Travel & Tours...
Contact Ruth to make reservations for tours info@ocooch.net 608-606-2866
Tour of Maple Syrup Factory next to the Cheese Factory in downtown Westby.
You might have seen Maple Farmer Ruth on television. Ruth was the featured maple syrup farmer on a "Discover Wisconsin" TV show episode that featured tourist attraction in Southwest Wisconsin. Tour group leaders may request a free DVD of that TV show from Ruth to use for promotional purposes.
Allow 1 hour on your itinerary for a tour of Ruth's maple syrup factory in downtown Westby, Wisconsin, USA .
Cost is $5/person No charge for the tour group leader and bus driver.
Photo shows Ruth gathering maple sap from the forest on a nice spring day in preparation for sitting by the fire cooking syrup all day when she would rather have been going for a long motorcycle ride!
The maple trees are on Ruth's farm located 8 miles east of Westby on one of the highest of the Ocooch Mountains, overlooking the Kickapoo River Valley, near the trout fishing village of Avalanche. The farm was deeded from the US government to the first European immigrant farmer, John Phillips, in May 1854. There are 1000 maple tree taps in the forests on steep hillside that run the length of the farm.
Your tour will start at "Logan Mill Lodge & Conference Center" in downtown Westby. Enter conference room door at 206 S. Bekkedal Avenue, Westby, Wi 54667. GPS coordinates ________________
Part 1 (15 minutes) You will sit conference room while Maple Farmer Ruth shows you a videa of her entire maple syrup operation on a large 8 foot screen in the conference room which has seating for 50 people. Ruth will speak about her maple farm while you watch the video and you will be able to ask questions. This custom made video was a gift from a graduate student majoring in food science after Ruth helped him do research on maple syrup for his masters thesis.
NOTE: If you schedule this tour immediately after lunch we will serve you vanilla ice cream with maple syrup topping to eat while you are watching the video! We have several excellent restaurant in Westby that will be happy to cater a meal for your group. If you tour is before lunch we will serve you an appetizer...a small sample of Norwegian flat bread (lefse), spread with Westby Creamery butter and sprinked with granulated maple sugar.
Part 2 (15 minutes of hands-on maple tree tapping) You will go out the conference room doors into a garage area that has a simulated "maple forest" . Ruth's Amish neighbors who are loggers helped her cut down a maple tree and move it into the garage so you can try drilling a hole in the tree trunk and hammer a maple sap tap into the hole.
Part 3 (15 minutes) You will see the equipment that is used to make maple syrup, maple cream, maple sugar, and maple candy.
 Motorcyclists Ruth and Ken offer guided
Motorcycle tours of the Ocooch Mountains of Southwest Wisconsin!
A complimentary 1/2 day guided ride is offered for groups of motorcyclists who are renting one or more of the Vacation Rental Condos at Logan Mill Lodge for 2 or more nights. Tours start of Logan Mill Lodge in downtown Westby, WI
Tour Amish Homes & Businesses
NOTE: no Sunday tours. Tours start at Logan Mill Lodge conference center in Westby.
We are located in one of the largest Amish communities in North America.
Contact Ruth for details on Amish tours 608-606-2866 info@ocooch.net
 
Other Tours Available (call Ruth at 608-606-2866 for more details)
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