Good morning!

Hi, everyone! Ellie here.

Thank you to everyone who responded to my first newsletter—I’m definitely feeling the Wisconsin love. I appreciate your warm welcomes and thoughtful suggestions, and I’ll be keeping them in mind as we move forward. If there’s ever something you’d like to see more of, don’t hesitate to send it my way.

Fall is on its way. Each of Wisconsin’s seasons has its charm, but autumn is my favorite. It’s still warm enough for a walk in a state park, yet cool enough for jeans and a sweater. Growing up, my neighbors hosted an apple cider festival where we’d peel and press apples in a classic wooden press, each kid taking a turn while the adults enjoyed the cider we worked so hard on.

As the season changes, it’s a reminder to slow down and notice what’s happening around us—both locally and across the state. Today, we’ll take a look at the best autumn drives in Wisconsin.

Thanks again for the love. Hit reply and keep those messages coming!

Ellie Bourdo

Newsletter Editor, UpNorthNews

P.S. Yesterday marked the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. This week, we remember the 2,976 people who lost their lives, including 12 with ties to Wisconsin. To honor them, you can visit the Wisconsin 9/11 Memorial & Education Center in Kewaskum, open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

‘Ooh’ and ‘ah’ at fall foliage on 9 of Wisconsin’s prettiest autumn drives

Aerial view of a winding road at sunset in Northport. (Dan Eggert)

By Kristine Hansen

Take a short road trip this fall to see Wisconsin’s fall colors—here’s where to go.

Autumn in Wisconsin is the most colorful time of the year, when tree leaves cycle through brilliant shades of orange, red, yellow, and pink. This is also the best season to hop in the car for a little road trip. Even if it’s just for the afternoon, timing it to leaf peeping can be a huge thrill. Don’t forget to drop by roadside farm stands during your drive for pumpkins, gourds, apples, or cider, as yet another way to celebrate fall. Read on to learn more about Wisconsin’s nine prettiest drives during autumn.

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Pups and pilsners: These Wisconsin breweries and beer gardens welcome dogs

A smiling dog sits at a table with its owners on a restaurant patio. (Cavan-Images/Shutterstock).

By USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

For dog lovers, our pooches are an integral part of our lives, and for many of us in Wisconsin, so is finding the best beer.

It’s no surprise that many breweries and beer gardens across the state allow us to enjoy both at the same time. Dogs are becoming increasingly welcome in businesses across the country, so much so that online resources, such as BringFido, compile extensive lists of dog-friendly places.

BringFido lists many restaurants and bars where dogs can go across Wisconsin, but we’ve chosen these breweries and beer gardens as ones we think might have special appeal to Badger State beer and dog lovers. They made the list partly because of their locations (a mix of rural and city destinations, spread across Wisconsin), partly because of their popularity with people who love craft beers, and partly because they offer unique environments for dogs, people or both.

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White nationalist ‘Active Clubs’ growing in WI

By Public News Service

Experts said they are seeing a rise in white nationalist movements in Wisconsin and across the country that are disguising themselves as fitness groups.

They are called “Active Clubs” and present themselves as sporting clubs or fighting clubs focused on brotherhood.

Art Jipson, associate professor of sociology and criminology at the University of Dayton, said they recruit both online and in-person, targeting young, white men using shared interests as tools to gradually introduce and normalize racist ideologies.

“You add to that the willingness to engage in violence against people of color, LGBTQ people… there’s a clear potential for violence here,” Jipson cautioned.