Rustic Road 16, 7/10/2011

This day we took a drive to one of our favorite places, Door County.  We went by way of Hwy. 10 east out of Appleton, to Manitowoc and Two Rivers, then up the lakeshore through Kewaunee County, and finally to Sturgeon Bay.  We visited four Rustic Roads on that day.  Rustic Road 16 is the first one we drove.


Rustic Road 16 is located in Manitowoc County and runs for 5.2 miles along Lake Michigan just north of Two Rivers.

 Trees to almost the edge of the road.

 Wild flowers on the forest floor.

A vignette featuring old farm implements.

 

More next week as we continue our Lake Michigan Rustic Road tour.

Road 17

Rustic Road 17    7/3/2011

Rustic Road 17 is a short, 2.7 mile road in Portage County, just south of the Village of Amherst.  The most picturesque spot is where the road crosses a boulder-strewn section of the Tomorrow River.  The Rosin Century Farm is also along this road.  This farm was begun in 1891.

 

 

 

 

Road 57

Rustic Road 57  6/18/11

Rustic Road 57 is located in Waupaca County.  One terminus is at it's junction with Hwy 10, the other with Hwy 54.  The Ice Age National Scenic Trail follows this road.  It was overcast this day, making the forest seem darker than usual.

The road is narrow in places, with foliage to the edge of the roadway.

 I find these driveways intriguing, as they seem to disappear into the woods.

I like how the road seems to undulate in the distance.

A Little Village Named Rural (Wisconsin)

As promised last week, here is a little more about the little village named Rural, Wisconsin.  We were pleasantly surprised that June day in 2011 when we happened upon Rural while exploring Rustic Roads 23 & 24.  It is a cute little settlement that is very proud of its history and heritage.  So proud, in fact, that the village was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.  It is one of two Yankee districts in the state.

The village was begun in the spring of 1852 when James H Jones built his home, now known as Halfway House (below) because it is located halfway between Stevens Point and Berlin. The name "Rural" was derived from what Mr. Jones called his "Rural Holdings". 

Almost all the settlers that joined Mr. Jones in Rural were Yankees of British descent.  They were mainly merchants and farmers from the Eastern United States. 

Most of the homes were of the Greek Revival architectural style and were built6 along the Crystal River that runs through the village.  Many of the original homes are very well preserved and bear plaques denoting the year it was built and the original owner.

 

 Sam Ashmun House 1854

 Aaron Hyatt House 1855

 Rural School House

Rural Store 1989 

Crystal River

 

Back to our Rustic Roads adventures next week.

Roads 23 & 24

We were back on the road the very next weekend, and explored two Rustic Roads near Waupaca.

Rustic Road 23  6/18/2011


Rustic Road 23 begins in the cute little town of Rural, and travels west on Rural Road through Harman Creek State Park.  It is a paved road and is 3.6 miles long.  This road crosses the scenic Crystal River three times.

Rustic Road 24  6/18/2011

Rustic Road 24 follows Emmons Creek Road and passes a very unusual homestead.  The road is paved and travels 2.7 miles through stands of native pines and hardwoods.

 Here's that homestead.  The house, outbuildings, fence, etc are all "decorated" with found items.  We think it is where leftover rummage sale stuff goes to retire and live out the rest of its non-useful life.

 This sweet baby paused long enough to let me snap her picture.

 I love the way the trees canopy over the roadway.

This farm has been in existence for over 150 years.

The little town of Rural, Wisconsin was an absolute gem.  I'll give it the honor of it's very own post next week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Road 38 & 39

June 11, 2011

We began our Rustic Road journey on a weekend to Door County.  These two roads are located just north of Bailey's Harbor on the eastern shore of the peninsula.  Each road was 2.5 miles long and each was paved.  It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny with a cloudless blue sky above.

Road 38:

 Road 39:

This road passes the Bailey's Harbor Range light, one of several navigation lights on the eastern shore.  The caretaker's cottage was back from the road a short ways. 

Wisconsin Rustic Roads Intro

Memo

 

Date:  March 24, 2012

To: Visitors and Residents of the Great State of Wisconsin

Re: Wisconsin Rustic Roads Program

 

Greetings to All! Did you know that Wisconsin has a Rustic Roads Program? It began in 1975 as an effort to preserve some of Wisconsin's most scenic and lighly-traveled roadways. It is now a network of 111 designated roads, spanning almost 600 miles in over 55 counties. To qualify for the Rustic Roads program, a roadway must have outstanding natural features along its borders. These might include rugged terrain, native vegetation and wildlife, or open areas with agricutural vistas that make the road unique. The road must be lightly-traveled, not scheduled for major improvements that would change its rustic characteristics, and it must have a maximum speed of 45 mph. The road can be paved, gravel, or dirt, and one lane or two. Each road is designated by a brown and yellow sign, as well as its road number. For more information on the program and a listing with map of each of the roads, visit www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/scenic/rusticroads.htm

We began seeking out and driving Rustic Roads in 2011.  So far, we have visited over 35 Rustic Roads and have driven over 212 miles of these roads. We seek them out, and regularly make them a part of our travels. Come along with us as we explore what each one has to offer. Enjoy. We know we will.

--Susan and Denis