A capstone for our “Shows in Different Area Codes” series, The Cabin has created a new day: “262 Day” to salute those areas of SE Wisconsin outside Milwaukee County – aka “the 414.” Milwaukee adopted April 14th – where the date is written as “4/14” to the “Milwaukee Day.” Following that spirit, June 8th – 6/08 is Madison & SW Wisconsin Day, July 15th (7/15) is Northern Wisconsin Day, and September 20th (9/20) is Green Bay-Fox Cities-Door County Day. So what do we do with the places in the 262 area code? Instead of February 62nd – which would really be something like April 3rd – we adopted the way they write out dates in other counties to adopt 26/2 as “262 Day.” And our episode release before that day, we’re saluting the section of the state in the 262 code, from Kenosha and Racine Counties around past Walworth and Waukesha, then up to Washington and Ozaukee. We hit up what makes these places unique and special, and welcome Cari Greving from Real Racine to help us make the 262 shine.
The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we’re featuring Racine County; https://bit.ly/3nZOask
The Cabin is also presented by WCA’s Group Health Trust; serving local governments and school districts, the WCA Group Health Trust partners closely with members to fulfill their employee health benefit obligations in a fiscally responsible manner. Learn more here; https://bit.ly/3JMizCX
Campfire Conversation:
Cari Greving from Real Racine joins Eric and Ana and discuss the cities, towns, notable landmarks, historic sites, and unique features across the “262” area. The inventions, industrial heritage and redevelopments of Kenosha and Racine began the discussion. Topics ranged from Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural marvels in Racine, including Wingspread, to museums and lighthouses along the Lake Michigan shores. Ana got the update on the Peeps Competition at the Racine Art Museum. We moved inland to discuss unique places to visit including the Mars Cheese Castle and the Bong Recreation Area. The conversation continued to cover Burlington – in part for chocolate and their famous “Liar’s Club” - and the nearby towns of Waterford and Rochester. From there, we worked clockwise into Walworth County with the draw of Lake Geneva and the incredible beauty and bevy of things to do and see around Geneva Lake, the ski hills at Alpine Valley and Grand Geneva, Elkhorn and the productive farms, orchards, and breweries nearby. The East Troy Railroad, which runs on the original interurban line that extended into Milwaukee, still runs to Mukwonago in Waukesha County and it’s a great experience for kids and grown-ups alike. We then proceeded to cover Waukesha County, which combines dynamic cities and suburbs with the natural appeal of Kettle Moraine and numerous glacial lakes. Waukesha itself is vibrant and is getting increasingly known as “Guitar Town” since Les Paul, inventor of the electric guitar and multi-track recording, hailed from Waukesha. You can enjoy everything from history at Old World Wisconsin in Eagle to professional baseball with the Lake Country Dock Hounds in Oconomowoc. The 262 also covers areas north into Washington County, including Hartford with its automotive history, museums, and architecture; West Bend with its appliance manufacturing history and popular downtown; and Holy Hill, a national shrine that draws people from around the world. Finally, we head east into Ozaukee County, from Mequon up through Port Washington and Cedarburg. The shoreline of Lake Michigan north of Milwaukee’s 414 area is quite different from south of Milwaukee, and we discuss how – and why. The accessible parklands along Lake Michigan in Ozaukee County include Lion’s Den Gorge County Park and Harrington Beach State Park. Port Washington itself is a charming town with a New England feel, famous for fishing and its marine, lighthouses, and more. All these areas offer great history, museums, breweries, wineries, and unique spots to enjoy. We list and cover many of them by topic towards the end of the conversation, spreading the love all around “the 262.”
Inside Sponsors
Best Western: https://bit.ly/3zCCK3f
Marshfield Clinic; All of Us Research Program; https://bit.ly/3Wj6pYj