August 28, 2025 (Fri.) - Truck Service, mosquito battles
We were both up early today—Kirk had a 10K service appointment for the truck, and Lynn was up by 6:15 AM, hoping to enjoy her coffee with a peaceful sunrise by the lake. That plan was quickly scrapped when the mosquitos launched their morning assault, sending her running for cover.
By 8:30 AM, we were out the door and headed to the local Ford dealership, just a few miles away. Their drive-through service bays were impressive—especially for Lynn, who marveled at the setup. Makes sense with Wisconsin weather; enclosed bays are a smart move. Ford provided a shuttle to Enterprise, where we decided to rent a car for the day to run errands.
Enterprise had one car left—a Mitsubishi Mirage, the tiniest thing on four wheels. We took it, along with the extra damage insurance, because Midwest weather and past experiences have taught us to play it safe. The car had zero oomph, and getting it up to highway speed was a challenge, but it got us where we needed to go.
First stop: breakfast at Sandy’s Barton Café—a cozy, affordable spot with great food. Then it was on to Walgreens, where we stocked up on mosquito creams, coils, sprays, anti-itch ointments—basically everything short of a flamethrower. Kirk also wanted to swing by Cabela’s for long pants and more mosquito gear. They had everything… except mosquito nets, which are apparently sold out everywhere.
Lunch was at The Stillery in Richfield, where we had excellent pizza and eyed their whiskey selection for a future visit (Kirk was impressed with the selection). By mid-afternoon, the truck was ready—everything covered under warranty, and most of Kirk’s concerns addressed.
We returned the rental car and spent the rest of the day indoors, avoiding the relentless bugs. Kirk made hamburgers inside the RV, since grilling outside was out of the question unless we wanted to be the main course.
A productive day, even if it came with a few itchy setbacks
Weather – High 72*, Low 52*. Wind 7-14 mph. No humidity. Beach weather. Goregeous.
Traffic – None.
Food – Sandy’s Barton Cafe and The Stillery – both very good. No pics at The Stillery.
Notable – Not much other than the food.
August 29, 2025 (Fri.) - Oconomowoc, Wauwatosa, Milwaukee
Today was our exploration day, though it started a bit rough—neither of us slept well thanks to relentless mosquito itching. They really do suck… literally.
We hit the road around 10:30 AM, with our first stop in Oconomowoc, WI to visit the spot where “The Yellow Brick Road Begins.” It is also where the world premiere of The Wizard of Oz film was shown in 1939. Lynn found it on the Roadside America app, and being a fan of Wicked and The Wizard of Oz, it was a must-see. The little attraction featured statues of the Oz crew, including Glinda, the Wicked Witch, and Toto, of course. The town itself was quaint and charming—definitely one of our favorite stops. We grabbed lunch at a small café, enjoying the patio with Otis, and strolled through the town afterward.
Next up was Firefly Grove Park in Wauwatosa, home to Mama Rosa, one of the newly installed Dambo Trolls. The park was buzzing with kids, but the troll itself wasn’t too crowded. A hornet’s nest has taken up residence in Mama Rosa’s right ear, and the artist jokes that she now has tinnitus. For now, they’re leaving it alone since it’s not a threat. Mama Rosa’s “flowers” are actually light poles, and throughout the park, you’ll spot crooked or broken poles—her attempts to collect them. At night, her “flowers” light up, but since we were there around 2 PM, we didn’t stick around for sundown. We might return for a nighttime visit. Otis got a nice walk in before we moved on. This is the 7th Dambo Troll we’ve found thus far.
Our final stop was Milwaukee, WI. We visited the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, and while we tried to do the scavenger hunt, we quickly ditched it to just enjoy the quirky displays. It was a fun and lighthearted stop. From there, we did a drive-by of the Ladybug Building, another Roadside America gem and stopped at a bookstore whose outside is a wonderful book mural. Downtown Milwaukee was a bit of a maze with lane closures and construction, and navigating our beast of a truck wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.
We wrapped up the day at Veterans Park bordering Lake Michigan, stretching our legs and Otis’s too. The park has a beer garden overlooking the lake, so we grabbed a cold beer and a pretzel, and enjoyed some live music. The weather was beautiful until a light rain rolled in—but we were lucky to be sitting under large umbrellas, so we stayed dry.
By 5 PM, we were ready to head back to the RV—tired but happy. There’s still plenty more to see in Milwaukee, but we’ll save that for another day. It was a full and fun day of exploring, even with a few mosquito bites along the way.
Side note: We have butchered the pronunciation of Oconomowoc and Wauwatosa. Thankfully the locals have educated us on how to pronounce them correctly (we ask because we know we’re butchering them!). At least we knew how to say Milwaukee!!
Weather – High 69*, Low 49*. Wind 2-7 mph. No humidity. Beautiful day and a bit chilly!
Traffic – A little traffic heading into Milwaukee. Most we’ve seen thus far.
Food – Nothing to report.
Notable – Oz attraction (Oconomowoc), Mama Rosa Troll (Wauwatosa), Ladybug Building (Milwaukee)
