As weather cools and beaches close, there is little reason to stay home and be bored. Check out these enticements for close-to-home travel.
Pablo Center at the Confluence, a major arts venue, has opened in downtown Eau Claire. It is near the meeting of the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers.
In the new structure are 1,200- and 400-seat theaters for the performing arts, and free-admission galleries for regional and national visual artists.
Performances already booked include Ganavy Doraiswamy, Oct. 18; Tony Jackson, Oct. 26; Ailey II, Oct.27; Kate Lindsey and Baptiste Trotignon, Nov. 1; Oak Ridge Boys, Nov. 26; Blind Boys of Alabama, Jan. 25; and Kodo Taiko, Feb. 23. pablocenter.org
Fans of the indie folk band Bon Iver, take note: A “lock inn” night with Eau Claire native Justin Vernon and bandmate Sean Carey happens Nov. 20 at The Oxbow Hotel in Eau Claire.
That means overnight lodging and an evening of curated music, food, “cultural sensibilities” and the possibility of special musical guests. What guests hear is a playlist of songs selected by the musicians, who will perform at the hotel pub, The Lakely, as chef Nathan Berg prepares a six-course dinner.
Only 30 packages will be sold. This is the fourth such event at The Oxbow this year.
A new, weekly radio show in Green Bay’s Titletown District analyzes pro football game play during each week of the Green Bay Packers’ regular season.
“Lodge Kohler Kickoff” is broadcast live from 6 to 7 p.m. Mondays, hosted by longtime sportscaster Bill Michaels of WSSP-FM 105.7, Milwaukee. The show takes place at Taverne in the Sky, a bar-restaurant on the fifth floor of Lodge Kohler, a hotel with panoramic views of Lambeau Field, just 100 yards away.
Michaels will provide personal commentary and interview current and former Packers. Other radio outlets that will pick up the show include WOZN-FM 96.7 in Madison.
Shows are open to the public, and reservations are advised. lodgekohler.com
The first red panda cub for Milwaukee County Zoo was born this summer and is expected to make her public debut in the next few weeks.
The unnamed cub’s birth was announced recently to coincide with International Red Panda Day this month. Red pandas are endangered globally because of deforestation, poaching and trapping. Fewer than 2,500 of the adult animals are alive.
Red pandas are solitary, only interacting to mate. Cubs are born blind and stay that way for up to 31 days. So for now, this one is with her first-time mother, who is nicknamed Dr. E., and getting accustomed to new surroundings. milwaukeezoo.org
Early autumn is prime time for corn mazes, and that includes one on John and Julie Govin’s farm near Menomonie. The labyrinth celebrates 100 seasons of competition for the Green Bay Packers and is carved into 11 acres of corn.
Twists and turns in the maze make it more than two miles long. There are 85 decision points, and the average visitor will need one hour from start to finish.
Add a game of FSI—Farm Scene Investigation—which means collecting clues in the maze to help find Farmer Joe and solve a mystery. Or arrive at dusk on a Friday or Saturday and tackle the maze with just your flashlight.
On the farm are other diversions, too. Think pumpkin and apple cannons, pig and duck races. The season ends Oct. 28. govinsfarm.com
An introduction to sporting clays and pheasant hunting is Nov. 3 at J&H Game Farm, Shiocton. This Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) program includes a firearm safety review, sporting clays class and pheasant hunt with a guide and trained hunting dogs.
The ratio is three hunters per guide, and each hunter can harvest up to three birds.
BOW, which began at UW-Stevens Point and now is a national program, is a nonprofit program designed to introduce outdoor skills. gazettextra.com/uwsp_bow
Grand Hotel, on Mackinac Island in Upper Michigan, is enticing travelers with lodging discounts that get deeper when staying longer.
The seasonal resort with the world’s longest porch offers 25 percent off of the second night of lodging. Or stay two nights to get the third at a 50 percent discount. Stay three nights and get the fourth night free. The offer is subject to availability.
Upcoming special events include the Girlfriends Getaway Weekend, Oct. 12-14; Murder Mystery Weekend, Oct. 19-21; and “Somewhere in Time” Weekend, Oct. 26-28.
Grand Hotel closes for the season on Oct. 28. grandhotel.com
Until the end of October, a Room with a Brew package at Kimpton Journeyman Hotel in downtown Milwaukee includes accommodations, a selection of locally brewed beer, a map that shows popular beer-drinking spots in the city and a tour of Lakefront Brewery with complimentary transportation. journeymanhotel.com
An autumn Girlfriend Getaway Package at Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, Lake Geneva, includes accommodations, massage or facial, hair blowout services, manicure or pedicure and lunchtime dining credit. The Haunted Hayride Package includes water park passes and haunted hayride tickets.
In Madison, the Fall for Bucky Package includes lodging at the Hilton Madison, parking and football tickets in a Camp Randall suite that provides food and beverages during the game. The hotel is a short walk from the Saturday farmers market that fills Capitol Square. hilton.com
Dream Dance Steak, the fine dining restaurant at Potawatomi Hotel and Casino, has a new chef. He is Mark Shoup, a native of Michigan and a Culinary Institute of America graduate who arrived in Milwaukee with 30-plus years of experience.
He aims to make subtle changes to the menu, such as offering a fish of the day. paysbig.com
Want to travel, but not alone? The Women’s Travel Club offers small-group travel that emphasizes sightseeing, shopping, the local cuisine and wine. Each tour arranged by the Canada-based company involves no more than 15 women, and they represent a wide range of ages.
Tours for 2019 include South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. womens-travel-club.com
