Brewed Journey: Kohler-Andrae State Park

Day Two: We woke up early, brewed coffee, ate breakfast, and were on the trail before the dew dried. Specifically, we hiked from our campsite to the Sanderling Nature Center.

Intricate, amazing spider webs were everywhere along the trail, glistening in the early sun and dew. We also saw multiple adult deer and fawns. There’s just something about hiking early in the morning with no one around that brings peace and joy to my soul.

Later in the morning, Julia did some wading, while I found a picnic table under a shady tree. You’ll notice my new hat, picked up at 3 Sheeps Brewing in Sheboygan.

3 Sheeps has a cavernous warehouse tasting room with picnic table spread out over the concrete floor and overhead doors opened up for air circulation. I tasted several sours, which pushed my limits (not a bad thing). The bartender was informative, and the tasting room was unique.

Later that day, we enjoyed Mexican food on the second floor deck at El Camino Mexican Restaurant in Sheboygan.

We started a campfire early that evening, but were eventually chased in by rain showers.

Day Three: Our plans for this day were to pack, hitch up, and tow the Brew Hut to a county park along Lake Winnebago. However, as we drove within a mile of Calumet County Campground, the cell phone rang. I could only hear Julia’s side of the conversation: “What, he did what, what, how bad is it? what?”

The short story is that our son Justin injured his ribs during a transfer at the disability leadership conference. He needed medical attention that day, which required us to tow back home and take Justin to urgent care in Madison.

Everything checked out (bruised ribs requiring rest), but it was a good reminder that plans are to be made in Jello, not concrete.

Earlier this summer, my son was scheduled to take part in a Disability Leadership retreat at a local college for a five-day stay. Someone new to his personal care was going to help Justin during the week, so we were hesitant to leave on our own adventure until a successful overnight had passed. I spent Sunday afternoon getting the Brew Hut ready for travel for what we hoped would be our first extended trip.

Day One: After not hearing from Justin and assuming that all was well, we hitched up the Brew Hut and were on the road by 8 a.m. We drove by way of Columbus, Fond du Lac and Sheboygan, arriving at Kohler-Andrae State Park at 11 a.m. We didn’t have reservations. Our backup plan was to try other Lake Michigan shoreline campgrounds within an hour or so. Because it was Monday morning and most of the weekend campers had left, we had no problem securing a site with electric hookups.

I last visited the beach at Kohler-Andrae about thirty years ago. At that time, I remembered the beach being wider and the dunes being barer, but my recollection may be flawed or perhaps influenced by beer. I think my last visit was during college and after dark. I probably didn’t do much hiking, but that’s what we do now.

The third photo is the way that I remember the dunes, but a helpful, informative sign explains that human and animal activity causes erosion that leaves the sandy scar. When I was a kid, we loved to run and jump off the dunes without giving much thought to the consequences of our fun. On this trip, I did not try to relive my youth, break an ankle or scar the dunes.

Informational signs warned against straying off the boardwalk trail but also provided knowledge:

That evening, we drove into Sheboygan and had a fantastic meal at Harry’s Prohibition Bistro on South Pier Street.

The appetizer special was mussels pan seared and finished in a reduced red wine sauce with lots of garlic. Often, ordering seafood in Wisconsin is a mistake. Not this time. The chef stopped by to see if we were enjoying the dish, saying that he was going to make some up for himself before leaving for the evening. The main dish, pizza, was very good but we probably could have stopped after the mussels.