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| OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN JAZZ FESTIVAL |
The final jazz concert of the summer in Riverside Park featured singer, Steve Tormé. He announced that he would be performing at the Oshkosh Jazz Festival at the end of August. We decided to head east for the free event that was 150 miles from La Crosse.
We arrived in downtown Oshkosh (pop.66.700) for the festival in the early afternoon with no problem finding parking and then carried our folding chairs for seating close to the stage on Main Street which was closed to traffic. We relaxed, enjoyed the local food, and spent a wonderful afternoon and evening listening to some of the best jazz musicians in the country, including Steve Tormė, Benny Benack, and the amazing Grammy award-winning cappella singers Take 6. It was the perfect start to our four-day road trip through southeastern Wisconsin.
Oshkosh is located on Lake Winnebago with 88 miles of shoreline. It is the largest lake entirely within the state of Wisconsin. We spent the next day, leisurely driving around the lake. There were many interesting places to linger like the Asylum Point near Oshkosh, and the Doty cabin in Nemah – where were given an interesting history lesson by a docent who seemed to know everything there was to know about the cabin and the life of Governor Doty. We drove through state parks including High Cliff State Park and enjoyed the many lighthouses along the way.
After visiting Fond du Lac on the southern end of Lake Winnebago, we drove east to the shores of Lake Michigan to spend a night in Sheboygan, WI (pop.50,000). Lake Michigan gives you the feel of being on the ocean, and I can see why they refer to this city as “Malibu of the Midwest.” The strong winds make it a popular destination for surfers and kiteboarders. The mile-long white sandy beach was impressive, and, unlike the California beaches, there were very few people on them. It was a Monday, the end of August, and a good time to be on a road trip in the Midwest.
