Last year – decided lack of snow in Wisconsin.  This year – enough snow to keep snowmobilers, skiers, snowshoers and snowman builders incredibly happy.  The Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Snow Conditions report  is up and running and we dare say it’s getting tons of hits every day, to match the tons of snow blanketing the landscape here.  These are especially pretty conditions for those who favor state parks for winter workouts. [caption id="attachment_1049" align="aligncenter" width="201"] You'll stay warm with a snow-shoe trek in the freshly-fallen snow blanketing Wisconsin. B&Bs near city parks, state parks, or with their own trails, just may welcome you back and chase away any chill with a piping hot mug of cocoa![/caption]  

It’s last call for fall colors. Use this map from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, which appropriately reminds us of candy corn, and cross reference it with our map for B&Bs by region and presto, you have a last-minute autumn getaway plan.  Then it’s time to start thinking holidays and deciding where you’ll stay instead of bunking down with relatives.  A B&B is the next best thing – cozy bed, home-cooked breakfast, warm hospitality and, best of all, no imposition on the in-laws to detract from the joy of family. [caption id="attachment_862" align="aligncenter" width="667"] Fall colors, cozy beds near fireplaces, and great home-cooked breakfasts welcome you at Canyon Road Inn, Turtle Lake.[/caption]  

[caption id="attachment_668" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Taste of Wisconsin Dells June 9-10 features tasty samples from over 20 Dells area restaurants, plus a beer tent, arts & crafts show, large corvette parade and more. WI Dells area B&Bs are Bowman's Oak Hill B&B, Inn at Wawanissee Point, Pinehaven B&B and White Rose Inns."][/caption] Here in Wisconsin we pack as much fun into summer as is humanly possible.  We have ethnic festivals, music festivals, food festivals, and festivals just for the heck of it.  There are ball games and car shows and county fairs.  To say nothing of events dedicated to the likes of loons, muskies and butterflies.  See, we told you we make the most of June, July and August in Wisconsin.  If a festival or event is all the incentive you need to hit the road, then start planning out your summer getaway schedule using this “playlist” of events from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.   Cross reference the event location with B&Bs in the area and you’re set for maximum fun over the course of the next three months.

For a number of years now the Wisconsin Department of Tourism has offered visitors a handy tool – an up-to-the-minute snow conditions report.   It’s great for all you outdoor enthusiasts who downhill ski, snowmobile, cross-country ski, snow shoe, winter hike, or just enjoy a sleigh ride or sledding.  Volunteer reporters around the state regularly update the online interactive map, which is conveniently divided by activity – snowmobiling, downhill ski and snowboarding, and cross country skiing.  You can also sign up to receive a weekly snow report via e-mail.   This year, the Tourism Department cleverly used a Wisconsin map made to look like a mitten to announce the report was up and running, and that’s when things got interesting.  Let’s just call it a case of “Mitten-gate.”  Seems Michigan claims it’s the Mitten State and has been for some time.  Wisconsin Tourism was quick to offer a mea culpa of sorts, saying it doesn’t want to steal the Mitten State moniker; it wants to be known as the Fun State.  The good-natured back-and-forth made headlines all over the country!  Check out the story in USA Today.   By week two, the mitten map of Wisconsin was also sporting a cheesehead, proving we Wisconsinites do have a sense of humor.