Manitowoc, Wisconsin - Part III
After dinner, we had been graciously asked to join
Kathleen Galas and her husband for some evening entertainment along the
banks of the Manitowoc River. The occasion was a performance of a play
called “Red Tides” at a venue called Tall Ships Theater at the City Hall
Riverfront. A 90-foot sailboat had been specially outfitted with lighting
and sound to serve as a stage for the performance. The performers also
serve as the crew onboard and all members are responsible for some aspect
of sailing and maintaining the boat, which has already stopped for
performances in many ports of call in the United States, from Florida to
the Hudson River and back to the Gulf of Mexico. Written, directed and
produced by Tour Coordinator and Captain of the boat Paul Kirby, Red Tides
is: “A work of experimental theater… that conjures a society where myth
and poetry were a staple of everyday reality.” Except to say that the
performance was a bit avant-garde, I won’t attempt a review. I will say
that despite the mosquitoes that were determined to sample some type O
positive from my exposed skin, it was a perfect night to enjoy some
theater on the river in Manitowoc.
After the long performance, our
throats were parched and dry. Kathleen knew of a place very nearby where
we could stop for a nightcap. Called the Riverbank Lounge, this almost
eclectic setting used to be a bank. The building dates from about 1900
and was only recently “refitted” as a place to enjoy cocktails and house
specialty hors d’oeuvres. My description of the intimately appointed
interior would be woefully inadequate; this is definitely a place that you have to
see for yourself. Even though it was getting quite late, it was the
perfect end to a perfect day. We munched on some tasty garlic humus and
nut bread and sipped on champagne. This was, as Bob would say,
“reeeeaallly livin!” We briefly shared our days’ adventures, then,
sleepy-eyed, said goodbye and headed back to the hotel for some
well-deserved rest.
We awakened early Sunday morning to
another marvelous sunrise. The giant ball of fire was floating just above
a calm and serene Lake Michigan. We dressed quickly, enjoyed some Eggs
Benedict at the hotel restaurant and hopped into the car for a quick ride
about two miles north to rent some bicycles at the Village Inn and
Suites. We scored some brand new 15-speed Schwinns and headed north on
the brand new Mariners Trail bike path that followed the Lake Michigan
shoreline from Manitowoc all the way to Two Rivers, Wisconsin. A $1.1
million cooperative construction effort, the trail is perfect for hikers,
walkers and bicyclists; it was one of the nicest trails we have been on.
We were surprised at the relative emptiness of the trail. And what a
beautiful day for a ride… the temperature was about 75 degrees and there
was just enough breeze to keep us cool as we peddled along. The view was
amazing; there no buildings between us and the lake that could block any
part of the magnificent blue expanse of Lake Michigan. We pedaled north
to Two Rivers, then turned around and retraced our path, returned the
bikes and headed back south. We had seen what looked like an extensive
flower garden on our way to rent the bikes and we wanted to check it out.
What we had seen was West Gardens of
Manitowoc. This is the same West as in the Rahr-West Museum that I
mentioned in part II and I could write volumes on them. The grounds are a
former streetcar right of way purchased by the Wests in 1934. The house
itself is somewhat reminiscent of the style of Frank Lloyd Wright and the
6-acre grounds are almost entirely covered by flowers. (At one time there
were over 30,000 tulip bulbs!) The property and gardens were a donation
and are now maintained by visitors’ donations and volunteers. This was
essentially an unplanned stop but I’m glad that we took
the time. Not
only is the view incredible, the gardens are some of the most colorful and
best maintained that I have seen. It kinda reminded me of the Botanical
gardens that I visited long ago in Grey Summit, Missouri. In any case,
one could spend hours here just enjoying the colors, plant varieties and
the serenity. But we had more on our agenda then we had anticipated, so
we headed back to town for a quick stop at Beerntsen’s Candies. On our
way we caught a glimpse of the Badger returning from Ludington. Just
making the tight turn to dock once again and pick up another load of cars
and tourists, it dwarfed a small fishing boat in the harbor but made the
job of maneuvering the huge vessel look like child’s play. It was a very
cool event to watch.
Beerntsen’s is another building dating
from the early 1900’s and the business has been in the family since 1932.
The interior was much like those I have seen in buildings from that era.
The shiny wooden booths were made from black walnut and had been
meticulously maintained. The leaded tiles in the ceiling looked to be
original as well and the place was as spotless as Disneyland. We had
decided to stay and have a sandwich; Heidi and I both selected a tuna,
cheese and onion sandwich on whole wheat bread. My jaw dropped all the
way to the shiny tabletop when I noticed that the sandwich was a mere
$2.50! We splurged with one of the house specialties: a tasty Turtle
Sundae. Everything was fresh and delicious, including the homemade
chocolate items that were displayed in the front of the store.
Beerntsen’s makes all of the ice cream and chocolate candy that they
serve. At Christmas time, they even make their own candy canes. Now
where can you find that anymore??
After lunch we strolled up the street
to visit the “Nation’s Largest Kitchen Store.” The title seemed to be
exaggerating a bit. But when we stepped through the door of Cook’s
Corner, my doubts quickly left me. The store has over 10,000 square feet
filled with more kitchen gadgets than I had ever seen in my life. I
escaped with only a small dent in my pocketbook and a few items that
caught Heidi’s eye. Had I stayed any longer, I’m sure that I would have
needed a loan in order to pay for our purchases. I could get a lot of
Christmas shopping done in that place!
We had but a few hours left before we
had to head back home and had promised a return trip to the Maritime
Museum, so we headed back over the river. (By the way, in case you are
wondering, most of these places are within walking distance of one
another.) My main goal was to tour the USS Cobia. Although the Cobia
herself was not built here in Manitowoc, 28 other World War II submarines
were and I had felt a definite need to get inside one.
I
toured the
U-505 (a German
Submarine) at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago many
years ago, but if my memory serves me correctly, we didn’t get to see all
that much of the boat. The Cobia Tour, on the other hand, was the real
deal: the whole nine yards, so to speak. Launched at the Groton,
Connecticut Shipbuilding Yard in 1943, the USS Cobia is a Gato class sub:
over 300 feet of lean, mean, fightin’ machine that saw two years of action
in the Pacific during WW II. Our tour started topside and then we were
led down some stairs that were once the opening through which the
torpedoes were lowered into the forward torpedo storage room. Having
become increasingly more claustrophobic over my lifetime, I was afraid
that I would freak once inside. Surprisingly, it was Heidi who became a
little light-headed. But she soon recovered and we both finished the tour
without mishap.
Life aboard a submarine in 1944 must
have been incredibly cramped; the Cobia’s crew had to work together like a
fine-tuned watch. The men who served aboard her were definitely a breed
apart. If the stories of what the men on the Cobia endured while
protecting our freedom – like the time spent on the bottom of the ocean
barraged by depth charges – are any indication of what war is about, then
I suggest that you salute the flag and repeat the Pledge of Allegiance on
a regular basis. I cannot explain the emotions that I felt as I moved
from stem to stern. But I could almost hear the wail of the klaxon
signaling to dive and the steady pom, pom, pom from the guns on deck as
the sub waged a surface battle. After I left the boat, I met one of the
men who had served aboard the Cobia. Charles Stewart was in the museum
autographing copies of his book: “The Blind Fight.” I was at a loss for
words. But to Charles and all those who served aboard submarine boats
during WW II, I salute and thank you for the difficult jobs that you did
and for your dedicated service to your country.
The boat has been almost totally
reconditioned and many of her functions are still operable. Families can
bring their children on board for an occasional sleepover and tours are
given constantly; over 60,000 people take the Cobia tour annually. If you
are ever going to be in Manitowoc, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum is a must
see place and I can definitely recommend the tour of the USS Cobia. It
was my favorite part of the excursion. By the way, don’t forget to
purchase some Torpedo Juice after your tour!
While I am sure that I may have missed
a thing or two in sharing our journey to Manitowoc with you, I can truly
say that we had a wonderful time. It was a whirlwind tour and after the
drive home, we collapsed, exhausted on the bed and quickly fell asleep.
But it was a fabulous two-day excursion that, as far as I can tell, was
well worth the time. Thanks to all who helped make our stay in Manitowoc
a memorable one. You have a great city on the Greatest of the Great
Lakes!
R. Karl
rkarl@onthelake.net
