Kaukauna is a small town in Wisconsin, just a few miles east of Appleton. A short jaunt down College Avenue will take you right into town.

Kaukauna was incorporated in 1839 and is part of a region called the Fox Cities, which defines the northern shores of Lake Winnebago. The Fox Cities also include Appleton, Menasha, Neenah, and Oshkosh, and the villages/towns of Greenville, Combined Locks, Sherwood, Little Chute, and many others.

I know you have heard of Kaukauna before. You know those grocery store cheeseballs with the nuts on the outside? They originate from Kaukauna, though the plant relocated a short distance to Little Chute.

The name Kaukauna comes from the Menominee phrase for “stopping place of the pike/pickerel” in reference the steep geographic drop of elevation of the Fox River and the resulting abundance of fish there.

Kaukauna’s nickname was briefly “The Lion on the Fox” but residents eagerly opted for “Electric City” after its first hydroelectric plant successfully opened.

The whole town would quickly become powered by hydroelectricity, just as it is today.

We went to Kaukauna to visit the 1000 Islands Environmental Center and were granted a relatively cool and overcast morning.

The park has more than 350 acres and seven miles of trails. I really enjoyed the Fox River Trail that has a boardwalk throughout a significant part of it.

It runs along the river and past the pens where they house little goats that help keep the ongoing buckthorn invasion at bay.

Speaking of invasive species, I also learned about Cottonwood trees and their cotton-like seedpods that terrorize the streets of Wisconsin and abroad.

(Of course I took home a pocket full.)

In Wisconsin, they call these seeds “summer snow” and you can see them blowing around, getting stuck in everyone’s hair and eyelashes, and piling up in every nook and cranny, under every bike rack and bench.

My friends told me that one good thing about them, at least, is that they are an indicator for a good rule of thumb when it comes to fishing:  “when the cottonwood is flying, the walleye are biting.”

I saw lots of plants I am unfamiliar with, living in an Appalachian Zone 7 state. We saw lots of chipmunks and squirrels, and even some red-winged blackbirds and a fox squirrel, which was a first for me.

There were dozens of geese and their babies paddling around too.

Much of Kaukauna’s history doubles as early French history in North America, and involves the Fox River. You can learn more about that here or by checking out the Kaukauna Historical Society website.

Kaukauna.gov has a plethora of additional information including this video about Kaukauna and the Fox Cities as a whole.

A popular activity and tradition in the Midwest and New England is making maple syrup in “sugar shacks.”

1000 Islands invites volunteers each spring to help tap its maple trees, collect sap, and boil the sap into sugar to make the maple syrup. You can purchase jars of it in the gift shop year round, and proceeds benefit the park and its ongoing missions.

From 1000 Islands, we followed Crooks Avenue south through town, past Hydro Park and Horseshoe Park.

I recall seeing a sign that said “Rustic Road” and learned that Wisconsin has a program called Rustic Roads that guides motorists through the most scenic views of the state.

The nearest one to Kaukauna is just a few miles north en route to Wrightstown, but you can view the full map listing here.

We stopped at this cute little diner called Dick’s Drive-In, though patrons can now order inside.

They are best known for their “Maxi Burger” but I was thrilled to find some fried cheese curds and onion rings on the go.

Our next destination was to High Cliff State Park in the nearby town of Sherwood.

Along the way I saw lots of hex signs, also known as barn quilts or quilt signs. I feel giddy every time I see them, I just love them so much and do not know exactly why.

We a few sturgeon spearing shacks, and I learned that there is an entire industry, season, and culture for this activity.

Lake Winnebago has one of the country’s highest concentrations of sturgeon, an ancient and often enormous species of fish. Anyone interested in participating in the 2-3 week spearing season must register with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and comply with all regulations.

Fisherman/spearman build little shacks like the white one below and sit quietly inside them on the icy lake, staring into a dark hole until they see activity, then out come the spears.

It seems like a ton of work to catch, tag, and register each fish, but I can imagine how thrilling it might be to take on such a specific challenge in a very short period of time.

High Cliff State Park is named for the limestone cliff of the Niagara Escarpment that runs through the park. If you follow the escarpment far enough, it leads all the way to Niagara Falls.

High Cliff has some really beautiful scenic overlooks across Lake Winnebago.

This is the only state-owned recreational park in Wisconsin so it is a very popular spot for tourists to hike, bike, kayak, swim, camp, have picnics, ride horses, and fish/hunt with proper permissions.

We checked out the Lime Kiln Trail, where ruins of the old Western Lime and Cement Company. Between 1856-1956 its Niagara Dolostone was put into kilns and baked at over 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit to make quick lime powder.

Production ended as wood and coal to power the furnace were depleted, lime was in less demand, and the property had been purchased by the State of Wisconsin to be converted into a state park.

The trail here has short and longer loops of 0.9 and 1.7 miles long.

The Red Bird Trail is a 3.4 mile trail that starts at the shared parking lot of the overlook tower.

Chief Red Bird was the leader of the Winnebago people, and this 12-feet tall statue honours him.

I really enjoyed climbing to the top of the overlook tower, laughing at the tragically awful graffiti and crude images carved into its beams. What drives people to do this?

From the top, you can look out over the town and the rest of the park.

Visitors can also utilize the marina and rent out the event center onsite. It was all very clean and well-maintained, and I could see myself spending long days there in much cooler weather.

Other places to visit in Kaukauna include the Charles A. Grignon Mansion museum that is owned and operated by the Outagamie County Historical Society, Kaukauna Coffee & Tea, the quirky North Pole place, or plan your visit during the Electric City Experience festival.

In the area for a while? Follow me over to Appleton for a history/culture tour, or take a hedonistic food/drink excursion through downtown.

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