First and foremost, Happy Easter! Because tomorrow is Good Friday, I am sending you my e-update a day early. I hope you and your families have a very enjoyable holiday weekend. I know my husband, children and I are looking forward to a visit from the Easter Bunny followed by food and fun with members of our extended family.

The chilly weather may not have us convinced, but it is certainly Spring – the time of year when the natural beauty of Wisconsin returns, drawing lots of attention from both residents and out-of-state guests. The school year gradually winds down and families start planning summer vacations. Because of the ongoing uncertainty of the economy, many of us may be looking to plan our vacations closer to home this year. Fortunately, our state has a lot of different options to offer families looking for a summer adventure on a budget.

Whether you are planning a camping trip, a long weekend in Wisconsin Dells, or are just looking forward to one of many other exciting activities Wisconsin has to offer, I am happy to provide you with a few websites to help plan your family vacations this summer.

www.travelwisconsin.com

From the Great Wisconsin Cheese Trail, to fairs and festivals, to waterparks in Wisconsin Dells, you will find a number of activities offered throughout the state on this site. You will also have access to maps, tour guides, accommodations, and contact information should you need further assistance in planning your trip.

Natural Resources, Department of

For those families who love the great outdoors, this is a great site by the Department of Natural Resources for finding camping sites, picnic areas, hiking and biking trails within Wisconsin’s beautiful state parks. Once you find where you would like to go camping, you can reserve your campsite with the DNR online. I strongly recommend doing this at your earliest convenience as space in the campgrounds fills up very quickly for the summer. For the fishing, ATV, and other recreational enthusiasts, you will find permit information on the DNR website to ensure you are fully compliant with state laws prior to your vacation.

Right here at home we have Burlington’s annual ChocolateFest over Memorial Day weekend. If you are new to the area, I encourage you to visit http://www.chocolatefest.com to learn more about Burlington’s most popular event. Whether you choose to stay close to home or venture elsewhere in Wisconsin, I hope you and your families have a very safe and enjoyable vacation.

I recently had the privilege of attending the Court of Honor for Eagle Scout Chase Shaffar-Roggeveen, where I was joined by Senator Wirch, Representative Barca, and Representative Steinbrink. After meeting with Chase, I have no doubt that he has an incredibly bright future ahead of him. For his Eagle Scout project, he interviewed 23 World War II veterans whose stories will be documented and archived by the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. and the Kenosha History Center. Since completing his project, however, four of the veterans have passed away, signifying how important the timing of his project was given how quickly we are losing our heroes of World War II. An aspiring historian, Chase plans to go to college and ultimately earn a Ph.D. in History. He is the son of Mark Shaffar and Mijke Roggeveen.

Chase Shaffar-Roggeveen with some of the WWII Veterans he interviewed for his Eagle Scout project.  Also attending the ceremony were Reps. Peter Barca and John Steinbrink (far left) and Rep. Samantha Kerkman and Sen. Bob Wirch (far right).