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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. 
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