We discovered Heartland Farm Sanctuary in early 2018 and have been fans and supporters ever since…read more Heartland was the first farm sanctuary in Wisconsin and still is the largest in the state. But what makes Heartland stand out is that in addition to love and effort they devote to the homeless farm animals they rescue, the sanctuary also works with youth who are at risk or have special needs. Heartland Farm Sanctuary creates an environment where youth and the rescued animals can "come together to heal, grow, and have fun" (quoted from Heartland). The environment at Heartland Farm Sanctuary is truly different from what you would experience at a traditional working farm (or for that matter, just reading or hearing about animals). I think of my visits to Heartland as something of a Zen experience -- that setting is part of why children can so effectively learn how to interact with animals in a humane fashion. Heartland offers public tours on most weekends from Spring through Fall. There also are week-long summer camps for kids. The animal residents change over time as new rescues arrive (and unfortunately as some older animals pass away). Current residents include donkeys, a miniature horse (Cookie), emus, cows (Beau and Daisy), goats, lamas, turkeys, chickens, geese, ducks, pigs, sheep, and more. The sanctuary also includes two cats (Poppy and Otto) that keep an eye on everything. If you have kids, Heartland Farm Sanctuary is a fantastic place for them to interact with animals and in turn learn in ways that are not possible in the classroom or from watching TV.

Yesterday was our second visit to the Sanctuary (June 2018 and June 2019) and we think we have…read moreestablished a new tradition. A yearly visit (at least!) is good for our spirits since this is a lovely place for animals and people to be surrounded by kindness and compassion - two things that never go out of style! The tours begin promptly and people gather at a small picnic style area with a roof (a new development since our previous visit). Then, we are taken to the barn to see the emus, hens, turkeys, Cookie the mini horse, and the donkeys. We then get to see the pigs and we were lucky enough this time to see Winnie enjoying some watermelon. The last part of the tour is in the pasture area with the goats - Esther is happy to act as tour guide as well! But not only are these tours amazing, this entity has all kinds of activities and projects with children (summer camp, etc). They really put monetary donations to good use. When going for the tour, you may want to bring a water bottle. Their port-a-potties are pretty clean with plenty of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. We still brought some sanitizer just in case, but they offer you some at the end after petting the animals that come to you to hang out in the pasture. In less than 15 minutes driving back, we were already by the West Towne Mall area.

We love coming to the farm every October with our friends. The pumpkins are excellent - in great…read morecondition, organized by size, and have all of the variations in color you need. I appreciate the colorful corn (though we can maybe start referring to it as flint corn these days...), and and the warty pumpkins. The biggest draw for us, though, is the new calf they usually have in the barn, and the hayride up to feed the cows. It's definitely a core memory for the kiddos.

Came here for a Christmas tree even though I'm Buddhist. As a Buddhist I appreciate how well cared…read morefor the farm animals are, the cows see hale and hearty. Actually I'm not quite sure what "hale" means, but the dairy cattle look very healthy and happy. The Christmas tree selection was outstanding, the service prompt and friendly. This giant of a fellow, must have been 7 feet tall, expertly tied the chosen tree to the top of our vehicle after a fresh cut. Very popular place, a couple days after Thanksgiving they had already sold out of trees over 10 feet tall.

My daughter & son-in-law got married here. Beautiful property, renovated barn and bride/groom…read moresuites which were perfect for getting ready. Overall, everything went well despite it being hot. But that's the downfall to summer outdoor weddings.

Brides beware. This venue is extremely difficult to work with. The owners have anger issues and are…read moreoften seen yelling at each other and customers/vendors. It will become a liability eventually to have your wedding here. They act as if their venue is a museum with rules and regulations. Please consider other barn venues before booking an event here, as they ooze unprofessional-ism.

Excellent wedding venue- attended today. Beautiful flowers and venue. Everything was perfect!read more

Our family attended a wedding here a few weeks ago and the venue and landscape was absolutely…read morestunning. My wife was reluctant to come as it was an hour and a half drive...with three young kids. But she left feeling grateful that she came. The only down side was the placement of the DJ and "kids table"...which I have no clue who's decision this was...maybe the wedding coordinator? The DJ was directly in front of our table and we got literally go blasted out of our seats : ) I think they eventually figured it out as the volume slowly came down, but I'm still ringing a bit. Regardless of that issue, I would totally recommend this venue for the aesthetics alone. I have no idea what the costs were and all the other ins and outs, but the place and execution of the event was really really nice. And whomever did the food was excellent as well. So glad our newly wed friends picked this spot!

Celebrated my daughter turning 2 here. Awesome experience. Our group had over 20+ people. I am not…read morereally a camping person, however I would stay here again. Location is not that far from food, gas stations, and grocery store. Multiples camping sites and each one provides a different experience.

Food - family - fun…read more An amazing week vacation spent at Camp Kettlewood, E. Troy, WI. We stayed at two awesome sites. First, the Last Resort, Tuesday thru Friday. Vintage Airstream with an awesome view and amenities. Just me and the wife. We hit a couple of local restaurants and had a couple great meals. Barley's Hops & Malt and East Troy House Restaurant. We drove to Milwaukee and visited some old friends on Thursday. It is only 40 miles away. And the hosts stopped by and spent some campfire time with us. Awesome! On Friday our children joined us and we moved to the 'Hilton'. We treated them because they grew up camping with us and we thought this was a great way to get together, reminisce and be together without all of the setup and hassle of camping. We sat around the campfire, had some great meals. We had Dutch oven pizza in the fire pit on Friday night. Steak and lobster, COC, twice baked potatoes, and stuffed chicken breast (some not care for steak and lobster) all on the propane grill on site. Almost forgot the Dutch oven breakfasts, Biscuits, Gravy and Egg Casserole (https://iamhomesteader.com/biscuits-and-gravy-casserole/) and Overnight Dutch Oven French Toast Casserole (https://homemadeheather.com/overnight-dutch-oven-french-toast-casserole/) Extra large fire pit and propane grill made it easy to cook some big family meals. There is not anything that we needed that was not provided (bring your own food of course). Truly recommend Camp Kettlewood. Planning another trip in September.

I will preface with I LOVE Cambridge wines. I usually go to the tasting room in Madison, which is…read morevery cozy, but the main winery is like an abandoned showroom. I totally get that it is a customizable event space, but it's very dark and eery, there was no music playing, sitting anywhere felt weird except outside, and I don't know if I could envision a date night here. I expect a certain inviting warmness and ease at a winery and I wish this was with how amazing their wine and food is. Products and wine is a definite 5 stars.

Large place on a beautiful summer day. Wine by the glass or a flight! Went with the wife ( Boss )…read moreshe keeps me in line and I keep her in wine! Good snacks and atennitive employees.

Like so many, my wife and I were ready for a respite from our COVID-19 exile. Two nights at the…read moreelegant Hamilton House was just what the doctor ordered! Built in the 1860s and a stop on the Underground Railroad, the spacious, high-ceilinged HH exudes history and charm. Innkeeper and owner Gloria Buley greeted us warmly; I like to think I could see her smile through the surgical mask she was wearing. Our well-appointed room had a comfy king bed and a recently remodeled en suite. The wardrobe contained two plush bathrobes; a small table held bottles of Perrier, chocolates, fresh flowers, and two surgical masks. Like our room, the inn's common areas are immaculate and tastefully furnished with period antiques and Oriental rugs. Our two breakfasts were highlights! Gloria's a CIA culinary school grad and it shows. Fresh-squeezed OJ, omelettes, French toast, baked apples, sausages, Canadian bacon--whew, I don't eat nearly this well at home. Breakfast was also a chance to get to know Gloria. A recent transplant from Woodstock, NY, she purchased the Hamilton House weeks before the coronavirus shut down the world. I'd be down in the dumps, but Gloria seems indefatigable and is using the time to, among other things, install a garden walk that will pay homage to the nearby Birge Fountain, circa 1903. We're already looking forward to our next visit! A tip: One of Wisconsin's best supper clubs, the Duck Inn in Delavan, is a 15-minute drive from the HH.

My brother and his wife treated me to a weekend at the Hamilton Inn. (They had stayed there a year…read moreago and raved about it - for good reason!) This gorgeous 1861 mansion is exquisite, perfect down to the last detail. The multi-course breakfasts, created by innkeeper (and Culinary Institute-trained chef) Gloria, were off-the-charts delicious and kept my belly full til dinnertime, even after a day spent hiking the gorgeous Kettle Moraine. I slept deeply on the luxurious comfy bed, but I'd eat saltine crackers and sleep on a cot to hear Gloria's stories! Gloria has a talent for being present but never intrusive. She'll give you a house tour with fascinating tidbits (from John Belushi to the Underground Railroad!) but ask about her journey from Woodstock NY to Whitewater WI for a rollicking story with a happy ending!

Date of visit: October 21, 2023…read more I did a fair amount of research on corn mazes; my mom said she wanted to do one and since this was her first--and likely only--corn maze, I wanted to make sure I found a good one. Schuett Farms did not disappoint! The price was good ($8, and they aren't cash only!), the staff was friendly, and the mini donuts were outstanding! We were all pleasantly surprised at how affordable everything here was, I appreciated that they were trying to keep things economical for families. The maze was quite challenging, with 10 checkpoints (we only found half of them) and miles of corn to navigate through. I do wish they had staff inside the maze helping ensure people did not trample the corn and it would be nice if they had some trash cans inside to help with the trash that garbage people left inside the maze. Another disappointment: There was an option to "play" on your phone but someone forgot to pay for the QR code and that portion of the game was not operational. Technology is great, but if you don't follow through, it ends up being worse than not having it at all.

Ok, so we were those parents with our tiny tot acting like the whole pumpkin farm was our personal…read morephoto shoot. But, it was so fun and such a great farm! For the fall, they have a hayride, corn maze, gourd launching (yes!), pick your own pumpkins, pick out your own pumpkins, caramel corn, cider, etc. Everything it should be for family fun day. The selection of squashes/gourds/pumpkins really impressed me. I'm certainly not a connoisseur, but they had pumpkins ranging from golf ball sized to approximately 300 pounds (not an exaggeration), all kinds of eating squashes, and piles of decorating gourds. They even had hay bales in both regular and mini sizes so you could really up your fall decorating game. The farm was surprisingly clean for being an actual farm, and everyone was friendly. There are wagons, but they are basically all always in use, so bring your own! I'm really excited to come back next year when tiny tot can walk!