Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Derby
(715/479-4424,
www.derbytrack.com
,
figure $65 for a three-day pass, with daily
passesalsoavailable).Heldatthe“BestLittleRacetrackintheWorld,”it'sthemostimport-
ant snowmobile championship race in the world—almost 400 racers in 20 classes. Getting
a pitside seat is truly a dramatic experience: The ice kicked up by the 400-pound missiles
stings your face and words fail the shaking ground, smoke, and steam from the sleds.
The Thursday-night qualifier has become a smash hit with the crowds, as have vintage
racing and the fact that fans can pony up some moolah and roar around the track.
The weekend sees dozens of manufacturers, tour operators, and sponsors bringing
in state-of-the-art equipment for demonstrations and some hands-on opportunities. The
loudest cheers erupt when a member of the Green Bay Packers shows up.
St. Germain
West of Eagle River, St. Germain's
Snowmobile Racing Hall of Fame
(8481 W. WIS 70,
715/542-4488,
www.snowmobilehalloffame.com
, hours vary by season Thurs.-Sun., free)
iswithoutdoubtthemost
essential
stopintheNorthWoods,shouldyouwishtounderstand
the local ethos. The cool memorabilia includes old sleds and uniforms. You can also watch
action-packed videos of famous races, focusing logically on the granddaddy race over in
Eagle River in January. Naturally, you can sled right to the entrance in winter; better, if you
pull up in mid-January, you can ride off on a trail tour with celebrity racers.
Sayner
Bop up WIS 155 five miles to the place where it all began: Sayner. 'Bilers head directly to
the
Vilas County Historical Museum
(WIS155,715/542-3388,10am-4pmdailyMemori-
al Day-the town's Colorama weekend in autumn, $3) and the exhibit on the pride and joy
of the area, local eccentric-made-good Carl Eliason, the inventor of the snowmobile back
in 1924. Also interesting is the look at the area's fishing guide history.
If the museum is closed for the season, more sleds are at
The Carl Eliason and Com-
pany
store(274MainSt.,715/542-3233,7:30am-4:30pmMon.-Fri.,8am-noonSat.),where
the first sled was assembled (old models are on display); next door is the
Sayner Pub
(stop
in to see the old ski hill mural on the ceiling).
One lodge folks have mentioned for generations is
M
Froelich's Sayner Lodge
(715/
542-3261 or 800/553-9695,
www.saynerlodge.com
) on Plum Lake. The resort has been of-
fering vacationers a place to crash since the 1890s, and the Froelich family has operated
thelodgesincethe1950s.Nothingfancy—
remember that, please
—butawonderfulsliceof
