With our tour of Sand Creek Brewing out of the way, The Dulcinea and I retired to our hotel for a bit before dinner. Our meal would be the $11.99 all-you-can-eat seafood buffet at the Castle Hill Supper Club. How could we not eat at one of these venerable institutions during our trip?
Supper clubs are an Upper Midwestern thing, for the most part. Even though I grew up in Chicago, I became familiar with them early in life. My parents owned what once was a resort up north outside of Stone Lake, which is about 140 miles north of Black River Falls. Every summer as a boy, my family would make the long trek up there in a pine green Ford Econoline van and spend two or three weeks vacationing. It was during those times that I became familiar with the supper club.
We'd have dinner at one a couple times per trip, which was invariably located on a lake on the outskirts of a town. The décor was in some way or another related to trees and usually had mounted deer heads – the full northwoods treatment. My dad would always get walleye. Whenever I hear the word "walleye" or see the fish in a store or restaurant, I immediately picture my father at the head of a table at Tony's Fireside, which I believe was on Lac Courte Oreilles south of Hayward, sitting before a nice walleye filet. Clear as day, I can see him in my mind gleefully squeezing lemon wedges as he prepared to chow down. Walleye was just not commonly available in Chicago and so it was a treat, of sorts, for him. This image of my dad ordering & eating walleye is burned into my psyche for reasons I cannot explain. Now, on the other hand, I would get a burger or something else traditionally served with French fries while my brother would order prime rib, another supper club staple, if it was available.
For more on the supper club, check out Wisconsin Historical Society and this article from the Wisconsin State Journal archives.
On the drive towards Merrillan, we passed by an "adult campground" - Camp NCN. It was cloudy out and rain had been forecasted so I presume that there was no one out frolicking all skyclad in nature's unblemished beauty. Have any readers ever been to Camp NCN or an equivalent? What do you do at such places? You can leave an anonymous comment. I keep imaging women clad in jodphurs wielding riding crops with men down on all fours who have bits in their mouths. You know, like in that episode of Real Sex.
A vacation destination for next year?
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