Lincoln County featured on Discover Wisconsin

The latest episode of Discover Wisconsin, the longest-running travel and tourism television series in the nation, which begins streaming today, Nov. 14, 2024, will be all about Lincoln County. Titled “Lincoln County - What’s Behind the Trees,” the episode will reveal “the beauty behind the trees of Lincoln County,” a Nov. 11 press release from Discover Wisconsin announced.
“Co-hosted by Eric Paulsen and Lindsey Hayes, this Discover Wisconsin episode showcases the gorgeous gateway to the Northwoods. From its natural beauty and outdoor recreation to delicious dining and spectacular shopping, Lincoln County offers adventure and relaxation at your own pace,” the release said.
The Lincoln County Board of Supervisors and Lincoln County Administrative Coordinator have been working to promote tourism in Lincoln County to stimulate, sustain, and grow the area economy. With so many areas in the state and across the nation competing for workers and people to move into their areas to fuel industry, and with most of those areas facing the same challenges repeated everywhere—a shortage of affordable workforce housing and child care—the Board opted to focus their energy on promoting tourism instead, former Lincoln County Board Chair Don Friske said in an interview last year. Promoting tourism benefits local businesses—from retail shops to gas stations to restaurants and everything in between—and increases revenue by virtue of additional sales tax collected. It’s a win-win, and the community has all the raw natural resources to draw tourists to the area.
One of the initiatives to promote tourism in Lincoln County was to work in partnership with Discover Wisconsin.
“Our journey in working with Discover Wisconsin has been extraordinary,” said Renee Krueger. “The process of reflecting on all of the amazing qualities within the communities of Lincoln County and brainstorming what makes us a truly valuable and desirable destination was eye-opening and incredibly rewarding.”
In this new episode of the show, “Eric Paulsen and Lindsey Hayes take the lead, showcasing the area’s stunning natural beauty and exciting outdoor recreation, with a few foodie and shopping stops along the way,” the release said. “Eric notes the beautiful scenery driving along Highway 107, which holds Wisconsin’s largest motorcycle rally.”
“It isn’t long before Eric hits the stunning trails for a leisurely ride on the Underdown Trails, noting ways to up the ante. He enjoys the slower pace of Lincoln County, refueling at the Sawmill Brewing Company, stopping by Merrill Music in The Square, and shopping the local favorite, Johnsons of Merrill.”
“Later, Eric travels to Tomahawk to explore the water adventures on Lake Mohawksin and Lake Nokomis, such as water ski shows, kayaking trips, and lakeside meals.”
“On a mission to find more thrilling adventures,” the release continued, “Lindsey discovers one-of-a-kind opportunities to explore behind the trees of Lincoln County. From horseback riding to dog sledding, Lincoln County offers an array of fast-paced adventures for all to enjoy. As Lindsey continues her quest, she admires the remarkable parks plotted throughout the County. Each park provides recreational opportunities that highlight the area’s natural beauty.”
There are so many great experience in Lincoln County, and some lifelong County residents didn’t even know all these opportunities exist, Krueger said. That was one of the things she learned in the process of identifying and promoting all the things Lincoln County has to offer to tourists. Those same opportunities are all right here waiting to be discovered and enjoyed by local residents, too.
“The [Discover Wisconsin] production teams brought our vision to life and we couldn’t be more proud of the end product and the ability to share so everyone can adventure what is beyond the trees!” Krueger said.
The exclusive early debut of the episode will be available beginning today [Thursday, Nov. 14] at 4 p.m., available through discoverwisconsin.com, Roku, Apple TV, SmartTV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire, and YouTube. Download the Discover Wisconsin+ App in the iOS App Store or Google Play store to stream it on your mobile device.
The episode will then air statewide on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 10 a.m. on Fanduel Sports Network (formerly Bally Sports Wisconsin) and at varying times across local affiliates of the Discover Wisconsin Regional Television Network. “The episode will reach the show’s broadcast network of viewers across the upper Great Lakes region, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Upper Michigan,” the release said.
“This [episode] is the first production of our two-year relationship,” Krueger said. “This show was heavily focused on ‘What is behind the trees,’ focusing on outdoor recreation as the emphasis. By highlighting outdoor adventures, we believe this will bring visitors to our businesses, hotels, restaurants, and local shops.”
“While there are so many great places we could highlight, we wanted to keep this episode with a brief overview of just a few,” she said. “We appreciate the great reception and participation with those involved, as everyone had a great time, which made us able to finalize this show in a short amount of time.”