When we started planning our 2020 tour of the United States, there were several stops that were high on our list of places we wanted to visit. Wisconsin wasn't one of them. However, after spending the past six weeks in Wisconsin (with a little bit of time in northern Illinois), we've added Wisconsin to the list of places we want to return and here's why.

First and foremost, the weather in Wisconsin during the summer is amazing! Sure, it does get hot here during the day and, yeah, it was even a little humid but it's nothing like Oklahoma summers. The average high temperature during the summer (June, July, August) in Wisconsin ranges from 76 to 80 degrees. Meanwhile, the morning and evening temperatures settle in between 54 to 59 degrees. Compare those to our home state of Oklahoma where summer high temperatures range from 88 to 95 degrees with lows ranging from 65 to 69 degrees. The humidity in Wisconsin is a little higher than Oklahoma but the temperature and cloud coverage helps balance that out during the day and nights make up for any extra humidity. Nights in Wisconsin are magical - until the mosquitoes come out at dark!

If you look for a bustling city to visit on your vacations, Wisconsin has plenty of cities with a lot of great places to visit. Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin and offers all of the amenities of a large city, including dining, shopping, museums and other entertainment venues. If you're a history buff, Madison may be the perfect city for you. The Wisconsin State Capitol building is located in Madison along with the Wisconsin Historical Museum, Madison Children's Museum, Olbrich Botanical Gardens and several notable Frank Lloyd Wright architectures. We personally visited Bassett Street Brunch Club in Madison and the food was phenomenal! We highly recommend it if you're in the area. Meanwhile, even if you're not a Packers fan, Green Bay offers several other must visit destinations. Green Bay is home to the National Railroad Museum, Bay Beach Amusement Park and Green Bay Botanical Gardens just to name a few. Unfortunately, COVID-19 left us pretty restricted during our visit to Wisconsin so we didn't get to visit many of these amazing places but we definitely plan to return when we can experience them fully.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Wisconsin to us were the beautiful, clear lakes. We're used to the man-made lakes in Oklahoma full of mud and clay (among other, not so pretty things). Wisconsin is home to more than 15,000 lakes throughout the state, many of which are beautiful and clear. We personally visited Lake Michigan in Sheboygan, Lake Winnebago near Fond du Lac and Elkhart Lake. Lake Michigan gave us great views, an incredible rainbow after a short stint of rain near North Point Park, a painted rock hunt in the old Lottie Cooper ship wreckage and a magical walk on the water towards the Sheboygan Breakwater Lighthouse. We made a quick visit to Lake Winnebago after a walk through the Menominee Park and Zoo (which was free, btw). Lastly, exploring Elkhart Lake was a key part of our trip to Road America (and Wisconsin in general). Having grown up around racing, both Road America and Elkhart Lake were places we had always wanted to visit. Elkhart Lake did not disappoint with incredible views, great food and drinks at The Tiki Bar, ice cream on the beach water and exploring all of the cool, historical road racing signs throughout Elkhart Lake.

Another important part of Wisconsin's tourism is its state park system. Wisconsin is home to 60+ state parks and recreation areas that include lush forests, beautiful lakes and plenty of outdoor activities including hiking, fishing and kayaking. While we tried on several occasions to make time to visit them, it just never worked out for us. However, this is a must do the next time return to this area. Since we did not personally experience any of the state parks ourselves, I am sharing a couple of links to reviews of the Wisconsin state parks for additional insight.

Hidden Gems: 12 Wisconsin State Parks Perfect for Exploring

Hiking Across Wisconsin: Top 5 State Parks

15 Best State Parks in Wisconsin You Should Visit This Summer

The last but certainly not least reason to visit Wisconsin in the summer is its expansive farmland. Maybe this is my Oklahoma roots showing but I found so much beauty in the farmland throughout Wisconsin. The endless pastures of cattle grazing, the adorable farmhouses and barns and the rolling wheat pastures made for beautiful sights as we traveled from one campsite or race track to another. Breweries, cheese factories, farmer's markets and wineries are high on our list of things to do when we return to this area (and when COVID-19 is no longer a factor). Until we're able to experience the full tours, we'll stick to watching from the windows of our RV as we drive by all of these beautiful places.

The six weeks we spent in Wisconsin were more memorable than we could have ever imagined. We made a ton of memories as a family and experienced a part of the country we never had on our radar. We met a lot of amazing people who opened their homes and lives to us and, for all of those things, we are eternally grateful. We are excited to some day return to Wisconsin to finish exploring all of the areas we were unable to reach on this trip and visit all of our new friends.

Thank you, Wisconsin. Until we meet again.

Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

Living full-time in an RV has a lot of perks.

We get to see a lot of different, beautiful places. Places we may or may not have considered traveling otherwise. For example, this week we are visiting Madison, Wisconsin. I cannot imagine a scenario where we would have traveled to Madison without living this lifestyle, but it is amazing. Today (July 16th) had a high of 81 degrees. There was no wind and no bugs. It was the perfect day to be outdoors

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

We get to spend a lot of quality time together. Some days that quality time is in the RV while we are working and some days, we take a break and explore the area. Today Rob took the kids to the amusement park that is within walking distance of our RV park while I finished up some work at the RV. We all spent the afternoon in the RV park's pond soaking up some rays. The kids played in the water with Rob on the inflatables and I laid on the beach drinking a tequila and soda. After we got cleaned up from the pond, Edith and I took a walk around the RV park. Tonight, Edith and I are watching a movie (while I type up this blog) and Rob and Carter are playing video games.

Road America

We get to meet a lot of new people. Last weekend we spent the weekend at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in South Beloit, Illinois. We hung out with what has become our northern racetrack family. We focused on the racing during the day and then turned to social time in the evenings. We grilled out, had a few drinks and even took an evening track walk together. This weekend we're headed back to Road America near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin to meet back up with the track family and network for our business.

Marshall, Wisconsin

While I enjoy all of the perks of full-time RV living, my favorite has been getting to know my husband and my children better. Tonight, while Edith and I were hanging out outside of the RV drying off from our time at the pond, I told her that we should take a walk and see if we could meet new friends. If you know me, you know that I am an extreme extrovert. I love connecting with new people. When I said this to her, her face lit up! She jumped up and said, "Let's go meet new friends!" I quickly realized in that moment that she truly is my mini me. She craves human interaction just like I do. In fact, when were over at the bouncy bubble, she practically begged two little boys to come visit us at our RV so they could be friends. It reminded me of all the times I have done something equally as desperate to find friends. I felt like I was watching myself through her eyes.

I genuinely enjoy visiting all the beautiful places, meeting all the new people and spending quality time with my family but experiencing specific moments like tonight with my loved ones has been my favorite part. Those are the moments I will remember as I take my last breath. No amount of time together or experiencing new places will replace the moments you truly connect with another human being. Human connection is not quantifiable by the number of miles we drive or the places we see. Those moments are truly priceless.