Want to lose weight? No problem, purchase a vial of tape worms! (One of the thousands of exhibits at the House on the Rock in Spring Green, Wisconsin)

July 9, 2016 - Saturday morning

58 degrees/partly cloudy/windy

Pentoga Road

It's forecast to be another near-perfect day ahead in the the North Woods. After suffering through the heat and humidity that our neighbors to the south endure daily, we're grateful.

Sargie and I slept in Thursday morning and took advantage of being in Bloomington to visit Sam's Club where we purchased some needed household supplies. 

Did this ever bring back memories! It was in 1972 when I packed my first motorcycle in much the same manner and rode from central Illinois to northern Ontario, Canada, to visit my uncle. The television show about a loner, good-guy biker, Then Came Bronson, was popular and I dressed and rode just as he did. 

The skies grew angry and ominous clouds, the kind we seldom see in the U.P., soon overtook us. Rain began falling just as soon as we left the city.

The GPS took us on a bit of a ride through the countryside getting back to the interstate and Sargie marveled at the miles and miles of field corn and beans.

Though traffic was heavy, for the most part, it moved along at a pretty good clip. The biggest hangups were those caused by the herds, fleets, groups, gaggles, flocks, and schools, of tractor/trailer trucks attempting to pass each other.

The skies had cleared by the time we reached southern Wisconsin so we turned westward and drove to House on the Rock, a popular tourist destination in that area.

Rather than attempting to explain what House on the Rock is, I took the following from their online brochure. 

The House on the Rock began in 1945 when a man named Alex Jordan had a towering goal: to build a retreat as awe-inspiring as the view from the rock upon which the House would eventually be built.

What took shape on and around Deer Shelter Rock is a truly remarkable achievement. The House was only the beginning. In the years that followed, Alex expanded his vision beyond the House and collected and built on a massive scale. In the end he had created the world-renowned attraction known as The House on the Rock.

The House on the Rock 2016 Brochure 

Since those early days, the world Alex Jordan created has grown far beyond the original house and into an attraction with many buildings, exhibits and collections.

The House on the Rock is open year round and offers different experiences depending on the time of year. The days of week, hours of operation and portions of the tour that are open vary depending on the experience.

During the Regular Season (March 10, 2016 to November 13, 2016) the full complex is open and it is divided into 3 sections. On your self-guided tour, you will explore some of the world's most unique collections including the world's largest carousel, a 200' sea creature, automated music 

machines and much more.

 I'll show a few pictures of what's in House on the Rock, but there are simply too many to post all of them. There are many pages online that better show the attraction.

The unsupported Infinity Room juts out hundreds of feet over the valley. You should have seen Sargie's face when a small boy began jumping up and down, rocking the entire structure!

Words that describe House on the Rock would include: beautiful, funky, spooky, weird, amazing, claustrophobic, breathtaking, fun.

In the end, one realizes that the person building and creating the house and additions was simply making a statement. It's a work of art, a walk-through equivalent of a painting, that each person can interpret as he chooses.

We spent four hours touring and didn't begin to see it all. Sargie and I have already agreed that we'll return in the future and plan to spend a full day. 

The exhibit even features a large collection of Burma Shave signs, something my sister and I used to love reading as we traveled to and from our grandparents' homes.

We were the last out of House on the Rock at closing time (5 PM) and decided to bypass the very busy Madison, Wisconsin, and make our way north through the peaceful rolling hills and fields on two-lane county roads. The farms and countryside in that area are beautiful.

We stopped at a large shopping complex in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, thinking we'd later find a room and spend the night. There was nary a room available in the area so after a bit of shopping, Sargie took the wheel and we drove on home, arriving just before midnight.

Regardless of the miles driven, Sargie found just enough energy to search for bargains at the local TJ Maxx.

Friday was a lazy day that included sleeping in and later, picking up Brutus from the kennels. He was completely exhausted after spending a fun week with his best friend.

I was told that when they weren't wrestling, running, or playing in the water, they'd collapse and sleep, only to begin again.

The arm for the three point hitch to replace the broken one on the tractor arrived while we were away.

I put on my big boy mechanic's hat and changed the new one for the old.

With Sargie's help, the bush hog was attached and last evening was spent mowing the front two-thirds of the popple woods.

It was heavily overgrown and I was grateful to get it cut before the few thistles that were growing there could blossom and spread their seed.

Sargie worked around the house on Friday, washed several loads of laundry, and did all those things people do after they've been away from home for several days.

It's time to get this uploaded and head to the garden. There are still no female blossoms on the giant pumpkin plants and I'm beginning to wonder if I made a mistake by pollinating the blossoms from the same plant and keeping the genetics so pure last year. One thing is looking certain, there'll be no giant pumpkin on Pentoga Road this year.

Time to get busy. 

After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...