Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Italian
Bellafini's
(7 14th St., 920/929-8909, dinner Tues.-Sat., $5-12) is a gem for Italian food
and friendliness—so has said more than one Italian. That said, it can get a bit busy, so be
patient.
STINKING WATER
Lake Winnebago dominates east-central Wisconsin. At 10 miles across and 30 miles
north to south, this shallow lake—once a glacial marsh—is among the largest fresh-
water lakes fully locked within one state. It totals 88 miles of shoreline comprising
138,000acresformedmorethan25,000yearsagobyalobeoftheWisconsinglacier.
The lake was always crucial to Native Americans as a part of the water transport
systemalongtheFoxandWolfRivers.Thenamepurportedlycomesfromalinguist-
ic mix-up—or deliberate pejorative snub—from the French, who dubbed the Nat-
ive American tribe they discovered here the “stinkers” (an updated transliteration);
“Stinking Water” was a natural follow-up.
Lake Winnebago today is heavily populated with fishers and pleasure-crafters. In
winter, up to 10,000 cars park on the frozen lake at any one time; if you're around in
February,donotmisstheannualthrowbacktoPleistocenedays—thesturgeon-spear-
ing season.
Wind east out of Fond du Lac via U.S. 151 to skirt the eastern shoreline along
what locals call “the Ledge,” the high breathtaking rise above Deadwood Point. The
small town of Pipe along this route is home to an awesome 80-foot tower. Farther
north is Calumet County Park, with six rare panther effigy mounds. (At the entrance
to the park, stop at The Fish Tale Inn to see the largest male sturgeon ever caught on
the lake.) An even better place to experience the lake is High Cliff State Park, along
the northeastern edge.
Family Dining
Arguably
the
Lake Winnebago culinary institution is
M
Schreiner's
(168 N. Pioneer
Rd., 920/922-0590,
www.fdlchowder.com
,
6:30am-2pm Mon., 6:30am-8:30pm Tues.-Sat.,
$3-9), a hearty American-style family restaurant serving meals since 1938. The menu is
broad,theservingscopious,andthespecialsMidwestern.Buttherealhighlightisthebread,
