Wisconsin's Rustic Roads

Mornin' to everyone stopping at Fleet Farm today. This is the Wiscampsin Weekly - the email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin outdoors in 5 minutes or less. New reader? Subscribe here.

* Well shucks, we screwed up last week and said the Milwaukee Art Museum was getting renovated (when it's really the Milwaukee Public Museum). Thank ya to the reader who pointed it out (in the review below), we promise to lay off the Spotted Cows when writing this email in the future...

What's under the hood:

• Wisconsin's rustic roads 🚗 

• Local trap team takes national title 🏆

• Cleaning up the Mississippi River 🙌 

Road trippin' Wisconsin's Rustic Road

Not sure if any of you folks have noticed, but it's already August.

That means (and we're knocking on wood here), that we've only got a few more months of ~decent~ weather before we're shoveling our neighbor Pete's driveway again, 'cause hell, Pete, your shovel performs just about as good as da Bears at Lambeau Field.

Anyway - our point is, it's time to ramp up those summer roadtrips.

But before you fire up your GPS and make a stop at the Kwik Trip, consider taking a road far less travelled to your summer getaway.

Called Rustic Roads, these scenic routes (literally, they must be scenic to get the special recognition), are off the beaten path, exhibit stellar views of nature, and aren't choked up with traffic. And lucky for us, they're just about everywhere.

Wisconsin Rustic Roads:

• 121 Rustic Roads in 61 counties

• Must have "outstanding natural features"

• Marked with a unique brown and yellow sign

Not just for those up 'nort

If you think you have to travel all the way up to the UP just to take a gander at beautiful roads, you're dead wrong there, folks.

The Wisconsin DOT has established 120 Rustic Roads in 61 counties, easily found through this nifty interactive map.

Kicking off in 1973, the State Legislature wanted to protect Wisconsin's scenic country roads for the "leisurely" enjoyment by bikers, hikers, and motorists.

Whether you're up in the boonies or down in the hustle of Milwaukee, guaranteed you can find a Rustic Road within spitting distance of you to get out and enjoy.

What makes them so, uh, 'rusty'?

Woah, they ain't like that old nail you stepped on in your shed. Should get that taken care of, by the way...

A Rustic Road has to pass a certain criteria to be crowned with the unique brown-and-yellow road marker.

• They gotta have "outstanding" views of nature, like rugged terrain, wildlife, "agricultural vistas" and more.

• Traffic has to be light, not crowded like the Zoo Interpass. Travel by these roads is intended for recreational enjoyment.

• Aaaaand they must be at least 2 miles long, have a max speed limit of 45 mph, and connect to highways on either end. So your driveway ain't gonna cut it, Pete!

Not sure if we mentioned, but these roads are beautiful. And that's comin' from folks who prefer to travel by foot, bicycle, or canoe.

They can be gravel, dirt, or paved, but all hold a certain beauty that pays homage to our State's rich rural past.

And once those fall colors start appearing... need we go on.

So the next time you're looking to travel in a more scenic fashion (just think - no traffic, litter, or road-raging FIBs!), consider taking a Rustic Road instead. You won't be disappointed.

This full booklet will help you get out 'der!

This week's Wiscampsin Weekly is brought to you by Sunfish Consulting

Why did Matt, founder of Sunfish Consulting, quit his full-time, 9-to-5, someone-get-me-the-heck-out-of-this-cubicle job?

It all started with a Sunfish sailboat.

You see, he had a premonition that one day, he would dust the corporate life off his shoes and sail the seas from a Sunfish sailboat, a self-made man.

So he did just that. He took all his experience in finance and launched his own consultancy, helping businesses big and small alleviate the burden of business ops.

Like that Swiss Army Knife in your backpacking kit, he executes on a wide variety of needs, like book keeping, financial analysis, and more.

Best part is, he started Sunfish so he can get out 'der as much as possible, so expect a down-to-earth fella and not a walking suit and tie.

If you need an experienced numbers cruncher on any type of project, give Matt a shout at [email protected].

The "Holy Cripes" Moment of the Week❗️

In case you missed it, a 1,200 year old dugout canoe was found in Lake Mendota last year, and we've got some fresh footage of the recovery. Kayak fans, take a seat. Oh wait...

Nuts and Seeds 🌰 

🏆 Another 'W' for Wisconsin: We're pretty great at sports here in Wisconsin, and trap shooting is no different. Southeastern Wisconsin has a fiercely competitive trap shooting scene (clay pigeon shooting), so it's not surprising then that the Waterford High School team took home a national title in Ohio. Queue the, erm, root beer!

🤩 Mississippi Makeover: Water quality, flood damage, and invasive species are all things that threaten the Mississippi River. But now, a federally funded restoration project could be in the works to help right the ship, and it's about dang time.

🥰 Shameless Plug: Let's take a minute to remember the cheese-filled adventures we've explored together... Dark Sky Parks. The Ice Age Trail. The Perfect Backcountry Bratwurst. Biking Wisconsin Rail-Trails... But to keep the magic goin,' we need more faithful followers like all of you's. So help us out, and forward this email to a friend (maybe even threaten that if they don't subscribe, you'll never offer to help shovel their driveway again, Pete.) Thanks!

See you next week!

A Review from the Trail...

Well, how'd we do this week?

• 🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀 Like rolling down the window and queueing your fav tune

• 🧀🧀🧀 Great trip, but you forgot the snacks!

• 🧀 Crap, did we just hit a deer?