Boyhood Adventures Number 2 Letter Box
Doctor's Park, Fox Point, Wisconsin

Placed 26 December, 2001 by Birkie Bob
BirkieBob@ATT.net
Difficulty: Clues-moderate, Terrain-moderate

As children grow older their horizons expand and their adventures
include new places and greater distances. Fox Point's Doctor's Park
was slightly further from home than Indian Creek, but at the time it
seemed like a much greater trip. Those adventures began when we
thought that we were accomplished bike riders and could negotiate
village streets.

Doctor's Park is on the shore of Lake Michigan. It was our first
swimming hole. That water was too cold for any but the most
adventurous. The spectacle of "sensible" adults shunning the water for
the comforts of the beach was all the encouragement we needed to throw
ourselves in and swim as far as we could for as long as we could stand
the cold and then a bit longer. The grumpy lifeguards were required to
row their boats out to follow the few who would dare to enter that
water. We delighted in swimming all the way out to the floats forcing
those surly "bay watchers" to follow us around. After several cycles
between the floats and the sand to recover, we could explore the
several ravines in the park. In later years Doctor's Park has
continued to be a place for a good trail run and hill workout. Its
secluded spots overlooking the lake remain a valuable place for
contemplation of the complexities of adult existence.

The park was a gift of Doctor Joseph Schneider, "eminent physician,
true humanitarian and ardent lover of nature. Dedicated by him 'to my
fellow citizens for recreation purposes. It's natural beauty to be
preserved and bird life to be fostered.'" The gift was accepted by the
Milwaukee common council on July 11, 1928.

Fox Point is a village to the north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. To reach
Doctor's Park exit Interstate 43 at the Brown Deer Road exit. Proceed
east on Brown Deer Road and turn south at the first traffic light,
Port Washington Road. Travel approximately half a mile south to Dean
Road where there is another traffic light. Turn to the East on Dean
Road. You'll go down a slight hill and across a bridge over the
remains of Indian Creek and you'll be at the site of Boyhood
Adventures Number 1.

To reach Boyhood Adventures Number 2 from Number 1 continue east on
Dean Road for approximately one mile. Your trip will take you across
Regent Road, Santa Monica Boulevard, and rail road tracks. Your next
major road crossing will be Lake Drive. Continue east until the road
bends sharply to the right. Straight ahead you'll see Fox Point's
Stonehenge standing in Doctor's Park. The parking lot will be to your
left. Take the paved foot path leaving the northeast area of the
parking lot. The path will widen out and take you down one of the many
ravines. Take a right where the path intersects a paved road.

As a boy biking down that paved road seemed to be very bold. The "Walk
your bike" notice painted on the road surface was just a yellow blur
at that speed, so we concluded that it was ok to bike as long as we
were going fast enough.

My first such bicycle decent ended at the bottom of the hill where the
road makes a right angle turn to the right. In many ways it was and
still is one of my most memorable exposures to the laws of physics.
After the front wheel was acted upon by the curb, Newton's third law
of motion dictated that my body should continue in motion straight
ahead until acted upon by an impact with the grassy knoll (all before
Newton's laws or grassy knolls had any special meaning to me).

Follow my path of empirical knowledge to the grassy knoll. Walk north
along the tree line on the west side of the knoll. At the north-west
corner of the grass you'll find a little foot path that will take you
to a barbed wire and cyclone fence. Travel along the fence to the
West. In a very short distance you'll find a natural drainage gully
coming down the hill. Being careful of your footing follow that gully
up hill about two thirds of the way to the top. You'll come to a
fallen tree perpendicular to the gully. Look to the left and find the
fallen tree that's parallel to the gully lying along a bearing of 110
degrees. Boyhood Adventures Number Two is under the downhill side of
that tree about midway along its length. You'll find it under a pile
of tree residue.

After stamping up please replace the box carefully to protect it from
drainage water rushing down the slope. You can reverse your course to
leave the park or continue uphill and enjoy a short hike in those
woods. That area is fairly wild, so please watch your footing. We
might be young in spirit, but none of us is as young in limb as we
used to be.

This box will be visited infrequently, so an email about its condition
and your visit will be very much appreciated.