it is a part of history.

If you are ever driving through Neillsville on US-10, be sure to stop and visit Chatty Belle. Then go insdie and grab some caramel, wine, or ice cream. There is also an old jail museum and an old schoolhouse we need to check out in Neillsville some day. 

Titanic: The Wisconsin Connection -- Exhibit at the Oshkosh Public Museum

 When Brenda asked if I wanted to go to the Shoe or Titanic exhibits, I said yes to both. I really wanted to see the Titanic exhibit. The Titanic fascinated me even before Kate and Leo try to survive in the icy North Atlantic.

When you enter the exhibit, you are given a boarding pass. At the very end you can determine if you survived or not.

Most of the exhibit is a lot of reading.. about people from Wisconsin or had to ties to the state who were either on the Titanic or played a role in building her or Wisconsin industries that played a role in building her. There were artifacts as well but to get the true story of the Wisconsin ties you had to read. I hate reading. I want to look at the things when I'm at a museum. If I wanted to read about it, I'd check out a book.

The exhibit did span a good portion of the second floor and took over other exhibit space. Unfortunately you couldn't take pictures or even lean on the glass cases to get a better look. The docents were in every room patrolling for those you accidentally leaned on the glass. 

Personally, I thought the exhibit was missing something. It was not worth the money. There was not enough artifacts. I did not get to follow my person through their journey -- only found out if they survived at the end. It was well put together and very informative but I did not get the WOW factor I was looking for. 

The Titanic exhibit runs through October 13th. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for college students and seniors, and $12 for kids. If given the opportunity I would definitely go back and see the shoe exhibit again and skip the Titanic. I didn't see the value for the money. 

A Small Random Piece of History -- The Hiker Monument

 We had some time to kill before the Oshkosh Public Museum opened and we could go see the Titanic Exhibit. Since it was warm out, we opted to kill time sitting in the shade. 

I noticed a random statue and wandered over to check it out. It turns out the random statue was actually a war memorial. I see war memorials all the time. I've even visited a few random ones myself. However, this one struck me as very random and a bit out of the ordinary. It was for the Spanish-American War. 

I am used to seeing Memorials for the World Wars, Vietnam, Korea and even the Civil War. Occasionally if I'm in the right part of the country, I'll see one for the Revolutionary War. I don't ever recall seeing one for the Spanish-American War.

For those that a quick history lesson, the Spanish-American War was fought between the US and Spain (duh) in 1898. It lasted about 8 months and was fought in the Philippines and Cuba. It was a conflict that ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas and resulted in U.S. acquisition of territories in the western Pacific and Latin America, according to Wikipedia. 

The monument is called the Hiker and is located in Hiker Park. I honestly didn't even know it was in a park. I thought it was part of the Paine Art Center Property. There are several Hiker Monuments scattered across the country honoring those that served in the Spanish American War. 

While I am grateful for the Hiker, I am still shocked that there is a monument in Oshkosh marking those that fought. You never know where you are going to find a piece of history. Who knows how times I passed it and assumed the man was a person of significance to Oshkosh History. 

After finding the Hiker, I think I am going to stop and check out more random statues and monuments because you never know what you will find and learn. I'm just glad I was able to learn about this small piece of history. 

Walk This Way -- Shoe Exhibit at the Paine

 When Brenda asked if I had an interest in seeing the shoe collection at the Paine or the Titanic exhibit at the Oshkosh Public Museum. I was like sign me up. I really wanted to see the Titanic exhibit but the shoe collection at the Paine Art Center in Oshkosh sounded intriguing. 

The Walk This Way collection is a collection of footwear from the Stuart Weitzman Collection of Historic Shoes. These shoes were worn in movies and by the rich and famous along with regular shoes throughout history. It features over 100 shoes.

The collection filled the main gallery and salon gallery downstairs. Upstairs in the Gothic Gallery, were autographed shoes from Britton’s Walk-Over Footwear. These featured shoes worn by famous people and signed by them. There were athletes and movie stars. My favorite were Daniel Radcliffe's boots. 

To keep you engaged and make you want to check out the other rooms of the mansion, the Paine put together a scavenger hunt titled "The Curious Case of the Missing Left Shoes." Throughout the mansion a shoe was hidden. Each shoe corresponded with a letter on the map they gave you. If you find all the shoes and break the code, you able to go online and see more shoes. We definitely had fun exploring the mansion and gardens looking for shoes. We found all but one so by process of elimination we could crack the code. The one we were missing was the one by the carriage house and I figured it was in an obscure spot. Some were easier to spot than others. 

Overall it took us about an hour to go through the exhibit and complete the scavenger hunt. It was definitely worth the trip to Oshkosh.

Walk This Way Exhibit is at the Paine until October 10th. Admission is $12 for adults and $7 for youth. It is definitely worth the price of admission even if it's just to see the boots from Kinky or the Harry Potter boots. 

4962. Go to Scray Hill in Ledgeview

 The hubby has asked numerous times if I've been to the top of Scray Hill. The answer always has been no. We can always see Scray Hill because all the radio/TV antennae are on the top of the hill but I've never been to the top. Heck, I never knew you could drive to the top of the hill. 

After Natalie's graduation party, I headed over to Patrick's baseball game since it was also in De Pere. It turns out he was at Mulva Family Fields in Ledgeview which happens to be at the very top of Scray Hill. The diamonds are actually very nice diamonds.

The hubby told me how to get home after I left the diamonds. The games weren't that exciting and it was HOT. He said I could see into Green Bay if I turned left and then right when I left the diamonds. So I did.

The view was very nice. It was a bit hazy so Green Bay and Lambeau Field were not that easy to see. Besides it's quite difficult to look at a view while driving an unknown road. The road is a bit windy but it will eventually lead you down to 57 or back to De Pere.

Hopefully one day I can get back and the hubby is driving so I can enjoy the view. If you are in the area, the drive is worth it. I kind of wish there was an overlook so you can pull off and enjoy the view. 

4973. Walk the De Pere Riverwalk & Wildlife Viewing Pier

 De Pere has a nice river walk along the Fox River and Voyageurs Park. According to the De Pere website "The De Pere Riverwalk & Wildlife Viewing Pier has you covered - whether its enjoying sunset views of the Fox River; walking along beautiful stretches of wild flowers; taking in a bit of local history with an up-close look at the Locktenders House; or observing a wide-variety of wildlife, including pelicans, wallaye, sturgeon, bald eagles and countless other fish and bird species."

I knew there was a river walk there but never really explored it. Then Natalie had her graduation party in Voyageurs Park and I decided I needed to go for a walk. I figured I'd just walk the path and see where it takes me. 

I came across the De Pere Lock. I knew the Fox River lock system was back in use. I wasn't expecting to see one in De Pere. As I walked out to the end of the river walk, I noticed a person near the lock. Turns out he was operating the lock as a pontoon boat was about to go through the lock. That was very cool to see. It does take awhile to go to through lock.

 After watching for a bit, I continued on my way back to the party.

I also the originally lockmaster house. I did know if I could go in so I didn't really try.

I got a nice view of the De Pere dam.

It is a nice path full of water views and wild flowers. You can fish off the pier or just enjoy the scenery. It is a nice relaxing walk along with a quiet spot to sit and watch the world go by.

I definitely want to walk it again. It is free and open all year round. And it's COVID friendly. Get out and enjoy nature.