Packers road trip guide to Lambeau Field: You, Me & I-43
You, Me & I-43: Getting to Green Bay is half the fun
FOX6 Sports Director Tim Van Vooren and Sports Photojournalist Mickie Leach take you to unique places they have seen and experienced during their thousands of trips up to Lambeau Field.
MILWAUKEE - FOX6's Tim Van Vooren and Sports Photojournalist Mickie Leach have been leaving our Brown Deer studios to cover the Green Bay Packers – games, drafts, training camps, practices – since Sept. 16, 1990.
They've made a lot of trips to Titletown over the decades and picked up a few interesting things along the way. Now, they're taking you along for a road trip north on I-43.
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EXIT 92: Ulao's assassination connection
Why you should care:
Just east of Exit 92 is a food-and-drink spot that's easy to pronounce in a place that's not: Ulao. Mike "Juice" Gannon caters to a familiar crowd at Juice's Ghost Town – food, drinks and some interesting reading material.
"You read stuff about him, he was kind of nuts," Gannon said.
Charles Giteau is the most famous, or infamous, resident of Ulao. His childhood home still stands less than a mile from the restaurant. In 1881, Giteau assassinated James Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, at a train station in Washington.
How to get there:
Juice's Ghost Town – 990 Ulao Rd, Grafton, WI 53024
Charles Giteau
EXIT 100: Port Washington Data Center detour
Why you should care:
The term "ghost town" will never be used to describe the $15 billion data center under construction in Port Washington. What used to be farmland is being transformed at a rapid rate.
Data center construction site in Port Washington
EXIT 107: Belgium (Luxembourg) & Lake Church
Why you should care:
More than 40 years before Giteau assassinated Garfield, the countries of Belgium and Luxembourg separate in Europe – yet they're linked in Wisconsin. A town called Luxembourg sits a little farther north, but the Luxembourg American Cultural Society is situated in Belgium.
"There is a myth that during the time that the two towns were being named, the post offices actually got it wrong, so there was a clerical error – Luxembourg was supposed to be Belgium, and Belgium was supposed be Luxembourg," said Caitlin Armstrong, the LACS's curator of collections and archives. "I do believe it was just started by locals, and it was an explanation for why the two towns are named the way they are.
"The truth is, when Luxembourg immigrants were coming over to this area, they had come from the heart of Luxembourg that had just gone to Belgium. So they had Belgian passports, even though they identified as Luxembourg, hence the name Belgium, Wisconsin."
The old St. Mary's Church is Lake Church's tallest building, most visible structure and the reason for the name on the street signs. But it's now a private residence.
How to get there:
Luxembourg American Cultural Society – 100 Peter Thein Ave, Belgium, WI 53004
EXIT 128: Sheboygan County ramp to nowhere?
Why you should care:
There's an off-ramp in Sheboygan County that's been open two times, both for golf tournaments at Whistling Straits. Otherwise, it would be an exit to nowhere – if it was an exit. Sometimes there are incidents on the highway, and the next off-ramp that actually exits is four miles to the north, or three miles to the south.
"Until even a couple of years ago. I think it was still listed as a ramp on GPS," said Tammy Risseeuw, who lives near the ramp. "Semis would come up there and kind of stop like they couldn't get on or off, so it was a little confusing, but I think they have remedied that."
Risseeuw and her husband bought their property in the 1990s, well before construction on the ramp. Brandon Stross has lived in the area for almost three years, and the ramp has been closed the entire time.
Exit 128 ramp to nowhere in Sheboygan County
EXIT 144: St. Nazianz's history of hoops – and haunts
Why you should care:
High school students lived and learned at St. Nazianz from the late 1960s until the early 1980s. JFK Prep, a co-ed boarding school in a rural community, had an enrollment of roughly 150 students from across the country. Basketball brought attention to the school in the early 1970s.
Mickey Crowe, with his dad, Marty, the coach, became almost mythical Wisconsin high school hoops figures. Crowe is the all-time leader for scoring in Wisconsin – before the three-point line was added to the game – a mark that will never be topped. Substance abuse and mental health issues later befell Crowe, but his name is part of Wisconsin basketball lore.
Inevitably, changes in education and society, as well as cost, would factor into the remarkable story of the school. JFK Prep closed in 1982. Over the ensuing years, the campus has transitioned. On the internet, you can read about how some of the structures are haunted.
"We always told the freshmen coming in that it was haunted, too. We had a lot of fun with that, but it's certainly, time has taken its toll on that place," said alumnus Mike Novak.
Mike Novak was Mickey Crowe's teammate, but his basketball story continued as a legendary high school coach himself and father of an NBA standout.
How to get there:
St. Nazianz Christian Center & former JFK Prep – 600 S 4th Ave, St Nazianz, WI 54232
Former JFK Prep school in St. Nazianz
EXIT 152: Sputnik crash lands in Manitowoc
Why you should care:
In the midst of the space race of the 1960s, a piece of the Soviet satellite Sputnik 4 fell to Earth and landed in Manitowoc. If it caused panic at the time, it is a curiosity today. Just something to keep one grounded on this adventure.
"When it crash-landed, pieces fell all throughout Wisconsin. The largest recovered piece was found right here in Manitowoc, directly in front of the Rahr-West Art Museum," said Greg Vadney, the museum's executive director. "Within hours, it's analyzed and whisked away to the East Coast, where they were able to discover, yes, this is what we think it is. And NASA gifted us one of the cast models of this Sputnik 4 piece for display."
How to get there:
Rahr-West Art Museum – 610 N 8th St, Manitowoc, WI 54220
Rahr-West Art Museum marks site of Sputnik 4 crash landing in Manitowoc
EXIT 164: Spelunking in Maribel
Why you should care:
Less than half an hour north from where Sputnik crashed to the ground, prepare yourself for what's underground at Cherney Maribel Caves County Park.
"It's likely a three-level cave system that we have here. Those openings are nice teardrop shapes because of that carbonic acid dripping down from the center and splashing to the sidewalls. It makes for a very safe cave. Domes are the most secure shape you can have," said Andy Krahn, a cave tour guide with the Wisconsin Speological Society. "It only takes about two minutes to drive from the highway to the park, make your way down the stairs and the caves are right there. You could crawl through some of the smaller caves within five minutes, I would say. Or you can take your time, crawl all the way through ‘Cave of Treasures,’ 250 feet of passageway."
How to get there:
Cherney Maribel Caves County Park – 15401 County Rd R, Maribel, WI 54227
Cherney Maribel Caves County Park in Manitowoc County
Highway 172 to Highway 32: Yoder's Fry Pies a gas station surprise
Why you should care:
In the shadow of Lambeau Field you'll find Jaguar Shell. You wouldn't expect it, but inside, you can find some of the best baked goods anywhere, with a backstory to match. Yoder's Fry Pies, made in the Amish tradition in Bondiwell, are delivered to the Ashwaubenon gas station every Monday.
"They put the dough in this hopper, the hopper will sort out portion sizes. They'll put them in another machine that's hand cranked, and they flatten them, and then they take these flattened pie crusts over to a station," explained Annette Goza, a Jaguar Shell cashier. "They'll put the filling, the fruit or the chocolate, and then they hand crank them, they crimp them so they are all uniform. And then they'll take them over to a fryer and they deep-fry them, which makes them even better, if you can imagine. And then the icing is pumped up, and then glazed."
How to get there:
Jaguar Shell – 2300 S Ridge Rd, Green Bay, WI 54304
Yoder's Fry Pies at Jaguar Shell
Lambeau Field & Titletown
Why you should care:
Just as a football season would have its twists and turns, so does a drive north. But no matter how many times you've done it. When Lambeau Field comes into view, when you arrive, it feels special. And as is often the case in life, the journey can be the reward.
How to get there:
Lambeau Field – 1265 Lombardi Ave, Green Bay, WI 54304
The Source: FOX6 Sports Director Tim Van Vooren and Sports Photojournalist Mickie Leach conducted interviews with the subjects of this piece over the course of their commutes from the WITI-TV studio in Brown Deer to Green Bay. Additional details referenced in this piece are sourced through the people and organizations who participated.