County Road I, on one end, starts just on the edge of Walworth and Waukesha County near Phantom Lake. This is a very beautiful area, as much of the landscape is above the lake level. While driving on County Road I, you can see the lakes in the distance, down below. The road starts at an intersection of I and J, just inside Walworth County. To follow along with a slide show of the trip, follow this link in another browser window: http://www.associatedcontent.com/slideshow/52786/wisconsin_county_roads_series_county.html?cat=16
As you drive down the county road, you begin to realize how different it can be from one mile to the next. Within a quarter mile from the start, I had to stop in the road to let a turkey cross. He took his sweet time, but I was in no hurry. It’s nice to allow yourself the time to take in some of the beautiful nature surrounding you.
As you weave with the road and roll with the hills, new houses and very old houses pass you by. While the new houses are nice, there is no doubt that the older houses have much more character and interest to capture my attention. There are houses with “Aircraft Only” signs in their driveway, as well as the most unique house I saw through the entire drive. I saw a tree along the road that had fake animals mounted to it, as well as wood boxes and an old telephone. Interesting. I turned around to be sure to get a picture of it. After I got the shot, I drove to the next driveway to turn around again. The second I pulled in, I knew who created the tree art along the road. The land had animals and wood throughout in different formations. The small wood house was set back, with a garage separate from the house. In the driveway sat a bright, yellow Porsche. It couldn’t be more out of place. Perhaps they put all the money they had into the car? Or maybe they spend more time in their car than they do at home? I just might have to go back to the house and sit down with them to learn more about them. I am definitely intrigued.
I enjoyed my drive continuing on down the road. As I continued to drive, I became more and more familiar with the road, as I don’t live far from this area. Still, I hadn’t spent much time on this road, at least not quality time to really look at what I am passing by. I soaked in the vehicles, the people I saw, the buses dropping off kids after school and teenage kids with a group that were putting canoes and fishing equipment into a small river.
As I passed by the Phantom Ranch Bible Camp, the first thought was that I didn’t realize there was such a thing so close to home. The second thought I had was that I wondered what was all back in the camp. From the road I could only see some stables and fenced animal areas. It’s another thing I might have to go back to and see if they will let me check it out.
As I crossed Hwy 83, I entered the Vernon area and lands of Wildlife viewing. If you have followed past slide shows you may have seen the photos of the Controlled Burn in this area. It was quite the sight: http://www.associatedcontent.com/slideshow/52220/may_10_2010_controlled_fire_billows.html?cat=8
This area is very beautiful, hilly and full of green. As I continue through I crossed the Fox River, which winds through much of the county and the city of Waukesha. Most areas along the Fox River are very picturesque.
Down the road, I enter the city of Waukesha and new subdivisions in the southern-most section of town. County Road I takes a right hand turn and moves east, south of Waukesha towards New Berlin. The road goes from being very straight and flat with marshy areas surrounding it, to being hilly and windy once again. This area has many new homes along the road, with traces of old building and school houses along the way.
When you reach the end of County Road I, you come to an intersection that meets with Hwy 59. Right at this intersection is a unique house with a tall fence in the back yard. Across County Road I is a set of garages that belong to the house with several cars. Yet another place I would love to learn more about and meet the owners. I’ll have to save that for another series.
