Vicinity of Milwaukee, WI

[Hany Aziz]

Posting my previous question I suddenly realized that I have a business trip planned on a Thursday/Friday in mid August to Milwaukee, WI. I can stay there over the weekend before flying home. Any easy destinations within easy driving distance (1-2 hours max) of Milwaukee, WI for photography (or for that matter birding). Landscapes are my usual area of interest.

Thanks.

Sincerely,

Hany.

[John Jarosz]

Well there are landscapes, and then there are landscapes.

Midwest landscapes tend to be very flat. Easterners and Westerners tend to be disappointed in Midwest landscapes. Not me, I'm used to them :-)

Here's one spot. Has some birding opportunities as well.
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/wildlife/reclands/horicon/

Can be VERY hot in August. Also a chance for very dramatic clouds as thunderstorms and fronts move into the hot plains.

The Menasha/Appleton areas can be intersting as well.

John

[Colleen K]

2 hours will get you to the Baraboo/Wisconsin Dells area. There are some very nice state parks there (Devil's Lake, Mirror Lake, Rocky Arbor) and a lot of small State Natural Areas that are very nice (personal favorites include Gibraltar Rock,Parfrey's Glen, and Pewitts Nest) This link can take you to the DNR website where you can check out some of the SNA's
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/sna/ click on the 'view by map' link on the left to find them by geographic location
I always run into a lot of birders whenever I'm out, so I'm guessing it's a good spot for that also(I do know turkey vultures are common on the bluffs)
Colleen

[Ryan Hill]

I'll second Devil's Lake SP as a really nice location and not too far from Milwaukee.

You might also like Door County. It is the "thumb" that stick into Lake Michigan (close to Green Bay). Several quaint small towns and state parks. My fav's would be the little village of Fish Creek and nearby Pennisula SP. Whitefish Dunes SP and neighboring Cave park are also neat locations.

Enjoy!

[evan clarke]

The locations are less an issue than the light. We have very little beautiful light here and it comes in very short spurts. Make sure you are where you would like to be at sunrise when the harsh light hits it is ushered in by the wind. Door County has a number of abandoned farmsites which can be very good, they are in the interior of the peninsula and not on the normal tourist beat which takes you around the lakefront. If you head towards the southern border of Dane and Green counties and venture into Illinois, there are many good barn/agricultural landscape possibilities...Evan Clarke