The term “bucket list” gained popularity with a 2007 movie of the same title with actors Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson heading off on a road trip and a wish list to “fill their buckets” before they kicked the bucket. So let’s talk about filling your summer bucket in Green County.
Wisconsin summers go fast, and the bucket options here are crazy good. The first step is to empty out the rain that has surely collected with this rather wet start to the season. Looking to the bright side — the grass is surely greener — no matter which side of the fence you’re on these days.
Outside dining, live music, biking, tubing, and local flavors…here are some random suggestions:
On the Table. Many restaurants offer outside dining on porches, patios, and decks. But Sugar River Pizza in New Glarus is the only spot where you can also enjoy the ambiance of a campfire. Bring a group of friends to enjoy some comfort food with the flavors of Italy as you gather round one of the big outdoor fire tables on the SRP patio. Other hot spots for patio dining are Suisse Haus, Minhas Kitchen, and Turner Hall in Monroe; Tofflers Pub and Grill or Chalet Landhaus (Thursday night cookouts) in New Glarus; and grilled cheese made to order at picnic tables just outside the front door of the cheese store at Decatur Dairy near Brodhead. Front porch options in New Glarus include Puempel’s Olde Tavern and Kristi’s Bistro.
Pitch Black, Pitch Perfect. Roll through the darkest spot in Green County — the Stewart Tunnel on the Badger Trail. Bring a flashlight to navigate; water tends to accumulate and bats tend to congregate. Sing a tune in the tunnel and the echo effect will make you sound like a rock star. The tunnel stays at a cool forty degrees all summer, so it’s just like the lemonade in your refrigerator.
Make a Splash. Tubes, canoes, kayaks…just float your way down the Sugar River. Reminder — please respect the river (take your trash with you, and no glass allowed) and respect the private property and wildlife along the way. Another cool option is a pontoon excursion on Brodhead’s Pearl Island Recreational Corridor. Launch your own boat at Headgates Park (just off Golf Course Road) or take a chartered pontoon trip on the historic Mill Race during Brodhead’s Covered Bridge Days on August 9-11.
Amplified. There’s really nothing better than live music, unless it’s live music outside for the whole community to enjoy. Belleville’s Music in the Park takes place on Tuesday evenings through July 30, Brodhead’s Twilight in the Park concerts are Sunday evenings through August 11, and Main Street Monroe’s Concerts on the Square dates are July 12, July 25, August 2 and August 16.
Eat Fresh. Check out the seasonal offerings at farmer’s markets in Monroe (Wednesday afternoon, Saturday morning) and New Glarus (starting Friday afternoons). Dig deeper into the local food scene by taking part in the Soil Sisters event (August 2-4), with immersive farming and culinary experiences showcasing summer’s bounty.
Swiss Immersion Theory. Explore Green County’s Swiss beginnings with a visit to the Swiss Historical Village in New Glarus. The 193 people who set out from Switzerland in April of 1845 were encouraged to go forth with “courage, perseverance, and firm purpose.” It turns out they would need all that and more as they suffered from seasickness, beds “padded” with straw, and a less than palatable diet — and that was just on the first leg of their journey. Walk in their steps as you cross the threshold into an original log cabin, sit at a desk in the one-room school house, peek into a copper kettle in the old cheese factory, and “shop” the wares in the general store. The village is open daily through mid-October.
— Noreen Rueckert is director for Green County Tourism, executive director for Green County Cheese Days, and helps out with Main Street Monroe’s Concerts on the Square. Her favorite cheese is rumored to be Feta. She has the best office in the county — overlooking Monroe’s Square from the tower of the Historic Green County Courthouse. She dabbles in photography and graphic design, adores cats and iced coffee, and secretly loves the Cheese Days Song.
