About five miles north of Sauk City along Route 12 is a historical marker. It’s easy to pass up, but don’t: it commemorates a 16-acre patch of prairie that’s the work in progress of Dr. Donald Kindschi, a retired anesthesiologist. It will be in progress for 1,000 years, he says, because that’s how long it will take for the ecosystem of the original prairie to redevelop.
The atmosphere of the two blocks of Route 113 that is Lodi’s downtown is so authentically small-town it’s almost too real, like a Hollywood facade. A popular eatery is Willie’s Wet Spot, 118 S. Main (608-592-3925), right along the creek; it’s OK if you’re in a “when in Lodi” mood, very Friday-night-fish-fryesque–pool table, jukebox, fake wood paneling, food served in red plastic baskets. The homemade chicken noodle soup was good. Cheese curds–deep-fried chunks of cheese–were unextraordinary. Cheeseburgers were average. A very good, original offering is the raspberry ice cream pie. Wheelchair access would be good if not for the small step in front and the tight bathrooms.
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Heading up Route 113 toward the quaint town of Merrimac on Lake Wisconsin (which is what they call the river below the dam at Prairie du Sac) brings you to the area’s most unusual feature and the source of its hottest controversy, the State Department of Transportation’s Colsac II ferry (named for the two counties that compose this area, Columbia and Sauk). This small car ferry is the only way to get across the lake at this point. The closest alternative crossings are a 12-mile drive west, to Prairie du Sac, or 17 miles northeast, to Portage. The ferry is free and runs back and forth every six minutes 24 hours a day from mid-April or so until the river freezes for good in December. It rolls on an underwater cable that’s like a big bicycle chain, which can make for a teetering ride. The ferry has operated in some form since the 1840s. The problem, stemming from the limited, 12-car capacity, is the long waits, sometimes two hours or more. We waited 40 minutes. So for every local who thinks the ferry is what draws people to Merrimac, there’s another who finds it a real pain and thinks they ought to just build a bridge.
We ate at the Old Schoolhouse Restaurant (608-493-2339) on County Trunk DL, which was accessible right down to the bathrooms. It used to be a schoolhouse and jail, but you could never tell. The place has a really nice outdoor patio overlooking the hills and bluffs surrounding the Devil’s Head Resort. The tuna taco salad was a lot better than it sounds. They also serve something called poppers–deep-fried jalapenos stuffed with cheese–and a decent-looking deep-dish pizza.
Another big annual event, held every October at the 150-year-old Wollersheim Winery (608-643-6515) just outside Prairie du Sac on Route 188, is the grape stomping, grape-spitting, and cork-tossing competition celebrating the harvest. This year’s dates are October 2 and 3. Tours and tastings are conducted May through October and on weekends year-round.
Baraboo and this whole area is loaded with bed and breakfasts. The ones most recommended by locals are the Victorian Treasure in Lodi (608-582-5199), the Breese Waye in Portage (608-742-5281), Grandpa’s Gate in Merrimac (608-493-2755), and Gollmar Guest House in Baraboo (608-356-9432).
Right up the street is the Al Ringling Theatre (136 Fourth Ave.; 608-356-8864), built in 1915 with the funds of the eldest brother. It’s the kind of elegant, ornate, red-carpeted movie house you never see anymore. Charlie Chaplin performed here. A few years ago a horrifying rumor spread that a developer was going to buy it and make it a multiplex, so a historic-preservation foundation took it over and is in the midst of a multi-million-dollar restoration campaign. It shows movies daily, periodically features live shows, and is available for private functions like weddings. It’s worth taking the kids just to show them what theaters were like before there were shopping malls. But it might be wise to get out before the movie starts. The week of our visit they were showing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III.
