Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Finnish American Weekend June 19-21

This summer, The Farm is hosting a special Finnish American Weekend. Here's the info on the event.

Celebrate Midsummer Juhannus at Palmquist Farm June 19-21

Palmquist Farm has a rich Finnish heritage that is still celebrated today.

Your Midsummer Celebration Includes
-Traditional Finnish Meals
-Use of our wood-burning sauna
-Knox Creek Heritage Scandinavian Dinner (5 miles from The Farm)
-Two nights lodging (cozy cabins with fireplaces)
-Finnish baking demonstration by owner Helen Palmquist
-Hay ride to view The Farm’s nature & buffalo ending at local winery for wine tasting
-Presentation by owner Jim Palmquist about The Farm’s Finnish history
(you are encouraged to bring Finnish family pictures & stories to share)

Knox Creek Heritage Dinner Includes:
-Traditional Scandinavian food
-Midsummer decorations
-Open exhibits*
-Music
-May Pole

*The Knox Creek Heritage Center, an affiliate of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, is composed of five buildings (a turn-of-the-century farmstead) representing several ethnic groups in southeastern Price County: the Main Farm House, circa 1900, a summer kitchen building, the Keto House (depicts a typical logging camp from the 1800’s, complete with kitchen and bunkroom), circa 1900, Spirit Baptist Church, circa 1890, the Waahto Sauna built in the early 1900s, moved to the site and restored, and a pole shed. All the buildings on the site are used to display artifacts, documents, photographs, and other memorabilia that represent the cultural, ethnic, and historical aspect of past eras.

$159/person/all inclusive

We hope to see you then!

Helen and Jim Palmquist

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Friday, April 10, 2009

Activities

Trail Riders!

Not only does The Farm have 700 new acres for you to explore, here is a list of local trails and fun activities that are 3-45 minutes away from The Farm:

New Trail Seekers…

  • Explore Holy Cross trail, located 7.5 miles north of Phillips. This trail has been developed specifically for horseback riding, and it features rolling terrain through a variety of timber types. Click here for more information.
  • Explore Timm’s Hill Park, home to Wisconsin’s highest point: Along with beautiful views of the north woods countryside year-round, the park features a sand beach, playground, boat landing, picnic tables, fishing, hiking trails, grills, and a shelter house. Horses are allowed on the hiking trails from May 1 to November 15. A coffee shop is also nearby. See the coffee section for more details.Click here for more information.
  • Smith Rapids Saddle Trail, located in Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, is a great trail to explore because it features a covered bridge. Built in 1991, this beautiful latticework bridge is one of the only two covered bridges remaining in Wisconsin. The bridge spans the South Fork of the Flambeau River. Click here for more information.
  • The Price County visitor’s website has a list of general horseback riding locations, including state parks. Click here to learn more.

Wine lovers…

  • Ride your horse to the Brigadoon Winery, a few miles from the Farm. The owners, Dave and Linda Welbus, along with their daughter Katie, offer wine tasting upon your arrival and are very knowledgeable about the craft of wine making. Brigadoon produces a variety of wines, some from grapes grown on site. Their homemade fruit and dessert wines are especially popular. They also sell gift items, including locally produced jams and pottery. Check out their website.
  • The 5 Senses in Phillips sells a variety of gift items including wine. Visit their website.

Coffee and tea fanatics…

Check out Hill of Beans Coffee Shop near Timm’s Hill outside Ogema, just a 12-minute drive from the farm. The café, in a Swiss-style lodge, sits on a slope overlooking a lake at the foot of the highest point in Wisconsin. Inside, you’ll find a beautifully decorated sitting room serving coffee, tea, soup and sandwiches. Click here for more information. Riding trails are found nearby in the Timm’s Hill park. See the trails section for details.

Small-town explorers…

Spend a day touring the town of Phillips. About a 30 minute drive from the Farm, Phillips has many interesting things to see. For coffee or a light meal, check out Homespun Coffee & Crafts, which also features a selection of northwoods-inspired gift items. For an even wider selection of gifts and home décor items, visit Minnow Lake Loft. And don’t forget to check out The 5 Senses, a wine and gift shop just a few blocks away. Also visit the Wisconsin Concrete Park in Phillips. Something of a local oddity, this parks features hundreds of concrete sculptures with embedded pieces of glass, stone and other found objects. Art depicts early settlers of the area and the local wildlife. Click here for more information.

Visit the Minocqua area, named one of four Midwest Living's "Favorite Family Getaways." Besides it’s many gift/antique shops and spas, Minocqua offers an excellent performing arts scene. Campanile Center for the Arts, a new fine arts facility, features music, theater, and educational classes. Lakeland Performing Arts focuses mostly on concerts. Northern Lights Playhouse puts on Broadway and family-oriented plays throughout the year. It is also known for children’s theater and summer acting workshops for kids. The Wildwood Wildlife Park can also be found in this charming town. The park is a small zoo in Minocqua featuring over 500 birds and animals.

Golfers…
  • Just minutes from the Farm, Prentice Golf Club in Prentice offers a 9-hole course. Call 715-428-2127 for more information.
  • Westwood Golf Course, located in Phillips, is a course that features 9 holes and offers dining at Sandtrap Bar & Grill.
  • Northwood Golf Club in Rhinelander features a highly-rated 18-hole public course and Mulligan’s Restaurant & Pub.

Not-so-serious Golfers…
For golfing on a smaller scale, visit the many miniature golf courses in Minocqua:

Theater Lovers…

For a good live show, take a look at Northwoods Players based out of Phillips. This community theater group puts on at least one show a year, specializing in well-known Broadway musicals and comedies.

Nicolet Players in Rhinelander, an educational theater company, produces a few shows of its own every year.

For more theater and live entertainment venues, check out the Minocqua section above.

Festival folks…

  • Country music lovers won’t want to miss Rhinelander’s annual Hodag Country Festival featuring a full lineup of popular country singers. This year’s festival will be July 9 through the 12.
  • To get a taste of small-town heritage, come see Prentice Progress Days September 5-6 this year. The festival will feature a parade, softball and volleyball tournaments, amusement rides, live music, a horse pull, food, and more.
  • Tomahawk’s own Pow-Wow Days takes place every year on the 4th of July. This celebration also has a parade, along with a 5k/10k run, children's games, water fights with the fire department, music, and fireworks.

Swimmers’ Paradise…

With so many lakes in the area, it’s easy to find a good place to swim. The town of Phillips features both swimming beaches and public swimming pools. Visit Phillips City Beach, on County Road H in Phillips. It features a sand beach, changing room, toilets, benches, picnic table, and fishing. Contact the Phillips City Clerk at 715-339-3215 for more information. When weather isn’t cooperating, try the indoor Phillips Community Pool. Located in Phillips High School on County Road W, it features a large 3-5 foot pool, wading pool, diving well, and lap swim. Hours vary by season, so call 715-339-2143 or 339-2141 for more information.


For the budding fisherman…

Price County features many fishing lakes for both boating and shore fishing. Click here for information on locations, permits, and regulations.

The Antique shopper…

Antiquing types should check out Northern Bear Antique Mall. In Tomahawk, the mall is located on 205 West Wisconsin Ave. Call 715-453-6552 for current hours and information.

Four Seasons Antique Mall, located in Marshfield, is Central Wisconsin’s largest antique mall.

For Bowling…

Hodag Lanes in Rhinelander offers a full-service bowling alley complete with bar and grill.

Fresh produce lovers…

  • Just a short drive away, Catawba Farmers Market begins in early July and runs through mid September. Open Saturdays from 10-1pm. Features fresh, locally grown produce, maple syrup, honey, and homemade crafts. Click here for a map of Catawba.
  • Tomahawk Berry Farm and Farmers Market lets you pick your own strawberries when in season in addition to offering other farmers market goods.

For last minute horse tack and gear…

Visit Pleasant View Tack in Wausau to take care of your horse equipment needs. For hours and directions, call 715-845-3618.