DRIVE THE INTERSTATE and you mostly miss the nuances of a place.
On a rainy Friday afternoon, I photographed this scene along Wisconsin Highway 21, a rural region of the state.
But travel a back county road or a state highway and you begin to see the details that comprise a location. Like rural Wisconsin.
Stuck behind farm equipment along Highway 21.
Wisconsin State Highway 21 between Tomah and Oshkosh has become a familiar stretch of highway for my husband and me as we travel that route to reach our second daughter’s home in the Fox Valley region. It is a busy stretch of roadway which often leaves us wishing for a quicker, safer east-west route. But options are limited, especially if we don’t want to travel through the Twin Cities metro.
The natural attraction, Castle Rock, juts up from the landscape near Coloma.
So we make the best of it, watching for the cranberry bogs east of Tomah, the Amish between Coloma and Wautoma, the natural wonder of Castle Rock,
Probably the oldest drive-in along Wisconsin Highway 21, the Milty Wilty has been in business in Wautoma for 70 years.
the Milty Wilty in Wautoma and anything that screams Wisconsin.
Small family farms abound along Wisconsin State Highway 21.
Highway 21 takes us past potato and dairy farms,
Hunting shacks for sale in Redgranite.
past hunting land and the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, across rivers and creeks,
Businesses in downtown Redgranite, one of my favorite towns along Highway 21.
through small towns like Omro and Redgranite,
The names of small town bars, like this one in Redgranite, amuse me.
past bars and churches,
Roadside stands are plentiful this time of year. Here’s one in Redgranite.
to roadside stands and Piggly Wigglies.
Posted in a front yard in Redgranite.
This route reveals so much about the character of Wisconsin. Signs for brat fries. Bars aplenty. Strong opinions voiced in handcrafted signs.
One of my favorite restaurant icons, located in Wautoma.
Small town diners.
Making silage.
Farming and fishing.
Scenes along Wisconsin State Highway 21 reflect this area’s rural character. This is near Coloma.
Travel the interstate and you will miss most of this. But follow a state highway and you will begin to understand a place. Like rural Wisconsin.
© Copyright 2016 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
I always enjoy your posts but especially when you feature the area where I live. Fun to see another persons perspective.
Yes, we drove right by your house and lunched in the park, but no time to connect. I love Wisconsin!
Tomah is a beautiful area. I love small town charm; unique shops, signage and people.
We haven’t explored Tomah in-depth, mostly stopped there for gas at the mega Kwik Trip. Oh, and we did tour the cranberry farm to the east.
Interstates, blah, boring, my wife and I much prefer the back roads when traveling, except when we are on a specific timeline such as catching an airline flight (blah, boring). There are so many interesting things to discover when you take the time to enjoy a trip. I have debated with a good friend of mine the pros and cons of travel. He being an airline pilot thinks that getting to the destination is of paramount importance while my wife and I on the other hand believe that getting there is half the fun! I recall traveling the back roads of Wisconsin and wondering about what all the straight ponds were for but then when we passed an Ocean Spray plant it dawned on us that the ponds were for growing cranberry’s! The sights, people, history, etc. that one discovers while back road traveling is remarkable.
I truly miss the corn fields, farm equipment, and small towns of rural America and some day soon will enjoy them again, via the back roads of course.
I would like to have lunch at that drive-in. Do you know if they still have car hops and bring the food on trays that attach to the cars window? Now that would be worth a trip in and of itself!
I’m not sure the Wilty Milty has car hops. But the A & W in Faribault does.
When time allows, I always appreciate the slower roads over the interstates.
Milty wilty in Wautoma does not have car hops but I think Ed and Arbys in Oshkosh has them and they used to be on roller skates.
Time to check out Ed and Arbys in Oshkosh. Thanks for the info on the car hops.
I always love the small town and farm pictures that you share.
Thank you!
We enjoy traveling side roads off the interstate when we can.
Fun to see your stories of small towns.
Thank you.
Hey! I just came across this, the drive between Tomah and Oshkosh travels honestly through one of the oddest parts of our state, if you could have “flyover” country in your own state this would be it, not the north country nor the strong dairy belt nor the beauty of the driftless region, its cranberry country and sand country and marginal farming country with no towns bigger than 3000 or so people, its there but not thought of if you will unless you have a cottage or hunting cabin somewheres around there.
We made that long drive many times to visit our daughter in Appleton. The drive was interesting initially. Now our daughter lives in Madison, much easier to get to via the interstate.