Join us on May 15th for a guided Horicon Marsh boat tour. The excursion will take you through the heart of the country’s largest freshwater cattail marsh. A skilled naturalist will help you spot many birds and other wildlife, including muskrats and turtles.

We’ll carpool from the Senior Center at 9:30 a.m. (about an hour drive) for the 11:00 tour, and return by 4:30 p.m. The cost is $26.36 (including tax); Leslie would like to receive your payment by March 1. There is a 32-person maximum per boat.

Post tour, we will have self-pay lunch (~$10) at the boat landing. After lunch you have several options: (a) Peruse the museum exhibits in the education center (~$6.00); (b) View the free exhibits on the main level: (c) Hike down the trail or view wildlife through the wall windows; (d) Browse the gift shop.

• Date: May 15, 2025
• Time: Carpool from Senior Center at 9:30 a.m., return at 4:30 p.m.
• Tour: 11:00 to noon
• Cost: $26.36 in advance to Leslie. Lunch is self-pay.
• Contact: Leslie Hall 608-217-1699 (slannyannie@yahoo.com); Gail Schauer 815-742-2482 (Gshower123@gmail.com)
• Deadline: March 1, 2025

Judy Nackers has volunteered to lead a field trip to Greendale for their Historic & Folk Art Chimney tour. Alongside cobblestone streets and quaint alleyways are many chimneys representing a significant part of the town’s cultural heritage. You’ll learn the stories behind the intricate designs, from early settlers’ folk motifs to the influences of various architectural styles over the centuries. There are over 200 in the village.

• Date: Thursday, June 12 OR June 26
• Where: Carpool from the Senior Center at 8:30 a.m.(departure time)
• Tour: Starts at 10:00 for 1½ hours
• Options: (a) If four people sign up, tour guide could drive them in her car.
•                 (b) If five or more sign up, this will be a walking tour.
• Cost: The tour is $10 for either option, self-pay at the start of the tour
• Lunch: Depends on the group’s preferences, and will be self-pay
• Post-tour option: Shop in their unique boutiques and dine or relax in one of their locally-owned restaurants, coffee shops, cafes, or wine bar. Also, visit the “Our Wisconsin” outlet store. If you don’t want to shop/browse, be sure you have transportation back to Madison via your own vehicle or with others who don’t want to stay for a while after the tour.
• Contact: Judy Nackers (judynackers@gmail.com)

Discover the wonders of the EPIC Medical Records campus, starting with a one-hour presentation, followed by exploration at your own pace. This tour allows you to explore the stunning campus grounds, marvel at the innovative architecture, and take in the unique themed buildings and art installations that make EPIC a true work of art. As you navigate through the campus, you’ll have the freedom to delve into the areas that interest you most, whether it’s the cutting-edge technology shaping the future of healthcare or the creative spaces that foster innovation and collaboration.

Date: Thursday, September 19, 2024
Time: Meet at 1: 15 p.m.
Where: Main Entrance of the EPIC campus
Travel: Carpool with people interested in the same self-guided follow-up tour, since the end times are variable
Presentation: 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Self-guided tours: 2:30-5:00
Maximum group size: 40 people  

Contact: Audrey Bath, 608-220-9256

More information from Audrey: I’d suggest we drive with people we know that are of like mind to tour with afterward (some may not want to walk).  I recommend taking Hwy 18 to the last Verona exit to Epic campus. Visitor parking is plentiful 

Anderson Japanese Gardens, a non-profit entity near Rockford, Illinois, is a twelve-acre landscape of streams, waterfalls, winding pathways, and koi-filled ponds. Japanese gardens use three key elements: stones for structure, water to represent life-giving force, and plants to provide color throughout the seasons. Secondary elements include pagodas, stone lanterns, water basins, arbors, and bridges. We will take part in a docent-led tour to learn the history and unique qualities of these Japanese gardens.

Date: Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Time: Meeting at 8:15 a.m. for an 8:30 departure
Where: Upper parking lot of the Fitchburg Community Center
Travel: We will carpool for the 1.5-hour drive.
Tour: 10 a.m.–noon
Lunch: 12:00–1:00 (self-pay)
Cost: Bring $12 cash to repay Jo Anne Lindberg for the group entry fee. Self-pay for lunch.Contact: Jo Anne Lindberg openrose@birthlink.com or text and call 847-733-8050  

Deadline: Confirm with Jo Anne no later than April 10 at the April meeting.

Shake Rag Alley

Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts occupies nine buildings within a 2.5-acre oasis of gardens, trees, and rambling paths.Visitors are welcome dawn to dusk to stroll the magical grounds, which feature 20 individual garden beds including a monarch way station, a meandering spring-fed stream, carpets of blue naturalized forget-me-nots, day lilies, wild ginger, daisies and hostas in abundance, large stands of five-foot-tall Ostrich ferns, sedum cascading over rock walls … in sum, a cornucopia of wildly overgrown vegetation that perfectly complements the rustic character of the historic and reproduction buildings, pathways and rock walls.

Tour and presentation by artist-in-residence Janet Vetter, followed by lunch. Tour is free, with each member picking up the cost of her lunch. Shake Rag Alley Art Center, 18 Shake Rag St. Mineral Point, WI 54565

• Monday, March 4, 2024
• Carpooling from the Senior Center at 9:00 (drivers needed)
• RSVP to Lindy Bass (Lindymb@aol.com)

Here is the planning document we reviewed at the January meeting.

Field Trip Ideas

Fall Potluck Picnic and Paddle at Devil’s (Spirit) Lake State Park—North Shore Entrance, Baraboo WI

Thursday, September 14, 2023

Join us at the North Shore of Devil’s Lake State Park to have a potluck picnic and paddle fun! Or join us for just the picnic! The limit for the naturalist guided kayak tours around the lake is 15 participants. Beginners are welcome, but it would be best if people had some paddle experience for maximum enjoyment. The two-hour-long tour includes stopping to hear the naturalist talk about nature and the history of the area. You can choose to paddle, relax, or enjoy a hike.

• When:                                     Thursday, September 14, 2023
• Picnic time:                              3:00–4:30 p.m.
• Paddle set-up, payment          4:30 p.m.
• Naturalist paddle tour:             5:00–7:00 p.m.
• Departure time (from FSC):    Meet in upper lot at 1:15 for 1:30 departure
• Deadline for sign-up:              September 7, 2023
• Register:                                  Jo Anne Lindberg, 847-733-8050, openrose@birthlink.com

What to give her:                    

1. your name, phone number and email
2. whether you will attend the picnic, the paddle or both
3. whether you prefer a single or double kayak
4. if you are bringing your own watercraft
5. whether you can be a driver, and how many people you can take with you

Other details
A state park permit from the DNR is required on every car. A daily permit for seniors is $3 per car, or $13 annually (ending December 31).

Kayak rental is $25 for a single and $45 for a double. Reserve the boat with Jo, and pay her the day of the event at the park. You can also bring your own kayak.

While we won’t go on the lake if there is lightning, bring rain gear if there might be sprinkles.

The limit for the two-hour paddle with the naturalist is 15 people.

If you attend the picnic, but not the paddling, there are other options for you: (a) hiking trails; (b) Nature Center; (c) Ten effigy mounds; (d) kick back and relax

Contact Jo Anne Lindberg, 847-733-8050 or openrose@birthlink.com, if you have questions. We will book as a group.

Summer Paddle on Lake Wingra

Friday, August 18, 2023—9:30 am Paddling Starts

Join us on lovely Lake Wingra for a one-hour paddle. Beginners welcome. Choose your own rental craft, from a lovely Swan boat to a rowboat to many kinds of kayaks. Each boat has a different rental fee. Your boat setup will be your responsibility. Just let them know you are with the Active Woman’s Group. Email them (at wingra@madisonboats.com) to get the discount code 72 hours before the date and before you book your rental on-line. Learn more at Madison Boats’ website.

If we have over 10 participants, we all get 10% off!

Or bring your own water craft if you prefer. There is no charge for that.

Meet at the Fitchburg Community/Senior Center upper lot to car pool at 8:30 am. We will arrange for a 9:30 group start time.

I don’t think there is a limit on the number who can sign up, but rent early to get the boat you want. Contact Jo Anne Lindberg, 847-733-8050 or openrose@birthlink.com if you have questions. More details later. This event will be good preparation for the next trip! Sign up soon!

New Life Lavender & Cherry Farm, followed by lunch at Driftless Glen Distillery.

• Thursday, June 15, 2023
  
• Departing from the Senior Center at 9:30 a.m.
• We will spend about two hours at the farm (till about 12:30), and go out to lunch.
• Contact Linda Gorchels (lgorchels@sbcglobal.net). She will arrange carpooling and make a reservation at the restaurant. When you sign up for the trip, please specify if you are willing to take riders in your car.

Admission is a flat rate of $5.50/person. Admission covers entry into the lavender farm, including the lavender fields, 8+ acres of wildflowers, their secret garden, observation deck, pergola, outdoor patio, all landscaped areas, river/waterfalls with Koi fish, and trails surrounding the 25 acres open to the public. Areas where the animals live are only accessible through the Farm-to-Table wagon ride tours (a separate fee).

New Life Lavender & Cherry Farm, E10766 County Road W, Baraboo, WI 53913

Driftless Glen Distillery, 300 Water St., Baraboo, WI 53913