Manitowoc, Wisconsin: Maritime Museum and Submarines

Manitowoc, Wisconsin  is situated on the shore of Lake Michigan. Followed Rte 42 South. Passed by an abandoned mine shaft build and hoist house in Maplewood. They were similar in position and style of the ones at the Quincy Mines in Hancock, MI.  We don’t know what was mined at this site.  Because we were towing, we did not stop to ask.

Manitowoc is the home of a great maritime museum. We have been there before a few years ago. Since that time they moved into a new quarters and built a very large museum.  Manitowoc was a major ship building community of WWII. Their specialty was submarines.  Yes, submarines on Lake Michigan.  The USS Cobra is a WWII sub, harbored on the Manitowoc River, which is open to tourists. Ironically, in the Midwest you can tour two important submarines form both combating sides during the war: the German U505 in Chicago and USS Cobra in Manitowoc.

Manitowoc is also the home of Natural Ovens Baking Company. This company started in 1976 by Paul Stitt, who saw the need for fresh satisfying, preservative-free whole grain food. Natural Ovens moved their operation into larger facilities. They offer tours of the facilities and of the adjacent farm and museum during the weekday mornings. Believe it or not the tours are for FREE.

Set up camp at the Expo Center (Manitowoc Fair Grounds). Morgana had fun exploring all of the new scents from the various exhibition halls. The grounds were only a few minutes from Gene and Sue’s house. Gene, Maggie’s brother, is known as the Birdman of Manitowoc. He has eight birds living with him: seven parrots and one cockatiel. The also has three shelties, they look like small collie dogs. He can be seen sitting on his front lawn with a parrot on his arm and the three dogs at his feet. He is quite a sight, especially because across the street is statue of a large cow in front of an ice cream shop.  Gene passed away in February, 2007.

Two Rivers, pronounced trivers, was holding an Ethnic Fest this day. Gene, his wife Sue, Mags, and I went. Gene went for the fried smelts (little fish caught in Lake Michigan. I tried the pepper steak sandwich at the Australian food booth. It was delicious. I wore half of the sauce on my shirt and jeans.

Two Rivers is the birthplace of the sundae.  This was an ice cream concoction available only on Sunday.  People clamored for it on other days.  So the name sundae stuck.

That evening Gene, quite the thespian, was appearing in a farce, Flaming Idiots. He played the role of Ernesto Santiago from Norway, really a bag man for a mob boss. The play is filled with zany characters. The play has many, many laughs, not only from the dialogue, but also from the sight gags. Definitely a fun play to see and enjoy.

An interesting aspect about the theater in which the play in being performed is that it is haunted. The site is the Forst Inn of Tisch Mills. Tish mills is a dot on the map, merely a crossroads along the stage coach path to Green Bay. The Inn is now a B & B, a bar/restaurant, and sandwich theater. One room is haunted by Frances, a lady who was born there and lived in the same room throughout her long life. She has decided not to leave the inn. Late at night the staff hears doors closing and creaks on the stairs. During Prohibition, Frances, as a young girl, had to go into a hidden crawl space to fetch the contraband hooch.

About the Author

John Pelley is a Geriatric Gypsy.  He is retired from the rat race of working.  He is a  full-time RVer, who ran away from home.  He began our travels on the East Coast and, like the migrating birds, seek the warmth of the seasons  He has discovered volunteering with the National Park System.  Hae has a CD he has recorded of Native American flute music., A Day with Kokopelli. For pictures, links, and more information visit http://www.jmpelley.org.