Library Road Trip 2023

 The library system that Kimberly is part (OWLS) decided to do a Library Road Trip challenge where you visited as many of the 49 libraries in the OWLS system to gain a stamp. For every 10 libraries you visited it, you got an entry into the drawing for 4 prizes. There was also the "cheater" version where you could call each library, ask a question, and get a secret code. That just seemed too easy. I get that not everyone can be driving all over northeast Wisconsin visiting random libraries but still.

There are 49 libraries across 9 different counties -- Florence, Marinette, Oconto, Brown, Shawano, Waupaca, Outagamie, Kewaunee, and Door. Most of Brown county has their own library system but two of them are within the OWL system.

The Challenge ran from May 1st to July 15th. I convinced Heather to do the challenge with me and we had to wait until school was out so we had about a month or so to attempt this feat. I had the hubby pick up my packet at Kimberly when he picked up my library books. He was like you want what? I told him just tell them you want a road trip booklet. They will know what you are talking about. They sure did.

To get your stamp when you visit the library you must check out materials, sign up for computer usage, or go to an event. 49 books is a lot of books to read. I mainly checked out picture books. I did not count most of them on my Goodreads challenge for the year.

Planning road trips was a challenge because you had to coordinate what days the libraries were open and what hours. Not all the smaller libraries were open M-F or all day even. 

Heather and I tried to do library road trips together but it didn't always work out with schedules. I picked up a couple with the hubby on the way to get more soda from Twigs or to a baseball game. Heather picked up a couple on the way to Boy Scout Camp. We both hit Appleton, Kimberly, Kaukauna, and Little Chute separately as well. I did do a Marinette road trip on July 3rd by myself when everyone was busy. I would had checked out Oconto county as well but most of them were closed for the holiday. The Librarian in Wausaukee said that Niagara was open but that was 30 minutes north. That would have added at least another hour to my day and I told the hubby I would be home by 2:30

Together we did 3 separate road trips -- Shawano County, Waupaca County, and Door/Kewaunee County. Of course stopping at libraries was the main goal but there were always other random and some times unplanned stops. Heather had Iggy, our mascot with.

Shawano County -- We planned on 8 libraries. We got to 7 because of an unplanned stop at Nueske's and wanting to get to Twig's before they closed. I met Heather at her place and we headed out around 1. On the way to her house I realized I forgot my booklet. Lucky the girl at Black Creek was sympatric and stamped my book with the other libraries that I already saw (3 of them). We hit

• Black Creek Library -- Where we added colored stickers to the sticker mural they were creating

• Clintonville Library 
• Marion Library -- We were created really cool necklaces

• Tigerton Library

• Nueske's Meat Market -- Had to check it out and get bacon
• Wittenberg Library
• Birmenwood Library -- They had fish. Iggy was excited.

• Twig's Beverage -- Had to get soda
• Shawano Library
• Old Glory Candy Store -- Can't pass up a good candy store

Waupaca County -- We planned on 9 libraries and managed to get all 9 in. This was mainly in part due to I flipped the itinerary so the libraries that closed earlier were visited first instead of last. We hit

• Shiocton Library

• New London Library
• New London Public Museum
• Manawa Library -- They wanted to take our picture

• Iola Library
• Scandinavia Library
• Red Mill Covered Bridge
• Waupaca Library
• Evanswood Village Shops
• Weyauwega Library

• Fremont Library
• Hortonville Library -- They had a cool global traveler theme going on with a photo booth

Kewaunee/Door County -- We planned on leaving by 9 am so I could get to Kimberly Library by 5 pm for a library event. I thought I gave us enough time but apparently 8 hours was still not enough to visit 9 libraries plus other random stops. We hit

• Kewaunee Library

• World's Largest Grandfather Clock
• Algoma Library
• Sturgeon Bay Library
• Miller Art Museum
• Door County Confectionary -- Heather made me get taffy
• The Gnoshery and giant Bass
• Bailey's Harbor Library
• Sister Bay Library -- They had some really amazing book themed sculptures as well as a book garden outside

• Door County Creamery
• Ephraim Library -- We were picked up an art project kit to pay our own starry night

• Fish Creek Library
• Egg Harbor Library -- The most amazing library for a small town. It has it's own Egg museum

• Pink Bakery -- We got turned around finding it
• Forestville Library

I ended up with 39 libraries visited. I did call Washington Island for a secret code to get my to 40 to max out my drawing entries.

Neither Heather nor I won a prize. Personally I think there should have been more prizes than just 4 as this seemed pretty popular. Librarians loved finding out where we were from and what libraries we were headed to. Needless to say we had fun. I knocked a few things off the bucket list as well and found some random statues. The hubby still thinks we were nuts but that is not anything unusual.