Construction is well underway on the Up North Brewing Company, a destination brewery that is a dream coming true for four friends who served us in the military and are now eager to serve us again. Meet the Brew Crew; Heather Dalton, CJ Dalton, Leslie Orr, and Brandon Orr. Four longtime friends who met while serving our country in the Air Force. Now retired, they had the opportunity to travel the world, and when on leave, taste some of the finest beers along the way.

Meet Rome’s own Clark Willard.

Clark is one of those people that has taken to this hobby full swing, if you will. He collects, refurbishes, and builds replica “hickorys,” as he calls them, with such skill and precision, you'd swear he learned his craft from old Andrew Dickson himself 100 years ago.

A self-proclaimed old-soul, Clark has found the perfect opportunity to practice his hobby and stretch it into not only a nice little side business, but an actual lifestyle.

Since April, and its highly anticipated opening, Connie has been splitting her time between the two stores, as the original one in Oshkosh continues to thrive, and her “new baby” in Rome is seeing success so much quicker than she ever imagined. And why wouldn't it be successful? When you walk in the door, you’re immediately impressed with the obvious pride and passion that goes into every decision.

Yeah, that’s right, golf courses. That is, if we’re talking about 12 of the most fun and scenic courses you’ll find anywhere, but luckily for us, happen to be plotted right here along the Wisconsin River - from Rome to Stevens Point. Twelve golf courses that makeup what’s been dubbed, the “Golf Corridor.” (Well, not really. We kinda just made that up, but it’s pretty catchy, isn’t it?)

They range from the player friendly everybody’s-got-a-chance-to-make-a-par courses to the most challenging better-bring-your-A-game tour-level courses.

So, what are they, you ask. What are these 12 amazing courses?

Alright, let’s get into it. Let’s start in Rome and work our way upriver to Stevens Point - because alphabetical is boring, and there’s no such thing as best to worse, or worse to best, when you’re talking about golf in The Corridor.

Since 1982, Shermalot, as the locals call it, has performed weekly summer shows on Lake Arrowhead in Rome, Wisconsin. Every Saturday, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, these incredible athletes do things on water that you have to see to believe - especially their signature barefoot pyramid. Five skiers stacked on top of each other being pulled by a single boat. And not a ski in sight! That’s right. They’re skiing without skis. They’re barefoot!

That’s right, soon you’ll be able to walk or bike from one lake to another. You’ll be able to get to the beaches and parks. You’ll be able to visit the Rome Town Center and everything it has to offer. You can shop at the Farmers’ Market, play in the Splash Pad, visit the Lester Library, go to the bars and restaurants, and even go to church, all without having to dodge the cars and trucks flying by on Highway 13.

So, here’s how the whole thing’s gonna go down; each Thursday, June 8th through July 20th, musical acts will compete on Hoozels’ stage, for a spot in the finale which will be held July 27th.  The audience and a panel of esteemed judges will vote for their favorite act each week who will then move on to the finals in what will prove to be one of the greatest displays of musical talent ever assembled.

OK, so maybe that’s a little bit of a stretch, but these musicians are good. Really, really good. As Meagan Benz, says, “this isn’t karaoke night at the bar.”

One of Mike’s proudest achievements each year is when he sees one or more of his caddies receive the prestigious Evans Scholarship. The Evans Scholarship is a full housing and tuition college scholarship awarded to caddies who meet very stringent criteria - including a strong caddie record (with at least 100 loops), excellent grades, and outstanding character.

So, if you’ve been tracking along, you’ve probably figured out that Ryan is one of those hard-working caddies who earned the scholarship this year. After applying in September, Ryan and his family were thrilled to hear the news that all his hard work is paying off.

Here’s something else you may not know. Visit Rome allocates a sizable portion of the room tax it collects in the form of grants for entrepreneurial initiatives. Grants for further development or expansion of visitor attractions and amenities.

The mission of the grant program is to promote the Rome area by building awareness, attracting visitors, encouraging overnight stays, and making an overall positive impact in the community.

Those who have taken advantage of grants in the past have used the funds for upgrades, enhancements, and expansion of existing facilities. Even signage and advertising. Others have used the funds to help with equipment and construction. And still others have tapped into this generous program as they hosted events and festivals.

Or to put it another way, Visit Rome is an organization dedicated to presenting Rome in such a way that would-be visitors choose Rome over any other possible choice. Because if successful, these visitors bring cash. Lots of cash! And they spend it on everything from accommodations to dining, entertainment, attractions, retail, and more.

This influx of outside money ultimately boosts the economy, creates new business ventures and employment opportunities, improves the infrastructure, and plants a sense of cultural exchange between visitors and residents. All positive outcomes for those who make the town of Rome their home.

Since November 2022, the best meat you’ll find in central Wisconsin is right here in Rome. That’s when brothers Jeff and Marc Trott, along with Jeff’s son-in-law Tony Rennhack, opened Rome Country Meats and Deli.

When they heard that Pritzl’s Trading Post, which had a prevalent meat and deli counter, was closing, they knew that now was the time to chase a dream they had shared for almost 20 years.

With business plans in hand, they went into action – finding a perfect location in the Rome Town Center, building a store with room to grow, and lining up suppliers of the best meats, cheeses, and sauces they could find. They even recruited long-time Pritzl’s butcher, Todd Kissinger, to lend his skills and expertise to the effort.

Lightweight and durable, with extra spongy front and rear suspension, fat bikes, as they’re so fittingly called, can roll through terrain that ‘regular’ bikes just can’t handle. Whether it's wet pavement, sand, mud, or even snow, a fat bike simply doesn’t care. It gives you traction more in-line with your Subaru than with your two-wheeler. The low pressure in the extra-wide, nubby tires make it the perfect bike to take on any adventure, no matter the conditions. That’s why fat tire biking is one of the fastest growing year-round sports in the country. There’s virtually no place you can’t go.

Alex was selflessly thinking about his family and the families of others who were also enduring life-threatening illnesses. He knew that his fight was not his alone. That the illness afflicted his entire orbit of friends and family, and that there is very little recognition, or relief, for the caregiver. That there is no place where someone takes care of the caregiver. So, in 2019, before Alex lost his battle with cancer, the Alex C. Dove Foundation was established in his memory and his wish to offer support to others who are suffering, as he and his family had. The cornerstone of the foundation, and the first of its kind in the Midwest, is a gracious respite retreat so aptly named, Dove’s Nest.

I think we can all agree that Amazon has its place. They have just about anything you can ever imagine. With a little effort, you can usually find what you’re looking for and have it delivered in a couple days. But what if you’re looking for that one special gift for that one special person and you have no idea yet what it is? You know you want it to be unique. You want it to be memorable. You want it to be special.

Luckily, there’s The Gift Shoppe now open in the Rome Town Center next door to Papa Bear’s Mini Golf. The straight-forward name tells you just about everything you need to know. It’s all about gifts. Nothing but gifts.

Not surprisingly, it all began with some guy who wanted to show off for his buddies, like guys tend to do. His name was Ole Rye, and he was from Norway, an up-north country with lots of snow just a few “hills.” It was 1808. Rye found a hill, climbed up, zoomed down on two wooden skis, and soared about 30 feet – impressive for the time. Word spread throughout Norway, and the idea of flying through the air on skis, and miraculously not dying, took hold as a legitimate sport across the country, throughout Europe, and eventually throughout the frozen world. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Recently, Visit Rome, the organization that promotes tourism and good will for the town of Rome, hosted a casual “sit-down” session with the J-1’s spending their summers at Sand Valley Resort. Chelsea Sorbo sat down with young people from Columbia, Jamaica, Turkey, and Pakistan just to name a few of the representative countries.

She asked them things like, why are you taking part in this program? What are your career aspirations? What is your favorite experience so far? What will you miss the most? And, do you think you’ll return to Wisconsin?

Let’s admire the truly amazing canvas of color. Let’s marvel at the beauty of autumn, and watch Mother Nature show off a little in this “beauty pageant” of Wisconsin.

If you’re itching for “tickets” to this color show, look no further than some of Rome’s town attractions!

As you pull up, the first thing you notice is how inviting it is. You can see, even before you get out of the car, how well maintained everything is. Everything is clean and organized. Everything works like it’s supposed to. You know immediately that Papa Bear’s is a real sense of pride for owner and Papa Bear himself, Tom Gabriel.

“I also learned to follow my instincts and trust my experience when a ‘recipe for success’ isn’t always available.“

That last one was undoubtedly her biggest take-away when Rebecca LaCount decided to follow her dream and open Slice of Heaven Bakery in Rome, Wisconsin. Located in the Rome Town Center just across the street from the gazebo, Slice of Heaven not only exudes the charm and warmth of Grandma’s kitchen, but all the experience, dedication (she starts her day at 3:00am every day), and know-how of a well-accomplished baker in her own right.

Rebecca continues, “When I think about the lessons I learned at the hem of Grandma’s apron, I’m inspired to re-create them on my own and carry on her legacy.”

Recently, Mad Dog and Merrill, and their best buddy Fast Freddy (remember Fast Freddy?) visited the town of Rome, Wisconsin to tape an episode of the show. Spread out across the lawn in the Town Center, was all their paraphernalia – grills and smokers, preparation table and cookware, video production gear, and unexpectedly, a keyboard.