A Sand County Visit

There's a lot more to do in the Baraboo area than you'd think. I'm still in the early stages of my brief but regular visits to the area, but I'm finding there's many future discoveries to be made to help make each trip interesting, and I'm not talking water parks.

I haven't been to the Circus World Museum yet, but I've been to the Ho-Chunk casino and, last trip, to the International Crane Foundation. Since borrowing the idea for this blog's title from an Aldo Leopold book, and reading the book, I knew it'd be just a matter of time before I'd visit the "shack".

Surprisingly, The Leopold Center isn't far from where I was, just on the other side of the freeway as a matter of fact. Finding it is another matter. It's a well-hidden, well-kept secret a couple miles down a narrow tree-lined lane called a "Rustic Road" on the small sign at the turnoff.

The Leopold Legacy Center is an absolutely beautiful, completely energy efficient set of buildings down a ways from Leopold's original shack and farm. I was an only visitor when I got there around 10:30, but was assured many show up for the guided tour at 1:00.

The center's buildings present a perfect use of old building methods and completely modern technology. Franklin stoves and log construction combined with solar panels and no-water toilets. In a compliment to Aldo Leopold's conservation ethic, the buildings actually generate more energy than they use and all logs for the buildings were cut from his farm and likely planted by him and his family.

I was offered one of half a dozen different mosquito sprays as I paid my $7.00 to visit the shack and farm, but declined. Several donated bicycles are also available free for use, so I hopped on one of the sturdy three-speeds for the modest ride. Hiking trails surround the Center, but they don't lead to the farm.

Finding the farm is about as difficult as finding the Center only worse, because it's not marked at all. It's the honor system, and I like it. (We're asked to not copy or share the map.) It felt so natural to just ride my bike to a secret, secluded location and explore the trails alone, as no one else was yet around. I stuck my head in the outhouse and wandered down to the river. Mosquitoes were present, but what really pained me was when I tried walking barefoot on the hot sand. Ouch! Knowing how the Leopold's planted thousands of pines on the once barren property I made effort to intentionally fill my lungs with their scent.

Upon leaving I came upon a family who'd been driving around awhile trying to find the entrance. I stopped to help and they mentioned they'd been told other cars would be parked there. There weren't, which would help explain their confusion.

The Center, Shack and Farm, I can see, wouldn't be for everyone. It reminded me most, with good reason, of a nature center. You could safely assume youngsters would probably have a better time at the water park, but some adults would surely appreciate all the Leopold's stood for and that Aldo's legacy is still alive and well.