September 1, 2025 (Mon.) – Kettle Moraine, Sheboygan

The day kicked off like most others—Lynn was up at 7:00 AM, still RV-bound thanks to the morning chill and relentless mosquitos. Meanwhile, Otis is in training to sleep in the living room instead of the bedroom, since he takes up the entire floor and Lynn keeps tripping over him. And the dog hair—oh my gosh, so much dog hair. It’s like walking on a shag carpet made of fur. Keeping him out of the bedroom is our best bet at containing the fluff.

Otis has been doing well with the new arrangement, though he’s not allowed on the couch. That rule has been bent lately—fireworks and thunder have earned him some comfort privileges. Now, he’s decided the couch is fair game. This morning, as Lynn turned on the fireplace to take the edge off, Otis hopped up and made himself at home. He was too cute to move, perched perfectly to watch the world go by through the window. Of course, now the couch has a fresh layer of dirt and dog hair. Trade-offs.

Kirk was up by 9:30 AM, and the plan was to take a ride along the Kettle Moraine Scenic Byway, a 115-mile route that runs north to south through Wisconsin. We joined it around the midpoint, hoping to start the day with breakfast at Sandy’s Barton Café—but they were closed for the holiday. In fact, almost everything was closed, which surprised us. It’s Labor Day, sure, but we figured some places would be open. Eventually, we found a quaint little café in Dundee, where Lynn’s croissant breakfast sandwich hit the spot. Kirk’s Farmer’s Burrito, however, was missing the “farmer”—not much meat to be found.

The Kettle Moraine Scenic Byway took us through a mix of winding roads, wooded stretches, and charming little towns/villages. Some sections were more scenic than others, but even the residential areas had us admiring the beautiful properties and landscapes. We passed through several spots, including Dundee and Waldo—and yes, we couldn’t resist joking about spotting Waldo himself along the way and reminiscing about the Crocodile Dundee movie.

Lynn tried to snap a photo of the “Welcome to Waldo” sign, but riding on the back of the bike makes it tricky to catch signs in time—especially when they appear out of nowhere or we’ve already zipped past. She also missed a great shot of a group of roadside goats, but we saw them with our own eyes, and sometimes that’s more memorable than a photo.

The ride itself was spectacular—tree-lined roads, plenty of curves and twists, and fresh country air (with the occasional whiff of fertilizer and cows to keep it authentic). We only covered a portion of the full route, but with the perfect weather and peaceful roads, it was a fantastic ride all the same.

Lynn spotted “America’s Tallest Flagpole” on her Roadside America app, so we made a detour to see it. Located on the Acuity Insurance property in Sheboygan, the grounds are open to visitors and beautifully maintained. The flag itself is massive—each star is 3 feet tall, and each stripe is over 5 feet (taller than Lynn!). It was a surprising highlight and well worth the stop. One of the pictures below has some fun facts about the flag.

Around 2 PM, we headed back and tried to finally grab custard at The Shoppe Custard & Grill in West Bend—a spot Kirk’s been eyeing for days. Naturally, it was closed for the holiday. Classic Kirk & Lynn timing.

We cruised through West Bend, most shops shuttered, but we enjoyed checking out the town and neighborhoods. By 3 PM, we were back at the RV, spending the rest of the day relaxing, catching up on chores, and watching TV.

A mellow end to a scenic day—with a few detours, a lot of dog hair, and one very spoiled dog.

Weather – High 74*, Low 49*. Winds 3-4 mph. Perfect sunny day.

Traffic – None.

Food – Nothing to report.

Notable – Kettle Moraine Scenic Byway, America’s Tallest Flagpole.

Screen Time – Copper.