Pudgy Pies & a Slower Pace of Life: The Tale of a Midwest Summer

When my husband and I first started dating, I told him I was from a small town. He exclaimed, “No, you’re not!” And I truly didn’t grasp why he responded that way until we first visited his hometown together after getting engaged. He is from a village — yes, a village — in northern Wisconsin which has a population of only 141 in the “core community area.” And in his village, there is exactly one neighborhood. What stands out the most to me is how each time we have been there, I have felt transported back to the 1970s. Now, I wasn’t alive in the 70s, but I have seen one too many episodes of That’s 70s Show.

Drummond Post Office

Town events are shared on the bulletin board to the right of the post office.

Maybe you’re wondering, “How exactly does a place transport you to the 1970s?” Well, to me it’s the family and friends stopping by without notice, the lack of privacy fences and celebration of life events that involve the entire village at the local town hall. I think I’ve grown accustomed to not speaking to my neighbors, so I’m most certainly not expecting us to leisurely stop by and chat.

One of the most memorable moments from our week in Wisconsin was joining the neighbors around their fire pit one evening. We talked like we had known each other for years, and the best part — they introduced me to “pudgy pies.” I’m from Georgia, and I thought I knew all there was to know about roasting food over a campfire. Boy was I wrong. Pudgy pies can’t be improvised with a dollar store bag of marshmallows and a stick — they require preparation and special equipment. By now, you are probably thinking, “Can you just tell me what a pudgy pie is already?” But honestly, I’m still not sure exactly what it is. It was essentially a grilled sandwich with the filling of your choice, which in our case was apples. For some reason, this felt revolutionary!

I’ve reflected on that night since returning home, and I don’t think it was just about the pudgy pies. Although, they were tasty, and I absolutely plan to recreate it in South Georgia. But I think it was about something bigger — I think it was about the idea that a neighbor can invite you to sit by their fire, and you can lose track of time instead of feeling like you don’t belong.

As the week went on, we spent more time outside as a family during that week than we had in MONTHS. In South Georgia, the heat is almost unbearable in the summer. If you don’t believe me, today the “feels like” temperature is 100 degrees, and it’s 9:00 PM. So we took full advantage of the milder climate. There is something about spending most of the day outside that feels nostalgic which added to the feeling of being transported back in time.

Another memorable moment was having a mini family reunion with aunts, uncles and cousins from my husband’s side of the family. We spent HOURS sitting outside while the kids ran around and played together. Of course, there was food involved. A Midwest summer get together is not complete without burgers and brats, so that was a given.

Back Porch Hangs

Not pictured — the children, who will soon be outnumbering the adults, having the time of their lives.

What I did not know about was the famous eclairs that Aunt Jodi has apparently been bringing to gatherings since my husband was a child. My husband explained that he used to think they were homemade, but she actually gets them from Wal-Mart and adds extra icing. We collectively consumed dozens — no, I’m not exaggerating — of these sweet treats. This just reminded me that it really is the little things that make all the difference during our childhoods.

During our last full day in Wisconsin, we ventured out to Bayfield. This was a place my husband and his family frequented during his childhood. They had a boat and spent every weekend on Lake Superior. I didn’t know it until we were looking at a map of the Apostle Islands, but they have been to all 22 of the Apostle Islands. With only one day, we obviously couldn’t visit all of the Apostle Islands. So we chose the most accessible which is Madeline Island.

Ferry Ride to Madeline Island

You can take your car, but we opted not to do that this time. We plan to take a car on our next trip to the island, so we can visit the state park.

Madeline Island is accessible by ferry during the summer months, so we took the scenic ferry ride to explore this gem of a place. Although it was my first time on the island, my husband and his parents had been there countless times before. The two main highlights of the island were “Grampa Tony’s” and “Tom’s Burned Down Cafe.” My husband explained that they would always stop by Grampa Tony’s for ice cream. Although I didn’t partake in the ice cream, I did kick back in an Adirondack chair and enjoy the cool breeze while my husband managed to take a cat nap.

Next, we headed to “Tom’s Burned Down Cafe.” This place deserves its own post, but if you think you’ve seen a dive bar — think again — because you haven’t truly experienced a dive bar until you’ve visited Tom’s Burned Down. The place literally used to be a cafe until it burned down, hence the name, and then it was gradually rebuilt with items including a 1976 Cadillac and a 40-foot semitrailer.

Tom’s Burned Down Cafe

No description needed because you really just need to see it for yourself.

Our week in Wisconsin left us both craving more. But more of what? More slow afternoons spent in the backyard. More nights by the campfire with strangers-turned-friends. And more small town experiences where time seems to stand still.