tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950530570754541202024-03-07T23:11:30.576-06:00Shunpiking to HeavenShunpiking To Heaven Backroads BlogShunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.comBlogger444125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-53886881269870495162020-12-15T13:23:00.003-06:002020-12-15T13:46:25.681-06:00Westward Ho – St. Joe!By Phyllis Ringelstetter BuskagerIn April of 2015, Joann and Ruth visited St. Joseph, Missouri. Since my husband Vern and I had lived there several years before that, Joann asked if I would write this blog post about the places and interesting architecture that she photographed on their visit there.
Pioneer Mural, St. Joseph, Missouri
It was a pleasant spring morning on Monday, Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-42171642356699476192020-11-24T17:24:00.001-06:002020-11-24T17:29:18.410-06:00A Little Bit of GratitudeBy Joann M. RingelstetterIf there’s one thing I can say about the year 2020 that I think will be echoed by pretty much everyone on the planet, it’s been a rough year in so many ways. The coronavirus pandemic turned our world upside down in late winter and it feels like it will never end. And here we are at Thanksgiving time, being advised to stay home and not gather with our families and Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-49853548586072893922020-10-27T20:33:00.001-05:002020-10-27T21:24:16.113-05:00Serenely Beautiful Holy HillBy Phyllis Ringelstetter BuskagerFar above the farm fields, and nestled in the trees atop the highest elevation in southeastern Wisconsin called Holy Hill is the Basilica and National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians. Located near Hubertus, Wisconsin, on 435 acres, this religious pilgrimage site is visited each year by about 500,000 people from all over the world. Many come to meditate, or to Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-3672306433246444852020-09-14T15:05:00.034-05:002020-09-14T16:42:25.331-05:00Finding Our RootsBy Phyllis Ringelstetter BuskagerMy sister Joann and I started a project a few years ago to learn more about a large collection of family photos that were from our mother’s childhood. Some were in an album that our mother had put together with interesting or funny captions, but not the names of those pictured nor the dates when they were taken. Others were studio portraits, again with no names Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-59441082626161825552020-08-20T22:35:00.000-05:002020-08-20T22:35:11.708-05:00Sunflowers at Bergsbaken FarmsBy Joann M. Ringelstetter
Is there anything better than a sunflower to bring a smile to your face in the middle of summer? The only thing I can think of is to be standing in the middle of a huge sunflower field, with the sunflowers towering over you and the insects busily making their way around the seed heads.
Sunflower at Bergsbaken Farms, Cecil, Wisconsin
On July 25, 2018, we left home Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-19596303412294936642020-07-24T16:28:00.000-05:002020-07-24T16:28:01.403-05:00The Laugh-in Cows RevisitedBy Joann M. Ringelstetter
Eleven years ago, on July 5, 2009, we published our very first blog post. We had worked so hard to get the entire photo gallery website up and running so that we could share all our photos. As soon as that was working well, we set up our Backroads Blog so that we could share the stories behind the photos. That first post was entitled, “In Honor of the Laugh-in Cows” Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-79484410897475439142020-06-30T18:07:00.000-05:002020-07-15T08:26:31.787-05:00Klinger Store, Readlyn, IowaBy Joann M. Ringelstetter
Five years ago, in June, we spent three days photographing on the backroads and in the small towns of a dozen counties in northeastern Iowa. On the morning of the third day, we took a few photos in the small town of Readlyn and then headed to an old general store. Klinger Store sits at a country crossroads about five minutes south of Readlyn. The main road past the Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-20913359014122036532020-06-11T23:19:00.000-05:002020-06-13T18:56:56.131-05:00Walls of WittenbergBy Joann M. Ringelstetter
In April 2011, I started a new job and became friends with a coworker who told me she was from Wittenberg, Wisconsin. I didn’t know anything about Wittenberg or even where it was, but when she told me the town was filled with murals, I knew I had to pay a visit to the town. This mural, entitled "ALL ABOARD! ALL ABOARD!", was painted in 2008 by Artist Andy Goretski of Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-1734423412649144142020-05-15T00:00:00.000-05:002020-05-15T17:18:01.231-05:00Madonna of the TrailBy Joann M. Ringelstetter
In 1928 and 1929, identical monuments were installed in each of the 12 states crossed by the National Old Trails Road (Route 40), also known as the National Road, which started in Bethesda, Maryland, and extended to Upland, California. These statues were commissioned by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution to honor the courage, fortitude, Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-75602772586026880432020-04-26T00:21:00.000-05:002020-05-01T23:01:00.220-05:00Annie Oakley - American LegendBy Joann M. Ringelstetter
In the spring of 2017, we returned to Ohio for our fifth 10-day photography trip in that beautiful and historical state. One of the subjects Ruth had researched was the history of Annie Oakley, so she had several locations marked having to do with this world famous sharpshooter. We spent the first two days photographing our way across Illinois and Indiana. On the Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-77367604653917083832020-03-26T21:00:00.000-05:002020-03-26T21:00:34.233-05:00Elisha Edgerton FarmBy Joann M. Ringelstetter
Back in October 1997, Ruth and I spent some time photographing in Jefferson and Waukesha Counties in southeastern Wisconsin. Near the town of Dousman, I photographed a set of small limestone buildings. This was early in our backroads adventures when we were still photographing mostly barns, but these buildings were too interesting (and fancy) to pass up.
Windows of Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-19340813599677150882020-02-27T22:03:00.000-06:002020-02-27T22:07:22.267-06:00American Gothic Barn, Gomer, OhioBy Joann M. Ringelstetter
In April 2017, after having taken four previous trips to the southern and central parts of Ohio, we decided to return with a focus on northern Ohio. On the afternoon of our first full day in that beautiful state, we traveled the Lincoln Highway to the small rural town of Gomer. In her research, Ruth had discovered a large American Gothic barn and we knew we had to go Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-20909488429661032412020-01-22T20:01:00.000-06:002020-01-22T20:01:10.940-06:00Street RunningBy Joann M. Ringelstetter
Last June, we took a two-day trip to our neighboring state of Iowa. We spent the first day photographing farms in the Dubuque area, which were on the Iowa Barn Foundation’s spring tour. The area along the Mississippi River is one of our favorite places to photograph, with its rolling hills and verdant valleys. We started our second day in the St. Donatus area, which Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-23507276751710265232020-01-08T23:41:00.000-06:002020-01-08T23:41:57.939-06:00Motor Mill Historic SiteBy Joann M. Ringelstetter
On April 28, 1868, according to an entry in the journal of James O. Crosby, a cable car containing 3-5 tons of quarried limestone creaked and bounced along a set of wooden rails as it was lowered from the top of the bluff to the banks of the Turkey River. As it moved slowly down the side of the bluff, an empty cable car was pulled back up to the top.
Turkey River, Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-67510734241206718172019-12-19T19:34:00.000-06:002019-12-19T19:34:11.295-06:00A Christmas MessageAs time marches on and the years seem to come and go at such a rapid pace, I feel that it is more important than ever, for me at least, to focus on what matters. There will always be a Christmas rush, with people hurrying to complete their Christmas shopping. But Christmas should be more about being with the people we love (in whatever form that takes) and doing things for them rather than the Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-17387527008055359782019-12-04T21:04:00.000-06:002019-12-04T21:04:47.946-06:00Hiding in Plain SightBy Ruth A. Ringelstetter
We’ve known for many years about the tobacco advertising on the buildings around the railroad tracks in Edgerton, Wisconsin. Edgerton became the center of tobacco growing in Southern Wisconsin when dozens of warehouses were built in the late 1800s to early 1900s.
Tobacco Warehouse, Edgerton, Wisconsin
On Labor Day, 2011, we decided to spend the day photographing Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-25173866142153527452019-11-13T19:00:00.000-06:002019-11-14T09:47:09.062-06:00Belle Boyd, Confederate SpyBy Ruth A. Ringelstetter
How did a young woman born in Virginia become a Confederate spy in the Civil War at the tender age of 17? And how did she end up buried in a cemetery in Wisconsin? After visiting her grave in October 2014, we knew we had to find out.
Grave of Belle Boyd, Confederate Spy, Columbia County, Wisconsin
Maria Isabella "Belle" Boyd was born on May 9, 1844 in Martinsburg,Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-21622882081939206732019-10-29T19:59:00.000-05:002019-10-29T19:59:35.289-05:00My Favorite SeasonBy Joann M. Ringelstetter
When I was a kid, winter was my favorite season, probably because, unlike recent winters, there was a lot of snow most of the winter and we went sledding and ice skating, built snowmen and snow forts, and played games in the snow like Fox and Geese. As an adult, however, autumn has been my favorite season and I look forward to the fall colors all year.
Autumn Road, Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-2788143062864550842019-10-08T19:33:00.000-05:002019-10-08T21:01:46.400-05:00Another Day in Amish CountryBy Ruth A. Ringelstetter
Joann and I so look forward to any time we can spend in Amish country. The pace of life just seems slower in those areas for the most part. We always look forward to hearing the clip clop of horses' hooves even before a buggy comes into view.
Amish Buggy, Columbia County, Wisconsin
One of our favorite things about visiting Amish country is getting old fashioned Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-44185715663350499432019-09-24T17:51:00.000-05:002019-09-24T19:39:50.796-05:00Delta DinerBy Joann M. Ringelstetter
In 2010, less than two months after having spent 13 days on an exhausting late-April photography trip to North Carolina, Ruth and I decided to spend five long days photographing in Wisconsin and Minnesota. We were both working stressful Information Technology jobs at the time and all I can say now is, “What were we thinking?!” We worked hard, but we came home with Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-80819312697551649202019-09-09T19:02:00.000-05:002019-09-10T13:53:13.018-05:00The Kohlmann Cemetery MurderBy Phyllis Ringelstetter Buskager
(Note from Joann and Ruth: We are pleased to announce that our sister, Phyllis, will be joining us occasionally in telling the stories we love to share with you. We also plan to begin sharing some of our family history and photographs. We know you will enjoy reading her first blog post about a discovery she made recently in a local rural cemetery.)
Grave Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-39221460019509407742019-08-25T21:31:00.001-05:002019-08-25T21:31:37.966-05:00Curses, Foiled!By Ruth A. Ringelstetter
My plan for the first day of our 2015 spring photography trip was to be in Galena, Illinois, at dawn. We’ve told you about eating out of the cooler but never about what it takes to get that all ready. When we have pasta, potato, or fruit salads, those are not store-bought. Everything is made or prepped by one of us, including our snacks.
So, the night before we were Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-69669958623208460102019-08-11T21:28:00.000-05:002019-08-12T20:58:24.407-05:00A Horse is a HorseBy Joann M. Ringelstetter
When we were kids, there was a sitcom on TV about a talking horse named Mister Ed. The show, appropriately called “Mister Ed,” aired from 1961 to 1966. There was a total of 143 episodes, all filmed in black and white. Mister Ed was owned by mild-mannered Wilbur Post, who was always in trouble due to Mister Ed’s shenanigans.
Rose, the Belgian Horse, Fiddelke Farm, Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-40653999689158836962019-07-28T19:00:00.000-05:002019-07-28T19:00:30.938-05:00Elmira School, Elmira, IllinoisBy Ruth A. Ringelstetter
The first time I stumbled on a picture of the Elmira School, I thought it was very cool and knew I had to mark it as a location for us to visit. I also worried that we wouldn’t make it there before it gave up the ghost to Midwest winters.
Elmira School, Stark County, Illinois
Finally, in 2015 when I was planning a photo trip that would take us through some very Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195053057075454120.post-83358469207991264222019-07-15T18:47:00.000-05:002019-07-15T18:54:50.514-05:00Ojibwa Mission CemeteryBy Joann M. Ringelstetter
Ruth and I usually take our longer photography trips in the spring because we love taking one or two-day trips around Wisconsin in the fall. However, in 2012, we decided to take a lengthy fall trip and one of the subjects on Ruth’s never-ending list was an old Ojibwa cemetery that she had stumbled on in her research. The only problem was that it was from an old Shunpikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14513972075205245164noreply@blogger.com6