Six couples with Mustang and Corvette convertibles made the Quad County trip on Oct. 13. The cool, misty fall day was not exactly great for “tops down,” but the fall color was only slightly past peak and was a great backdrop for a trip that was on mostly Northwoods scenic roads.
The group left Townsend at 9 a.m. and travelled north on state Highway 32 to state Highway 8 in Laona and then to Armstrong Creek on Highway 8. After a brief pit stop there, it was on to Florence via state Highway 101. In Florence, the group visited the Wild Rivers Interpretive Center, which features an array of exhibits that tell the story of how a small mining and logging town developed into a thriving rural northern Wisconsin community.
The center offers an array of literature from the Department of Natural Resources, Travel Wisconsin and others, helpful to people venturing out in the area.
Next it was up Michigan on Highway 2 toward Crystal Falls, then west on Michigan 424 toward Caspian. The group planned to stop at Pentoga Park on Chicagon Lake for a picnic lunch. However, the mist was still in the air and temperatures were in the 50s. They drove through the park for a peek at the fall colors and plan to return on a sunny day trip. The park has a big pavilion, with a view of the lake. Overnight camping is available, also.
With extra time, the group drove into the George Young Sports/Golf complex a mile up the road, but it was closed due to limited fall hours.
About noon the group arrived in Caspian for a tour of the Iron River Historical Museum. Museum Director Bernadette Passamani and her staff greeted them and graciously allowed them to “picnic” inside before they started the self-guided tour. The entire group was amazed by the number of historic items on display both inside and in various restored buildings around the property.
A highlight was the Lee LeBlanc Wildlife Art Gallery. He was a graduate of Iron River High School in 1931, studied art and in 1937 began his Hollywood motion picture career as animator to Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. His best-known film production was “Ben Hur.” He returned to his hometown and began painting wildlife. He won the National Duck Stamp, the National Turkey Stamp and the National Bass Stamp awards. Over 200 of his works are on display.
Much of the other exhibit space is devoted to the history of mining and logging in the area. Visit www.ironcountyhistoricalmuseum.org for more information.
Two hours at the museum went by quickly, and the group headed back to Michigan Highway 2 for a drive through downtown Iron River. Time did not permit any stops, and the group took Michigan 73 south to the Wisconsin border where the road turned into Wisconsin 55.
There are long sections of hilly road with great views and plenty of gentle curves. Argonne was the destination for dinner. This small town on Highway 55 is home to Ed’s Main Street Restaurant/Bar. Ed’s is rapidly gaining a reputation for great food and has a wide array of specials daily. Ed smokes his own ribs and briskets that “fall off the bone” and are some of the best tasting anywhere. Ed’s has a covered patio for summer, but it was closed for the season.
After dinner the group headed back to Townsend via Highway 55 to Crandon and Highway 8 to Laona, completing the loop and then south on Highway 32. The group agreed to do the trip again during the summer months when “topless cruising” would have been the only thing that could have made for a better day in the Northwoods.
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