Migrating Birds Return To Baraboo Bluffs

Spring bird migration is in full swing!

Many songbirds birds arrived on schedule at the Inn at Wawanissee Point last week.

• The indigo buntings popped into the garden May 2, 2012.
• Humming birds beckoned for a treat on Friday, May 4.
• Sunday, May 6 the rose-breasted grosbeaks and Baltimore orioles greeted us.

While we in Wisconsin have been enjoying a spring that’s a month ahead of the typical schedule, these neotropical migrating birds that nest in the contiguous forest of the Baraboo Bluffs were unaware. The weather in their tropical, winter home was normal and they were waited for day length to signal their departure.

Many migrating birds—waterfowl and songbirds—including the mighty ruby-throated hummingbird, fly nonstop across 600 miles of the Gulf of Mexico.

Though we’re still learning to recognize the many coveted warblers, there were sightings of the early-arriving species this week. The rising temperatures will bring out in greater numbers the insects these birds prey upon. Plan your Wisconsin birding trip now.

If you love spotting warblers and grassland birds, the Inn at Wawanissee Point is a perfect bird-watching base camp.

The Nature Conservancy has recognized Baxter’s Hollow, its largest preserve in Wisconsin, among the sites for its top three must-see migrations in Wisconsin. About 20 minutes west of the Inn, Baxter’s Hollow contains an extensive deep-woods habitat that attracts birds rarely seen in other parts of Wisconsin. It also encompasses a large section of the Otter Creek watershed.

Warblers especially prefer the isolated tracts of deep forest found in Baxter’s Hollow, which make it one of the most important nesting areas for forest-dwelling birds in southern Wisconsin. More than 40 bird species breed in Baxter’s Hollow, including these more rare species:

1. Louisiana waterthrush
2. Hooded warbler
3. Worm-eating warbler
4. Kentucky warbler
5. Chestnut-sided warbler
6. Cerulean warbler
7. American redstart
8. Tufted titmouse
9. Whip-poor-will
10. Winter wren

The trail through Baxter’s Hollow is unmarked and primitive, the conditions rocky, but these beautiful birds, woodland flowers in bloom and interesting aquatic sitings along Otter Creek will reward your effort.

You’re also apt to find most of these 10 species at the nearby Pan Hollow State Natural Area, located between Pine Hollow and Baxter’s Hollow State Natural Areas. The Nature Conservancy owns all three.

If you only want to venture five minutes or fewer from the Inn, our 40 acres offers worthy bird sitings, plus nearby Parfrey’s Glen State Natural Area and the Ice Age Trail transecting it, which skim our property’s southern border.

The 1,800-acre Riverland Consevancy-Merrimac Preserve is two miles south of the Inn. You’ll hike through restored prairie and savanna, wetlands and forest, offering opportunities to see forest nesters like tanagers, waders such as sandhill cranes and herons, and the struggling grassland birds like dickcissel, eastern meadowlark, upland sandpiper and bobolink.

Since the Inn at Wawanissee Point is the only bed and breakfast adjacent Devil’s Lake State Park, hop over to Devil’s Lake Oak Forest and South Bluff/Devil’s Nose State Natural Areas within the park for more birding.

The restored prairies of the Aldo Leopold Foundation and International Crane Foundation, north of Baraboo, are other close bird-watching sites in the Baraboo area.

Book your birding headquarters guest room today. Click on the Check Availability box at the top of this page or call us at 608-355-9899.

Circus World Museum Performances Begin May 19

No matter your age or whether you have a few hours or a day, Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wis., at the grounds of the original Ringling Bros. Circus winter quarters, is a unique experience. It’s an unbeatable value, too.

The facility is a National Historic Landmark and one of Wisconsin Historical Society’s 10 historic sites. But its lively entertainment, offering something new and familiar each season, makes it much more than a history museum. Who can help feeling anything but fantastic as you watch children giggle and their mouths gape in amazement, then catch yourself laughing and wondering.

Opening weekend features the 90-minute Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show at 5 p.m., Saturday, May 19, and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 20. It’s a wild re-enactment of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and the Congress of Rough Riders with Texas longhorns; a real Gatlin-gun demonstration; cowboys and cowgirls trick riding, roping and shooting; a stagecoach hold-up; bank robbery and more. You’ll see familiar Western characters, but will Buffalo Bill save the day? This special show repeats July 28 and 29, 2012.

For its performance season beginning May 19, 2012 through Sept. 3, 2012, Circus World is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., even when it’s raining since many activities are under a tent or in a building. Plan your visit to see the Big Top circus performance in the Hippodrome at 11:00 a.m. or 4:00 p.m.

Also enjoy these and more:

• Magician and illusionist Tristan Crist’s new show, Theatre of Illusion
• Slide For Life Thrill Act over the Baraboo River
• New exhibits
• Aerialists, elephants, clowns
• Novelty Instruments Concert
• Lucky Star Miniature Trick Horse Show
• Circus Skills Adventure
• Guided circus wagon tour

View the daily performance schedule. Learn more at circusworld.wisconsinhistory.org.

There are 10 shows daily for $14.95 per adult. Pack a picnic lunch to munch beside the free-flowing Baraboo River. Or get your hand stamped so you can leave for lunch at one of the many cafés in historic downtown Baraboo a few blocks away.

Complete your circus day with a stay at the Inn at Wawanissee Point, 10 minutes south of Circus World Museum.

Book your guest room today.

Unwind during wine and cheese hour in our Indigo Lounge. Watch the sun set over the Lake Wisconsin Valley from our secluded prairie. Then stargaze by the campfire as long as you desire, with a s’mores kit if you want.

Upcoming Circus World Museum Events

• June 10, 2012, Circus Of Chefs The Gala 2012, 5 p.m.–9 p.m. An extraordinary annual fund-raiser featuring tastings of more than 30 exceptional chefs, vintners and brewmasters. Silent and live auctions of fine art, jewelry, the latest electronics, vacation packages and rare photographic prints from Circus World’s priceless collection of glass-plate negatives. Live jazz music, a martini bar and the best of the big top’s circus performance. Tickets $125. Details.
• June 13–17, 2012, Circus Model Builders Convention and Show, 9 a.m–6 p.m. Circus Model Builders convention and show. Charlie Bennet and Bert Backstein started a hobby club of circus model builders in the late 1930s to exchange information and ideas. Today there are more than 900 members. Several miniature circus creations will be on exhibit for everyone. More here.

Circus World Museum is open year-round, and has a fall performance season. If you can’t make it this summer, consider a fall colors trip to the Baraboo Bluffs and the circus!

Memorial Day Weekend Getaway In Baraboo

The summer season officially begins four weeks from now on Memorial Day weekend, May 25–28, 2012. Plan now for a relaxing holiday retreat at the Inn at Wawanissee Point, while we have available guest rooms.

Book your guest room today.

As frenzied people rush to leave town to camp up north during the holiday weekend, you can escape with us atop the Baraboo Bluffs for a peaceful, quiet retreat.

Melt away the busyness by savoring Trudy’s fantastic breakfast on the main deck. Linger to watch and listen to the birds. You’ll likely catch glimpses of the neotropical migrants like the scarlet tanager or indigo bunting just starting to nest. You might hear some warblers. And the hummingbirds and Baltimore orioles will be eagerly entertaining amid the planter boxes along the railing.

We’ll have the hammock out for snoozing in the sun or reading that book you’ve been setting aside too long. Stroll through our gardens and watch the butterflies dance, hike our three miles of private trails through the woods and sit by the spring for awhile to listen to the water.

After wine and cheese hour in the Indigo Lounge, watch the sun set and stargaze as you snuggle by the campfire on the terrace in the privacy of our secluded prairie. We can provide you with a s’more’s kit.

If you feel like venturing out for the afternoon, there are many Baraboo-area attractions just open for the summer season to enjoy.

• May 26, 2102,  Kayak/Canoe Tour of Mirror Lake at Mirror Lake State Park, Lake Delton, 10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. 20 minutes north of the Inn, meet at the boat landing for a 90-minute guided tour to learn the area’s geology and history. Rentals are available at the boat landing, arrive 15 minutes early to arrange. Wisconsin Dells History In Story And Song, 7:00 p.m., meet at the Bluewater Bay campground amphitheater for a fun evening learning about the area. Call 608-254-2333 or e-mail rebecca.green@wisconsin.gov with questions.

• May 26, 2012, Amish Community Bicycle Tour sponsored by the Wisconsin Bicycling Meetup. A 35-mile tour of an Amish community, including a buggy shop, wood shop general store. The group will stop for lunch and visit the Amish bakery near the end of the ride. Meet at the Pardeeville High School at 9:30 a.m., a 45-minute drive east of the Inn. More details here. RSVP deadline is May 23, 2012.

• May 26–Oct. 30, 2012, Saturdays:  Aldo Leopold Guided Shack Tours, Baraboo, 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. Aldo Leopold Foundation staff lead the tours. Hike the restored prairie, woods and river trails around the Shack, hear stories about the land restoration by Aldo Leopold and his family, and go the inside the famous shack. Reservations are recommended so visit www.aldoleopold.org for details.

• Aldo Leopold Center in Baraboo opened for its season April 16, 2012, Monday–Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–5 p.m. Visit the educational and interpretive facility in a new, renewable-energy-powered building, one of the greenest in the world, near the Leopold shack. Exhibits, self-guided and guided tours of the center, farm and shack. Learn more at www.aldoleopold.org.

• Circus World Museum in Baraboo opens for the season May 19, 2012. It’ll be open daily 9 a.m.–6 p.m. with 10 shows rain or shine through Sept. 3, 2012. See the schedule at circusworld.wisconsinhistory.org.

• International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, 15 minutes north of the Inn, opened April 15 for the season. Take a guided tour of the world’s 15 species of cranes that reside there or hike through the Foundation’s restored prairie. Visit www.savingcranes.org for more information.

• H. H. Bennett Studio in Wisconsin Dells opens May 1, 2012 for the season, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. daily with extended evening hours mid June through mid August. Tour this inventive photojournalist’s second studio and see his original work, equipment and inventions. It is believed to be the oldest operating photography studio in the United States. Learn more here.

There’s hiking at Devil’s Lake State Park, Parfrey’s Glen State Natural Area and the Riverland Conservancy-Merrimac Preserve, all five minutes from the Inn.

Area farmers’ markets will be open Saturday morning, so bring a cooler to take home goodies. Stop at Wollersheim Winery and Carr Valley Cheese Company in Sauk Prairie for more treats.

Call us at 608-355-9899 or click on the Check Availability box at the top of this page to book your room at the only bed and breakfast adjacent Devil’s Lake State Park.

Let’s kick off summer together!

Evening Bird Hike At Devil’s Lake State Park April 27

Have you seen male woodcocks performing their aerial mating displays? You may if you visit Devil’s Lake State Park this Friday, April 27, 2012, for an evening bird hike from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Join the park’s naturalist for a guided hike through Steinke Basin listening and searching for birds that have returned for the breeding season. You’re apt to also hear the spring peepers and western chorus frogs calling, and maybe some other frog species.

Wear boots in case parts of the trail are wet as can happen this time of year, and meet at the Steinke Basin parking lot, five minutes west of the Inn.

The hike is free and open to the public, but you will need a state park vehicle admission sticker. The closest place to purchase your day sticker or annual pass is the north shore entrance to Devil’s Lake State Park. It may be possible to get a one-hour pass for this hike if you don’t plan to visit the park more during your stay.

If you have questions, call 608-356-8301 ext. 140 or e-mail SusanA.Johansen@wisconsin.gov.

Come for an impromptu, birding getaway this weekend. We have vacancies April 27–29, 2012. Call us at 608-355-9899 to reserve your room. The Bird’s Nest and Secret Garden guest rooms are waiting for you.

The Eastern towhee returned to the Baraboo Bluffs this past week and joined the fox sparrow that has been here a couple weeks kicking up plant matter under the feeders. We are anxiously awaiting the rose-breasted grosbeaks, Baltimore orioles, scarlet tanagers and indigo buntings, which often arrive the first week of May.

We have binoculars and several bird guides for your use at the Inn. Stroll through our three miles of wooded trails to enjoy more birding during your romantic stay with us. We can also suggest a number of other excellent bird watching sites, prairie and wooded, at state natural areas and preserves close to the Inn, besides Devil’s Lake State Park.

We’re in the middle of birding paradise here in the Baraboo Hills.

Book your guest room today. Click on the Check Availability box at the top of this page or call us at 608-355-9899 to reserve your room.

Happy bird watching!

Wollersheim 40th Anniversary Vine Planting May 11

Consider celebrating Mother’s Day, less than a month away, with a weekend at Wollersheim Winery and the Inn at Wawanissee Point, a perfect pairing.

On Friday, May 11, 2012, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Wollersheim invites the public to help celebrate its 40^th anniversary by planting cuttings from its 40-year-old Foch vines. Wear your gardening clothes, bring a camera and plan to spend about 30 minutes in the vineyard leaving your mark for the next 40 years of winemaking. Wollersheim will provide the planting tools and afterward you’ll toast the vines and the future with a tasting of Domaine du Sac in the vineyard. The rain date for this event is May 18, 2012.

Sunday, May 13, 2012, is Wollersheim’s Winery Salute To Mothers from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The winery will be open for tours and tastings, and mothers accompanied by their families will receive a complimentary tour.

There’s a festive spirit in the air at Wollersheim these days. Besides the excitement for its 40^th anniversary, Wollersheim was named the 2012 Winery Of The Year during the San Diego International Wine Competition in California, March 11–12, 2012. It also won a record number of the coveted platinum medals for its Dry Riesling and estate-grown Prairie Blush, among other wines. There were 1,754 wine entries from the United States and 12 countries. Read more about its awards here. For more information about Wollersheim Winery visit www.wollersheim.com.

We have vacancies for Mother’s Day weekend, May 11–13, 2012. Reserve your favorite room now. Join us before dinner in the Indigo Lounge for our wine and cheese hour to toast Mom. We always feature Wollersheim’s wines with Wisconsin’s finest cheeses, among other delights.

We are the closest bed and breakfast to Wollersheim Winery, just 15 miles northeast of Sauk Prairie. From the Inn’s door to Wollersheim, you’ll enjoy the 15-minute scenic drive through the Lake Wisconsin valley to Prairie du Sac, Wis.

A few more activities for Mother’s Day:

• Baraboo’s spring Fair On The Square, Saturday, May 12, 2012. 150 artists and craftspeople around the historic courthouse with live music and food, plus the first weekend of the Baraboo Farmers’ Market. Learn more about the Fair here.
• Mother’s Day Brunch And Dinner Trains at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, May 12 and 13, 2012. First-class service at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m., and dinner train at 6:30 p.m. on May 12. Brunch service on May 13, departing at 11:30 a.m. Reservations and details at www.mcrwy.com
• Geology Nature Hike at Mirror Lake State Park in Lake Delton, May 12, 2012, 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. Meet at the boat landing, 20 minutes north of the Inn, to hike and learn about the Wisconsin Dells and Mirror lake area’s unique geology. Call 608-254-2333 or e-mail rebecca.green@wisconsin.gov with questions.
• First Art & Bloom Fest at Durward’s Glen Retreat & Educational Center, Baraboo, May 12, 2012, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Artist displays and work for sale, farmers’ market, three local authors signing books, guided nature walks by Mia and Mal Persche and a luncheon by the Merrimac Methodist Church. Located five minutes west of the Inn. Details at www.durwardsglen.org.
• Mother’s Day At International Crane Foundation, Baraboo, May 13, 2012, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Mothers receive free admission. Special programs of arts, crafts, tours and more. Contact the educational staff at 608-356-9465 ext. 121 or naturalists@savingcranes.org for details. www.savingscranes.org
• Visit The Area page for more ideas of attractions and activities to see in Sauk County.

Book your guest room, or rooms for the entire family, today. Our weekends are filling. Click on the Check Availability box at the top of this page or call us at 608-355-9899 to book your room.

Celebrate Mom at Wawanissee Point and Wollersheim Winery.

Baraboo Spring Fair On The Square May 12

Bring mom for a fun day at the festive, spring Fair On The Square, Saturday, May 12, 2012, in downtown Baraboo, Wis. Browse and shop exhibits by 150 artists and craftspeople that line nearly four blocks around the historic courthouse. Enjoy live music and delicious food along Eat Street. Learn more about the Fair here.

The Baraboo Farmers’ Market is slated to begin Wednesday, May 9, 2012, weather permitting, so on May 12 you should also be able to shop for locally grown foods from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Stock up on new-crop maple syrup, take home some bedding plants to start your spring planting and bring a cooler for early produce, besides meats, cheeses, eggs, bakery items, herbal products and more.

The Fair is during Mother’s Day weekend this year, so consider a relaxing stay at the Inn at Wawanissee Point afterward. Refresh in the sauna, Shiatsu massage chair and/or hot tub. Then join us at 5:30 p.m. for wine and cheese hour in the Indigo Lounge before you head out for dinner. We are 10 minutes south of Baraboo.

If you’d like to treat mom to some pampering, we can arrange for an in-room massage in our Secret Garden or Bordeaux guest rooms. Or book a massage, pedicure or other service at Spa Serenity, downtown Baraboo’s day spa, after walking through the Fair On The Square.

Reserve your favorite room now for a Mother’s Day weekend getaway; it’s only a month away!

Our weekends are filling quickly. Click on the Check Availability box at the top of this page or call us at 608-355-9899 to book your room.

We look forward to hosting you soon.

Devil’s Lake State Park Regatta April 28

Devil’s Lake State Park, just south of Baraboo, Wis., will host a men’s rowing team regatta on Saturday, April 28, 2012. The first race is from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., the second from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Men’s crew teams from the University of Wisconsin and Boston, Dartmouth and MIT universities will compete for the Jablonic Cup and The Cochrane Cup.

Enjoy a spring day at Wisconsin’s most popular state park with some extra excitement that resembles that of 135 years ago. On June 21 and 22, 1877, thousands of spectators watched a grand regatta race at Devil’s Lake. See a historic photo of the event at the Devil’s Lake State Park Visitor’s guide, www.devilslakewisconsin.com.

For more information about the April 28 regatta, send an e-mail to steven.schmelzer@wisconsin.gov

To learn more about the history of the U.W. men’s crew team, the oldest sport at the University of Wisconsin, click here.

Then book a stay at the Inn at Wawanissee Point, the only bed and breakfast adjacent Devil’s Lake State Park. We are five minutes from the park! Make it a spring weekend retreat with the regatta.

Reserve your guest room now. Weekends are filling quickly. Click on the Check Availability box at the top of this page or call us at 608-355-9899.

We look forward to celebrating spring with you!

Carr Valley Cooking School Begins In April

Register now to attend Carr Valley Cheese Company’s chef classes held at the Carr Valley Retail Store in Sauk City, Wis., in its state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen. The popular cooking school begins its fifth season in April and runs through October. Classes fill quickly and already the first two are sold out.

You’ll spend two and a half hours with renowned chefs and cooking instructors who come from around the country to teach how to create unique dishes with award-winning Carr Valley cheeses. Participants get to eat the fare created during class, enjoy some wine and leave with the chef’s recipes. Arrive 30 minutes early for the meet and mingle, and after class purchase cheese to take home.

The next available class, Thursday, May 10, 2012, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., is only five weeks away. Taste What All The Fass Is About is a class about signature starters with chef Kevin Appleton of Vom Fass in Madison, Wis. Admission is $55.00 per person.

Click here to learn more about this season’s chef classes and register, or visit www.carrvalleycheese.com and click on Cooking School on the left side of the page.

Then reserve a room at the Inn at Wawanissee Point for a spring weekend getaway. We are the closest bed and breakfast to the Carr Valley Cooking School, just 15 minutes northeast of Sauk Prairie.

• The May 10th class is the eve of Mother’s Day weekend. Mother’s Day is May 13, 2012. If your spouse or mom loves cheese, cooking and eating, she may appreciate receiving a weekend getaway of food followed by relaxation at Wawanissee Point.

Book your favorite guest room now; weekends are filling quickly. Click on the Check Availability box at the top of this page or call us at 608-355-9899.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Frog Hike At Devil’s Lake State Park April 14

At the Inn at Wawanissee Point, we anxiously wait to hear the first calls of the spring peepers. For us it is a sure sign that spring has arrived. The peepers began singing March 12, 2012, about 10 days earlier than we typically hear them, thanks to this unusually early and warm spring.

Bring a flashlight and meet at the Steinke Basin parking lot, five minutes west of the Inn, for this 30-minute, easy hike. You’ll walk parts of the Johnson Moraine Trail and Steinke Basin to hear the frogs. Call 608-356-8301 ext. 140 or e-mail SusanA.Johansen@wisconsin.gov with questions.

• The hike is free and open to the public, but you will need a state park vehicle admission sticker. The closest place to purchase your day sticker or annual pass is the north shore entrance to Devil’s Lake State Park. It may be possible to get a one-hour pass for this hike if you don’t plan to visit the park more during your stay.

Besides the spring peeper, Pseudacris crucifer, whose call sounds like high-pitched, ringing bells, one peep per second, the western chorus frog, Pseudacris triseriata, is another species that awakens early to breed and has one of the longest calling seasons. Its call sounds like a repeating prreep, like running your nail over the teeth of comb, which you can hear half a mile away.

The warmer the water the faster the chorus frog calls, and it does so in large groups. The male chorus frog will call from wet ditches, fields and moist woodlands, and is easily heard along the Inn’s hiking trails and Tower Road. But you’ll have to stop and stand quietly periodically. As you approach, these secretive frogs stop calling and dive down to hide in the mud.

The amount of sound these inch-long frogs make is incredible. The clever spring peepers will amplify their calls by sitting under grass or in crevices, creating a ventriloquism.

Learn Frog Calls Here

Visit this U. S. Geological Survey Web site to listen to the calls of various frog species to help you distinguish their songs.

As spring unfolds, we’ll also hear northern leopard frogs and wood frogs in April, then American toads and Cope’s and eastern gray treefrogs. The chorus will gain another dimension as the water reaches 60 degrees toward late April and early May with the calls of the warm-weather frogs, the green frog and bullfrog. By late summer and into fall the spring peepers will call again.

Love is in the air at Wawanissee Point between the birds and frogs! Cozy next to a campfire on our terrace to enjoy the amphibian concert and gaze at the stars. Treat yourself with a s’mores campfire kit, one of our Specials & Packages. We have vacancy for the Frog Call Hike if you’d like a romantic getaway.

Reserve your favorite guest room now; weekends are filling quickly. Click on the Check Availability box at the top of this page.

If you don’t see vacancy for your preferred dates, call us at 608-355-9899, sometimes we have last-minute cancellations.

We look forward to hosting you soon.

Spring Vineyard School At Wollersheim March 29

Are you a home vintner or are you growing grapes in your garden? Then you may want to attend the Wisconsin Grape Growers Association’s Spring Vineyard School March 29, 2012 at Wollersheim Winery in Prairie du Sac, Wis.

The one-day seminar from 9:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. will teach you about managing diseases in your home vineyard and optimizing the canopy for high-quality production. You’ll also see grape vine pruning and equipment demonstrations.

Nonmembers are welcome, but space is limited. Registration is required by March 23, 2012. Call the Wisconsin Grape Growers Association at 920-478-3852 or visit www.wigrapes.org for more information.

• Then reserve at room at the Inn at Wawanissee Point for a relaxing weekend getaway after the vineyard school. We are the closest bed and breakfast to Wollersheim Winery, just 15 minutes northeast of Sauk Prairie.

Sample Wollersheim’s wines during our evening wine and cheese hour in our Indigo Lounge before you head out for dinner.

We look forward to seeing you. Call us at 608-355-9899 to reserve your room, or click on the Check Availability box at the top of this page.