Spring

Whatever type of travel experience you prefer, you’ll adore northern Wisconsin’s forests, lakes, rivers, meadows and wetlands in the spring and early summer.

That’s when trillium carpet the forest floors, marsh marigolds rest in roadside waters, and columbines nod from rocky settings. That’s when you can pluck wild leeks and other edibles to spark your menu…

That’s when you’ll see and hear loons, eagles, and Great Blue Herons, enjoy the glorious sounds of hundreds of songbirds, and maybe spot a pileated woodpecker.

And, because the trees and plants fill in slowly, the wildlife, not as shy in the early season, are more viewable; and because there are fewer people around, your chances increase to see fawns, or tiny, black bear cubs following mom across a road.

In northern Wisconsin’s thousands of lakes and streams, the fish will have spawned and are hungry. This is a good time to teach yourself or a kid to fish. Dozens of bait shops and fishing guides will happily provide you with information, lessons, maps, and encouragement.

And, while you might need a pair of rubbers in case it’s muddy, the hiking, biking, golf, wildlife watching, and picnicking opportunities will be wonderful — before the bugs come out (except for ticks which get active as soon as it gets warm).

Many northern Wisconsin communities, areas, attractions, and resorts share the bounty of wonderful outdoor and indoor activities; local warmth; and an understanding of what you’re looking for. And of course, it’s the time when accommodations are more modest, with special promotions and packages.

The Eagle River area (in northeast Wisconsin, about 220 miles east of the Twin Cities), has mapped trails winding past some of the 28 lakes surrounding the community; an Historic Boathouses & Buildings self-guided waterway tour; and maps to excellent roads and trails through the nearby Nicolet National Forest. In the Eagle River area, you can even throw your golf clubs in a boat and cruise to several courses!

On your visit to Wisconsin, you may want to stay at a resort that has an indoor swimming pool and restaurant facilities, with the wealth of outdoor activities and nature just a step out the door.

Another great way to savor Wisconsin’s wildlife and scenery is to take a cruise.

And if it rains, visit one of northern Wisconsin’s excellent museums:

Eagle River’s new Northwoods Children’s Museum lets kids of all ages “play” forest ranger, catch and identify pretend fish, raid the period-clothes-hamper, blow a giant bubble, and many other interactive activities. Eagle River also boasts a new Historical Museum located at the Trees for Tomorrow Natural Resource Education Center, itself offering year-round nature seminars and workshops. Finally, Carl’s Wood Art Museum in Eagle River has welcomed thousands of visitors over the years to its collection of woodcarvings, memorabilia and whimsy.

Nobody said you HAD to wait until fall to take a fall color tour! Since the guidebooks exist, and the markers are up, get a brochure from the local Chamber of Commerce, and follow the signs to an area’s interesting sites, scenes, and natural highlights.

Northern Wisconsin resounds with golfing, hiking, biking, picnicking, ATV, antiquing, fishing, and shopping opportunities; as well as lots of events, parades, celebrations, fishing tournaments, and special activities throughout the season. Call ahead for schedules, events, information, and opening dates.

Although each area has a unique “flavor,” they share a common, almost elegant attention to nature, wildlife, scenery, and relaxing, and have a welcome mat out for visitors like you.

[Image: Courtesy of Mike Crowley; available for sale at his website Life in the Northwoods]

The crystal drips of shimmering water as snow castles and ice melt.

The scampering of small wildlife as they smell the air and feel the sun’s warmth.

Birth and buds. . . the renewal of EVERYTHING — flora and fauna and people.

Trillium and jack-in-the-pulpit springing out of the soft earth to quickly gain the sun that the forest will soon hide.

The smells of a thousand flowers and grasses and trees as they explode in rebirth.

Leaves and trees that have fallen and become part of the earth, renewing the floor of the forest in a mulch of strength and food that no fertilizer will ever match.

Deer munching the new, rich grasses on hillsides.

Black bears stumbling and yawning as they emerge from their winter’s sleep, two or three tiny black balls of fur following and bawling, announcing the renewal of their kind.

The first red-winged blackbirds.

Untold numbers of nests in all shapes and forms. . .everywhere. . .as the birds return and set up housekeeping.

The walleye spawning. . . the bass spawning. . . the northern and musky spawning. . . the panfish spawning — as the waters warm and the reeds and weedbeds absorb the sun.

Frogs bellowing and croaking. . . loons calling. . . eagles and ospreys soaring.

The bogs and wetlands filling with lichen and fern, binding together in a patchwork of life for the dragonflies and mosquitoes, and a thousand insects unnamed.

Water pouring from waterfalls and filling springs and glacial lakes and aquifers with a purity that quickens all life.

Rains enriching the soil and calling forth life with a softness.

That’s spring in northern Wisconsin and the Northwoods.

Come and be part of it all.

Kids, families, seniors, singles.

©2005, Creative Brilliance Associates. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without written permission.

[Image: Courtesy of Mike Crowley; available for sale at his website Life in the Northwoods]

Last year, in March, in northwestern Wisconsin, this is what some people recorded:

• Seeing the first bald eagle.
• Seeing the first robin.
• Seeing the first chipmunk.
• Pussy willows blooming.
• Trees tapped for maple syrup.
• Skunks emerge from dens.
• Red-winged blackbirds.
• White-throated sparrows.
• Hawks return.
• Redpolls at feeder.
• Went skiing for the last time.

Compare these observations to some of the general things that happen in northern Wisconsin in March as noted in the Cable Natural History Museum 1997 Phenology Calendar:

• Bald eagles returning and courting, eating mainly winter-killed deer.
• Male, red squirrels can be seen chasing females over the snow.
• Mars is at opposition to the earth and is visible all night. We pass Mars every 2 years.
• March 20 is Vernal Equinox — The first day of spring.
• Chipmunks are beginning to come out of hibernation. They ate stored seeds all winter, but will now also eat mice, eggs, insects and small snakes. They have to look out for a mob of predators, including most hawks, owls and mammals.
• Male red-winged blackbirds return before females. They will be establishing territories and starting to build nests in cattail marshes in mid-April when females return.
• River otters giving birth in dens near lakes or streams.

[Image: Courtesy of Mike Crowley; available for sale at his website Life in the Northwoods]