Day 1:
Check in to one of three Waupaca area hotels each with comfortable accommodations and reasonable rates, then head to King’s Table Restaurant for a Friday Fish Fry or fish boil if it’s the fourth Friday of the month.  After dinner, head back to the hotel for an early night, after all, you have a busy day tomorrow!

Day 2:
Get an early start with the quick drive to the Wolf River in Fremont, the White Bass Capital of the World.  You’re likely to catch either the White Bass run or the Walleye run; with the fish you’ll catch on this trip you won’t have to tell any tall tales!  After a long day on the water head out to The Wheel House Restaurant for pizza in the heart of the Chain O’ Lakes.

Day 3:
Now that you’ve caught your limit on the Wolf River, spend the morning fishing the famous Waupaca Chain O’ Lakes.  With depths of up to 75’, the lakes on the Chain contain nearly every species of fish found in the state of Wisconsin.  Stop for lunch at the Waupaca Ale House near the Chain before heading home.

Day 1:
Prepare to make memories you’ll never forget when you check into a waterfront vacation home on the beautiful Waupaca Chain O’ Lakes.  With over 50 available properties you’ll be sure to find the water front rental perfectly suited for whatever size group you are travelling with.  After you’ve worked up an appetite exploring the house and the lake front property, head out for dinner at Clear Water Harbor.  This water front oasis will send you straight to island time as you dine on the deck overlooking Taylor Lake.  This is when that wave of relaxation will pass over you and you’ll set aside all of the stress in your life.

Day 2:
Don’t waste any more time on shore, head out to explore the Chain on the pontoon you’ve rented from Becker Marine.  Or, if you prefer the quieter side of the Chain, pick up a kayak to take you into the Upper Chain, featuring 4 non-motorized lakes surrounded by the natural beauty of towering pines and marvel at the aqua-marine, crystal clear waters.  For lunch, there is no need to leave the Chain, just pull ashore at the Indian Crossing and head into The Wheel House Restaurant for their famous pizza and lake views from their outdoor seating.  And, don’t forget to stop by Scoopers for an ice cream treat.  Continue your day on the water as you motor to the south end of Long Lake and anchor at the sandbar to take a swim and just relax your cares away.  For dinner, grill out along the lake after stopping by Neimuth’s Steak and Chop Shop for fresh steaks and seafood and enjoy a glass of wine or favorite microbrew pick-up at Chain BP.

Day 3:
After sleeping in, enjoy your favorite breakfast treats from the Waupaca Piggly Wiggly before heading out to Hartman Creek State Park to enjoy the trails by foot or on two wheels.  For lunch, stop into Klismet’s Three Squares Restaurant with a 24 hour menu to please everyone in your group.  Afterwards, head to Animal Haven Zoo where the kids will have fun seeing the many exotic animals. Dinner will be a special treat tonight at Smith’s Manawa Steak House with their selection of fine steaks and seafood.
Day 4:
Spend the day taking part in one of the many events in and around the Waupaca area such as the Iola Old Car Show, the Waupaca Fine Arts Festival, the Waupaca Triathlon or Rumblefest.  With a variety of events happening throughout the summer, you’re sure to fine one featured during your stay.  While enjoying the events you may also be inclined to take in some history of the Waupaca area at the Hutchinson House in Waupaca’s South Park or with a tour of the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King.  For dinner, enjoy a pizza, lamb chop, shish-ka-bob or the popular lamb burger at Weasels in Downtown Waupaca

Day 5? 6? 7?
Repeat, Shuffle, Repeat

Day 1:
Enjoy all of the fall beauty that the Waupaca area offers as you pull into one of the many area campgrounds to set up camp on a warm autumn afternoon. Once camp is set, take a break and grab a fish fry at Julie’s Crystal Lounge on Churchhill Street before heading back for a campfire.

Day 2:
Wake up and enjoy a campsite breakfast before exploring the rustic roads of Waupaca County as you head to Hartman Creek State Park for a hike or bike ride through the fall foliage. After lunch, see Waupaca’s Chain O’ Lakes aboard the Chief Waupaca, an authentic double-decker sternwheeler, with a 1 ½ hour narrated tour; followed by refreshments on the deck at Clear Water Harbor as you watch the sunset over Taylor Lake. If you’re still up for dinner out, head to Downtown Waupaca for Irish fare at T.W. Martin’s Public House.

Day 3:
After packing up camp, head out to Turner’s Fresh Market for seasonal produce and a hay wagon ride out to the field to find that perfect pumpkin. Stop by Waupaca Woods Restaurant for lunch, a local favorite, before your trip down the Waupaca River with Waupaca Kayak Adventures to take in more of the fall colors before heading home.

My siblings, three younger sisters and a girl cousin who was indistinguishable from a sister and me, the lone boy, all grew up in Chicago.  Six in my family, lived in a two bedroom apartment, in a typical twelve flat brick building on the city’s north side.  Our parents had a bedroom.  My sisters shared the other. I lived in the dining room.  Our cousin was raised by our grandparents. They lived in the same building.  The two apartments were connected by an old wooden back porch that served as a highway between the chaos of our place and the warm Scandinavian quiet of Mor Mor’s  (Swedish for mother’s mother).  We were not poor but my folks lived pretty much paycheck to paycheck.  We had one collective extravagance.

We loved Chicago, but from the mid 50s to early 70s we lived for an annual, two sometimes three week, trip to the lakes.  My dad, a telephone equipment installer for Western Electric, year after year, invested his entire vacation on the same getaway to Waupaca Wisconsin’s, Chain O Lakes.
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Canoeing, Campfires & Camaraderie
Castle History at Waupaca, Wisconsin and The Chain ‘O Lakes
This is one of the non-fiction short stories written in Encouraging the Soul
By Charles H. Castle

      I remember my father, Howard P. Castle, telling me about Castle Point and the history of the Castle family going to Waupaca. Dad said his father, Howard P. Castle, Sr. and another man were deeded many acres of Chain ‘O Lakes property to satisfy a debt in 1919. My grandfather was a partner in a law firm in the Chamber of Commerce Building in downtown Chicago and took the train to and from their home in Barrington, a suburb northwest of Chicago.

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Last summer, I took a trip to Waupaca with my girlfriend, Amber.  I grew up in Waupaca, but haven’t lived there since 2002.  Amber had been to Waupaca for Holiday celebrations.  This trip was different.  I wanted to show Amber all Waupaca has to offer.

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I’ve always enjoyed the times I’ve spent in Waupaca; tubing and skiing on the beautiful Chain O’ Lakes, swimming at Whispering Pines, and just relaxing at Brainard’s Bridge Park. I grew up there, saw many different faces every summer as the tourists began filling the cottages, and even though I’ve since moved away, I bring my children back every year to experience the joys I had when I was younger.

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Driving down Otter Drive, I not only noticed the magnificent, towering pine trees, I experienced the pleasing pine scent that reminds me that I am in central Wisconsin.   I remember smiling, taking a deep breath, and feeling relaxed and refreshed by my surroundings.

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