2018 Tomah Activities Guide 2018 Tomah Activities Guide | Page 17

This tour is 42 miles, so you’ll need between 1-2 hours to see all the sights, as well as, stop by the Wisconsin Cranberry Discovery Center. Keep in mind, while on the Cranberry Driving Tour, you are passing by private property... so, please do not trespass. From Superior Ave/Hwy 12 travel north to County Hwy O (about 6 miles from downtown Tomah). Turn right onto Hwy O and travel about 4 miles. On your right, you will begin to pass by Gebhardt cranberry marsh. Continue driving about a mile to catch another glimpse of Gebhardt marsh before heading into Warrens. When you reach the stop sign, take a right onto Main Street. Here you will see the Wisconsin Cranberry Discovery Center. The Discovery Center is dedicated to pr eserving the heritage of the cranberry industry. The Center offers guided tours of the displays and area marshes, an educational video, daily wine tasting, available along with samples of gourmet cranberry food products! You can stop at the Discovery Center now or at the end of your tour! This marsh is owned by the VanWychen family, who produce their own cranberry wine and also sell fresh cranberries when they’re in season. When leaving Auger Road and the Wetherby Cranberry Marsh, take a right back on the Hwy EW. Now travel .2 miles down the road and turn left onto Augusta Road. Here, you will see close- up views of the Jack Potter cranberry marsh (the Potters are the oldest family of cranberry marsh owners in the area)! Return to Hwy EW by turning left off of Augusta Road. Continue traveling east for about 5 miles until you come to County Highway EE. Here you will turn left and travel about 1 mile, continuing straight onto County Highway HH. You will travel on Hwy HH for 10 miles, passing 8 marshes. In the first 3 miles you will pass three marshes, so keep a close look out! After the third marsh on Hwy HH you will come to an open area where sphagnum moss is grown. The moss is known as WI’s invisible industry, since it is a major, but little known state resource. To continue on the tour, travel across the train tracks on Main Street and turn right onto County Hwy EW (here you will see more of the Gebhardt cranberry marsh). You will travel about 2 miles down EW before seeing more cranberry beds on your left. These beds belong to the Russell Rezin cranberry marsh (the water on both sides of you, much like other ponds and reservoirs in this area are used to cultivate cranberries. The water is dark in color because of the amount of acid in it from tamarack trees). After you pass the water, keep your eyes peeled for more cranberry beds lining both sides of the road. A bit down Hwy EW you will come upon Jim Potter’s cranberry marsh. On the right, you will see a heron rookery (nesting) area. Herons nest high in trees near wetlands, so be sure to look up! Continuing on, take a right on to Auger Road. Here you will see the Wetherby Cranberry Company. 15