It's Turtle Time!

1. Overview
2. Day 1, Dec. 20th: Ken Euers Nature Area & Rawley Point Lighthouse
3. Day 2, Dec. 21st: Hiking Time!
4. Day 3, Dec. 22nd: Lake Superior
5. Day 4, Dec 23rd: “The Frozen Tundra”
6. Day 4, Dec 24th: Down Time
7. Summary

Overview

Date Travelled: December 19th – 24th

Green Bay, Wisconsin!  Home to the Green Bay Packers and that is what brought me here.  I came to watch my first NFL game!  Of course, as an adventurer we can’t just come to Green Bay JUST for a football game!   So I began looking into things to get into and around Green Bay, Wisconsin to enjoy a new area and see what it has to offer.  This trip was with my brother, my step-dad, and my partner.  This trip was a blast and a well deserved one to be taken.  We have been talking about taking this trip since I was probably 10 years old.  At 25, we finally made it happen! We decided to set up a nice trip to Wisconsin, see the Packers play against the Saints and enjoy what we can!

My step-dad, partner and I flew out of New Orleans’ (MSY) airport into Green Bay’s (GRB) airport on December 19th and we would be meeting my brother, who was flying in from Maine, at the airport.  The plan was to fly back home Christmas morning. While you don’t always need to worry about delays, be prepared for them in the colder seasons!  We winded up having a delay in Chicago due to ice on the plane and had to wait for the truck to come around and de-ice our plane. 

For those who don’t know, de-icing the plane is the process of spraying a special fluid designed to lower the freezing point of water, causing the ice to melt and ensure a safe flight in wintry conditions.

We had been sitting on the plane for about 4 hours waiting for the plane to be ready to fly.  We were originally going to land in Green Bay for about 8:00 PM, but due to the delays we landed in Green Bay at midnight.  I had a rental car reservation but due to the delays they had closed for the night, luckily there was a worker at Avis rental car services to help me in getting into a rental for the duration of the stay!

Day 1, Dec. 20th: Ken Euers Nature Area & Rawley Point Lighthouse

Waking up the next day took my partner and I a minute since we hadn’t gotten to our lodging until 4AM.  My brother had booked an Airbnb about 30 minutes away and when we woke up, him, myself and my partner went to Ken Euers Nature Area.  This spot has views of Green Bay and is bordered by Duck Creek and Fox River.  At the time of our trip, there was snow and ice everywhere so it gave us a wonderful frozen view.  Seeing the frozen Bay, snow surrounding us, and the wonderful views on our small hike was quite a sight to behold in this Winter Wonderland.  We came across some animal tracks while walking around here.

After this we drove over to Lambeau Field to get a look at the stadium. I was impressed with how the stadium looked and enjoyed spending a bit of time getting to see it before it was bustling with fans to watch the game coming up!  After we looked there and took a look around Titletown, which is right by the stadium we drove over to Tanner’s Grill & Bar in Appleton, Wisconsin.  I got an order of their bavarian pretzel sticks which were very delicious, ate some cheese curds and tried an order of their baked nachos.  I found these items on their menu to be quite tasty and would definitely eat here again when I come around Green Bay again.

After eating, my brother, partner and I made a night drive over to the Rawley Point Lighthouse to view Lake Michigan to get a glimpse of one of the Great Lakes since we were so close to it. Granted, we went at night but it was still quite the sight to see especially with how the moonlight was casting through the clouds! This looked absolutely amazing and I enjoyed the view that we were graced with.

Day 2, Dec. 21st: Hiking Time!

This day was packed full of some hiking and catching some wonderful views of Wisconsin.  We went around to 4 or 5 different parks and enjoyed the nature offered to us around Green Bay!  Pamperin Park was our first stop of the day and it had a wonderful bridge, paired with the frozen river. It looked magnificent!  This area also has a disc golf course, which seems like it would be fun to play in warmer weather.

We then began making our way to the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary.  This park was amazing and it had groups of ducks, I got some neat pictures of turkeys, and while I was hiking I got to witness some wolves howling in the distance which I really admired while on the trail.  This park was amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed the hike it offered.  The frozen lake, snow falling lightly, and wildlife to observe made this an amazing hike to enjoy and I would highly recommend others to stop by this amazing sanctuary!

After leaving the wildlife sanctuary, I found a small park called Communiversity Park UWGB specifically to view Green Bay.  This area was small and was closed off to the parking area due to snow, but we pulled over to get closer to the bay and enjoy the scenery.  It was nice seeing the bay frozen over, and witnessing people ice fishing upon the bay.  I absolutely loved the snow and ice and was enjoying every moment out there!  

It was a beauty to behold in my opinion, to see a waterfall frozen solid!  This was one of the parks I was looking forward to seeing when I began looking into this trip to Green Bay, and I was astonished at the view of this frozen mass.  At this park, my partner and I met with my brother and step-dad where we stayed a bit to enjoy the view together.

My brother, partner and I walked right up to the waterfall on the frozen stream in front of it.  There was a little bit of water dripping so my brother and I stuck our hands in to feel the water.  That was a fun mistake of ours, but well worth it and I enjoyed every second of that burning cold on my hands

After a while, we moved on to see another area of Lake Michigan. This time we made our way to Algoma Pierhead Lighthouse and got to enjoy Lake Michigan in the sunlight on Crescent Beach in Algoma, Michigan. 

We decided to take some pictures of the sunset over the town behind us since it was gorgeous!  Upon arriving at the lighthouse, there is a placard sharing how this is a good area to go scuba diving, therefore I will be coming back here to get a look underwater in Lake Michigan!  

We made our way to try Culver’s, which to my disappointment was not as good.  The food was bland, very greasy and while I enjoyed my reuben would have preferred eating elsewhere.  The desserts offered seemed like they would be good, but I winded up eating half of everyone’s sandwich so it wouldn’t be wasted, but I did not enjoy the food and the visit to the bathroom was unpleasant as well. I will say, one of the butter burgers offered tasted okay, but still a very bland burger that I would probably turn towards McDonald’s or Burger King instead.  I did enjoy their cheese curds, so maybe the burgers we received just weren’t done right.  I’ll have to try the joint again but just thinking of the place is giving me the taste of bland, greasy patties.

Day 3, Dec. 22nd: Lake Superior

This day, we left early in the morning to make it to a second great lake!  We left Green Bay at 2 in the morning, for a little under 5 hour drive.  It began snowing on our trek north to see Lake Superior, so I had to drive a bit slower and more carefully especially as we started going through the Keweenaw Mountain range.  Driving through and getting wonderful views of the mountainous terrain around us as the sunlight was beginning to come through the overcast sky was a sight to behold.  We made it to Copper Harbor at about 7 AM, and while we were trying to get a wonderful sunrise over Lake Superior, the weather had another idea in store for us!

The weather gave us the best views of Lake Superior frozen, and I mean I was standing there thinking this could have been staged for a movie.  The impulsive thought going through my head was jump on the ice like it is a platform in a video game!  The frozen water was magnificent and I had to fight the urge to jump on the ice.  It was truly beautiful and left me with a surreal impression.  

I then made a small drive around the corner to see Hunter’s Point Park, where my step-dad and I got to see an even more beautiful view of Lake Superior.  The water wasn’t frozen over here, but the rocks were frozen on the shore and the shore was a beautiful red rock shore.( Double check this before posting)  It was a breathtaking view of Lake Superior and I’ll be coming here during a warmer time to experience this shore and possibly swim in the lake!

Day 4, Dec 23rd: “The Frozen Tundra”

This was game day, we would be going to Lambeau Field to watch the Packers play the Saints.  My partner and I ate at the Pancake Place in Green Bay, which was known for having great breakfast… They were amazing!  I got their banana split waffle, with some hot chocolate and I was very impressed by the food!  If you are in Green Bay and like breakfast foods, do yourself a favor and pay The Pancake Place a visit!  Great staff, great food, and I will be coming here again when I visit Green Bay again.

After eating breakfast, we went to Titletown, which is right across the street from Lambeau Field.  In the winter it has an ice skating rink and hill for snow tubing.  In the area there are also restaurants to eat at, and as I was visiting I could see plans for retail and commercial spots coming up.  It is a nice area with many things to do, after we checked the place out we stopped at Leaps & Bounds for a drink to warm us up before going in for the game.  I got myself a dark chocolate liquor hot chocolate which was quite delightful after wandering in the snow.  We also took a walk around Lambeau Field before entering the fates for the game.

The football game was a fun one and the Packers won the game with a blowout.

Day 4, Dec 24th: Down Time

The day after the game, we went to eat at the Pancake Place again, since it was that good the day before.  After eating, my partner and I went ice skating in Titletown where we both had some fun.  We went on a small walk at a nearby park to end the day and put a wrap on Green Bay, for we would catch flights beginning at 5AM the next morning to make it back home. 

Summary

Green Bay, Wisconsin in my opinion was amazing. There were amazing things to do in the area and I see myself returning to Green Bay in the future.  Whether it is for catching another Packers game, or if it is to try scuba diving in Lake Michigan, one of those two should happen next time I am in Wisconsin.  The views were breathtaking in the snow, and I’m sure they are just as magnificent when plants are vibrant.  There are locations to grab a pretty good bite at, and while they are not the great taste of Louisiana, the food eaten was pretty good.  I would recommend anyone looking for some nice nature parks to venture to, make your next trip to Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and as always, It’s Turtle Time!