Come aboard the Rustad coach to enjoy a leisurely day of travel through Minnesota into Wisconsin.  We’re on our way to visit the popular southeast WI destination of Fond du Lac.  Agricultural tourism thrives in many forms there on both modern and historic farms in the Fond du Lac area.  Today’s included noon meal is in Black River Falls, WI.  After a short drive, we arrive at the Wetherby Cranberry Farm to enjoy a tour of their cranberry marsh with a third generation grower.  Cranberries are Wisconsin’s #1 fruit crop, producing over 60% of the world’s supply of cranberries.  During the tour, you’ll get to walk along the cranberry bogs to see how the cranberries grow.  We’ll also see how they sort and pack the cranberries in their warehouse.  By late afternoon we will be headed to the Radisson Hotel for an evening dinner and comfortable rooms for the three-night stay in Fond du Lac.  (L) (D)

Fond du Lac is a French word meaning “bottom” or “farthest point” of the lake, so named because of its location at the (south end) of beautiful Lake Winnebago, one of the country’s largest inland lakes. Fond du Lac is much more than this magnificent lake.  Mother Nature’s finest work can be seen along the beautiful roadways, quaint towns and hiking trails.  This area is also known as a Hunter’s Paradise.  The lively downtown district includes fun boutiques, museums, galleries and restaurants. Most of our day will be spent in the countryside and small towns in the Fond du Lac region.  Our first stop of the day is at Widmer Cheese in Theresa, WI.  The Wisconsin Cheese Making Legacy runs deep!  Joe Widmer, Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, is a 3^rd generation example.  Widmer’s is known for producing brick cheese and traditional stirred-cured Colby. Their retail store provides a unique experience unlike any other!  You’ll enjoy watching the cheese being made in the viewing area. There will be plenty of cheese to sample and of course, purchase. We’ll keep traveling down the road to the Wisconsin Auto Museum, Wisconsin’s largest auto museum.  This museum is a gem in antique restorations with 2 floors of cars, cars, and more cars!  The museum features an ever-changing display of classic and vintage cars.  You’ll see some of the earliest cars when they were basically horseless carriages all the way up to modern times. Among the cars are lots of fun auto memorabilia. Be sure to make some room for ice cream for your dessert because our next stop will be at Kelley Country Creamery. You’ll have a chance to choose from a wide array of ice cream flavors for an ice cream sample. USA Today has proclaimed this establishment Wisconsin’s #1 Ice Cream Parlor and Good Morning America says it is “The Best Ice Cream in America.”  What tour to Wisconsin would be complete without a visit to a distillery.  Ledgerock Distillery is a family owned distillery located on the Retzer family farm.  At this 500 acre farm, the grain is grown, harvested, ground, distilled, and bottled all on location by the Retzer family.  The distillery is named after the natural resource it sits on—The Ledge, which is part of the geographic wonder—the Niagara Escarpment. We return to the hotel to refresh before we depart for our included evening dinner. What a perfect way to complete this fun day than to have a relaxing dinner overlooking the sparkling blue water of Lake Winnebago at Sunset on the Water Grill & Bar! (B) (L) (D)

This morning we travel to the city of Oshkosh, named after a prominent Native American Chief. This beautiful city of about 67,000 in population is nestled along the western shore of Lake Winnebago in the heart of Wisconsin surrounded by lakes, rivers and has a historic downtown featuring lively entertainment, one-of-a-kind attractions and scenic waterfront dining. Our first tour in Oshkosh is at the EAA Aviation Museum. (Experimental Aircraft Association) This place is HUGE…the size of 4 or 5 aircraft hangers! The Aviation Museum is one of the most extensive aviation attractions in the world with a collection of more than 200 historic planes.  This year round destination features world-class galleries and displays.  You’ll find aircraft that you won’t see anywhere else, and some of them are just “plane” strange! By mid-morning we visit the beautiful Paine Estate.  This historic estate serves as a multi-faceted museum.  The founders, Nathan & Jessie Paine were part of huge family businesses.  Nathan’s family was in the milling business and Jessie was the daughter of the Co-Founder of Kimberley-Clark Paper Mill & Products Company.  The construction of the mansion began in 1927, finishing the exterior by 1930.  The Great Depression crippled the Paine Lumber Co., therefore the work on the mansion received only minimal care until 1947.  At that time, the Paines made plans to establish it as a museum.  The Paines never lived in the mansion.  The Paine Art Center and Gardens is a private non-profit organization and is listed on the Register of Historic Places.  Much of the museum’s art was acquired by the Paines with sculptures serving as focal points in the “outdoor galleries.”  The art collection continues to expand through donations and purchases. Our included lunch is at the Vines & Rushes Winery, a family owned winery where we’ll have a tour and tasting of the locally grown cold hard grape varieties.  We’ll enjoy an included buffet style lunch with wood-fired pizza and a variety of salads.  Our next stop may be something new to many of us, visiting a 400-goat working dairy farm, shoppe, & café at La Clare Family Creamery. They utilize the goat milk to make cheese, soap, milk, and other goat products. To conclude our busy day of touring, we’ll enjoy a delicious four-course dinner on the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago at Jim & Linda’s Lakeview Supper Club. (B) (L) (D)

After enjoying the diversity of attractions and beautiful Lake Winnebago in the Fond du Lac area, we begin our journey home.  But before we go, we need to make just one more stop.  Faris Gourmet Popcorn, a family owned business, that sells one of America’s favorite snacks!  Their goal is to offer reasonably priced, high quality popcorn in many unique flavors. We’ll make our usual stops along the way with an included lunch in Chippewa Falls, WI.   By early evening we return to Rustad Tours in Kerkhoven for cookies and a cup of coffee with our new friends. (B) (L)