Ideas for places to visit in the Midwest
As things wind down on the northern lakes of Wisconsin, the fishermen still keep their boats in the water hoping for another opportunity to catch a Musky or Walleye. The Northwoods offers stunning sunrises and sunsets at this time and cool days at this time of year.
This photo was taken before sunrise on Lake Minocqua. The lighting at this time offers stunning colors while highlighting the glow of incandescent lights in windows and in the background.
This boathouse belongs to The Beacons resort is is the centerpiece of this section of Lake Minocqua. At one time it was part of the private estate of a Chicago financier named Fred Snite. Snite became a victim polio and lived most of his life in an iron lung. We are lucky to still have his boathouse on the lake.
Lake Minocqua is known for it’s sport fishing and scenic boathouses. Fish include: Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike and Walleye. It was a popular fishing hole for General Eisenhower and his family who regularly visited after the end of World War II through the 60’s. This particular boathouse was owned by Stafford “Casey” Lambert an aviation pioneer and heir to Lambert Pharmaceutical, manufacturer of Listerine. The boathouse is next to his Hangar, where he kept his sea planes.
Lake Minocqua surrounds the town of Minocqua making the “island city” a destination spot for boaters from four connected lakes. All of this is centered in forests with hundreds of other lakes making this Wisconsin’s Northwoods.
If you drive south from the tiny town of Boulder Junction, Wisconsin, you will find Lost Canoe Lake back behind the trees. You have to stop and walk down some trails to experience the beauty of the lake.
The Northwoods of Wisconsin are filled with thousands of lakes all surrounded by forests, a wonderful place for fishing boating and just enjoying the scenery.
This very scenic area shows Chapel of Ozarks overlooking Table Rock Lake. This is part of an area called Top of the Rock which consists of this chapel, sculptures, restaurants, golf courses and even caves. This place is something to see!
Top of the Rock is one of many creations of Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops and creator of Big Cedar Lodge and Dogwood Canyon. All of these are in Branson, Missouri, a beautiful area in Southwestern Missouri. Morris developed all of this around lakes, streams and outdoor activities available in this area.
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This famous sculpture is now part of a place in Branson, MO called Top of the Rock, a high area in the Ozarks with restaurants, scenic overlooks, caves, golf course and more.
The End of the Trail is a sculpture by James Earle Fraser, depicting a weary Native American man hanging limp as his weary horse comes to the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The statue is a commentary on the struggle of Native Americans in the 19th century.
The Dogwood Canyon Mill is really the entrance to the Dogwood Canyon Nature Park. On the other side of the mill is miles of paths that wind their way around rushing streams and scenic waterfalls.
This beautiful area is in Southwestern Missouri and offers a flat easy walk from Missouri to Southern Illinois.
Dogwood Canyon Mill is at the the entrance of Dogwood Canyon Nature Park. Walk through the facility access the trail that takes you on a tour of one of Missouri’s most scenic nature parks.
It may have been the railroad that brought the first tourists to the island city of Minocqua in the early 1900s, but it’s the boats that keep them coming back. Whether it’s a fishing adventure, a run on the boards (water skis, In Northwoods parlance), or a sunset cruise with refreshments, visitors expect to get out on the water when they head north.
The classic Northwoods version is known as a “wet” boathouse, because it’s built out over the water, allowing boats to be driven into the shelter of its walls. There are a dozen or more of the scenic building lining the shore of Lake Minocqua. The town of Minocqua is an island on the lake so that you can take it all in.
Great Rivers Imaging 