caracolina

We made it! After flying to Chicago in the wee hours of the morning, picking up the rental car and throwing ourselves into local traffic with a northerly aim we hit the shores of Lake Michigan. I can’t get over how tropical this lake looks in the sun. Of course I pretty much immediately doffed my shoes and tested the waters, which were cold but not freezing. Shortly after leaving the lakeside we entered Wisconsin. Our route towards the Upper Peninsula of Michigan included a detour through Waukesha, west of Milwaukee, to sample the famous ponza rottas at Jim’s Grotto. In a nutshell I would describe a ponza rotta as “deep fried calzone” but I’m almost certain that some gourmet out there would consider this blasphemy. Oh well, according to John I was missing out anyway because I was munching the “veg” version and should have tried the “meat lovers” type that he was devouring instead.

Just before pointing our trusty rental car due north again, we made an unscheduled detour because a sign caught our attention: “Ten Chimneys National Historical Landmark“. Intrigued we followed and found the legacy of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontaine. These two were famous actors in the 20 and Ten Chimneys was their estate, where they hosted many famous guests from the world of cinema and theater. Sadly, we arrived literally minutes before the gate closed and the last tour of the house had already left. We could only catch a glimpse of the buildings, hidden behind trees from casual glances. Who knows, maybe some other time?

We wanted to cover some more ground on our trail north before calling it a night and set our sights for Fond du Lac, a larger town with several colleges that was sure to have lodging available. We did, however, make best use of all remaining day light by driving the most scenic roads possible. In fact, the plan was to follow the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive. That was made somewhat difficult since our map and the road signs did not agree on the exact route, and the signs were often not easily spotted. After a while “find the sign” became a game and we played it even after the last sun rays had disappeared.