Hickory Corners: Fall Travel Series Roadtrip

This year my job has taken me across parts of Wisconsin that I had never ventured before. Country intersections with little forgotten towns are my favorite part of driving to an obscure address in the middle of nowhere.

Many of these “middle of nowhere” locations were once the center of everything for some people- and that is fascinating to think about. Much like my obsession with Elkmont Tennessee, the evolution of ideas through time can change a once bustling area to a ghost town. But just as Elkmont now proves– not all that is gone is lost.

And some things are worth preserving for the next generation.

That’s the subtle message on the roadside oddity of Hickory Corners, somewhere between Suring and Coleman in Oconto County WI.

The gas station, with it’s vintage gas pumps and memorabilia, is colorful in a traditional Americana way. Red white and blue mixes with rusted grey and weathered wood shake. Classic trucks peek out from the trees behind the property and playful signs remind us of old advertising tactics.

It’s the perfect place for a fall photo with your vintage ride if you are out for a leisurely trip through the countryside and beyond.

And beyond should include a drive to Suring, the closest town. It is worth researching because there is a variety of small business here that might interest you- including a lavender farm: The Lavender Homestead, and a farm that specializes in gourmet garlic: Growing with Him Farms.

I was in town most recently for a car show so I took the opportunity to tour Krueger’s Customs.

I’ve admired his off road restorations and heard great things about the business he established here. It was everything I could want in a hot rod shop with a small retail area.

Modern products lining simple metal racks contrast with the vintage feel of an old working garage.

It’s the kind of place you would have followed your father into as a child.

The kind of place that wouldn’t have been completely updated with new paint and steel but left a little rough around the edges. A place comfortable with rust and collections- collections of signs and gas cans, of any old thing of interest that can be leaned against a wall or rested on a ledge.

The kind of place that would have sounded like work getting done and smelled of motor oil and dust rolling in from the street…

The kind of place every good old small town would have once had.

And while not every day in Suring is going to be a car show, the main street also has a history museum, an old opera house, antique and consignment shops, an ice cream parlor and various homey restaurants to check out.

My fall road trip also has one additional suggestion- roughly 30 minutes away outside of Coleman:

Front Porch Market

I would have loved to have featured this little gem in my summer Small Business Series but I was never able to get back here to collect any extra shots other than the few I grabbed this day while eating one of their grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch.

They have done an amazing job of making the structure ooze with the charm of an older reclaimed building. The wrap around porch with barn beam posts and the galvanized vent on the roof are perfect touches. And of course, the old truck out front was half the reason I stopped.

The interior is warm woods and beautiful tin ceilings mixed with antique furniture and sparkly chandeliers. Besides the food menu and ice cream at the center of the space, the store wraps around you with clothing, mugs, knickknacks, candles and books. I was drawn to this particular one:

Front Porch Market also hosts a monthly flea market weekend where various craft vendors set up on the grounds to sell unique local goods. It is worth putting this on your fall to-do list.

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As the leaves struggle to change in the dry fall we are having I am relaxing into a slower pace of earlier nights, dark mornings and busy weekends. There are fall festivals and a few more car shows to come but it all goes as fast as the summer I am still tucking away in my mind. Here’s hoping I can fit in some more Fall Travel Series Adventures in the next couple of months before the snow flies!

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