One of the more unexpected parts of the world that I’ve found myself in for an extended period of time. Back in mid-2012 I spent a couple of months with work in the Midwest town of Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, population ~40,000. At the time I hated it, but it was at least a memorable couple of months, I managed to travel to Chicago most weekends, and add on trips to Boston and Canada during and after the project.
The town is at the southern end of Lake Winnebago, with it’s name meaning bottom of the lake in French. It was founded in the mid-18th century and is home to a reasonable amount of industry, including Mercury Marine, the largest maker of outboard motors in the world. A reasonable amount of heritage remains, seen in the multitude of brick buildings.
There is also clearly wealth in parts of town judging by the beautiful houses. The streets are clearly American to my eye, with at best a white picket fence, or more normally no fences between properties. This contrasts with the tall fences or bushes that tend to border houses in the UK and New Zealand.
The Main Street had a distinctively American feel.
Lakeside Park is a very pleasant spot with lakes, and railways of all sizes.
The attractive Lakeside Park Lighthouse was built in 1933.
From the top are good views of the park and of Lake Winnebago.
The Midwest is incredibly flat, something that I struggled to cope with mentally after living in places with hills. The highest point to be seen on the landscape are invariably either grain silos or water tanks, usually marked with the name of the town.
