Discover Wisconsin, the state’s leading media brand and tourism TV show, will be shining the spotlight on Manitowoc and Two Rivers in an upcoming episode. “Manitowoc and Two Rivers – From Ship to Shore” premieres Saturday, June 16 at 10 a.m. on Fox Sports Wisconsin and at 6:30 p.m. on WFRV Channel 5. The episode will also be available on discoverwisconsin.com after June 17.
A premiere party will be held Wednesday, June 6 at the Capitol Civic Center. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the program starts at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The show kicks off on the Manitowoc River, where co-host Eric Paulsen takes to the water to kayak with the Friends of the Manitowoc River Watershed. Later, Paulsen heads to Burger Boat Company in Manitowoc and learns about the area’s shipbuilding history, and looks on as a custom yacht is being built.
“The episode shows our communities’ relationship to the water, not just Lake Michigan but to our inland rivers and lakes too,” said Jason Ring, MAVCB Executive Director. “There are great places for kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding, and great hiking and biking opportunities near the water as well.”
Next, co-host Mariah Haberman meets with a maritime archaeologist to learn about the many shipwrecks off the coast of the area, and later, the Discover Wisconsin crew visits Shipwreck Adventures in Two Rivers. Haberman rents a stand-up paddleboard from the Manitowoc Marina, and then stops in at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.
Paulsen makes his way to the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center to learn about the area’s agricultural impact, and the Discover Wisconsin crew stops in at Pine River Dairy to hear about the family-run butter manufacturing business. Paulsen learns about the Two Rivers-born ice cream sundae at the Historic Washington House, which holds a replica of Ed Berners’ Ice Cream Parlor, and then heads to Pinecrest Plates at Manitowoc’s Pinecrest Historical Village.
Haberman heads toward the coastline to check out Mariner’s Trail, and then stops in at West of the Lake Gardens before walking through the Woodland Dunes Nature Center and Preserve to take in some wildlife. The episode comes to a close on the beaches of Lake Michigan, where the Kites Over Lake Michigan event is held during Labor Day weekend.
“Manitowoc and Two Rivers are both such cool cities with their lakefront locations, maritime history, and a lot to see and do,” said Paulsen. “Whether kayaking on the Manitowoc River, exploring the Historic Rogers Street Fishing Village, watching beautiful new boats and yachts being crafted, or enjoying an ice cream sundae where it all started, this is definitely a uniquely fun and interesting area to visit. I had a great time and I’ll be back to bike that beautiful path along Highway 42 between the two cities, too!”
“Manitowoc and Two Rivers – From Ship to Shore” will reach Discover Wisconsin’s broadcast network of 600,000 viewers across the upper Great Lakes region, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Northern Illinois, and Upper Michigan. The episode was produced by Jessica Murphy. To learn more, visit discoverwisconsin.com.