Wausau recently shined on the statewide map of incredible day trips that have become part of Wisconsin First Lady Tonette Walker’s platform in her Walk with Walker series.  Each month, she joins forces with the Wisconsin Department of Tourism to highlight spectacular sites around the state with a walk that showcases the scenic landscape.  The Central Wisconsin Convention and Visitors Bureau hosted the Wausau tour, and the Ghidorzi Hotel Group supported it with awarding winning hospitality at the Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott of Wausau.

The tour, which took place on Thursday with the area’s fall colors nearly at their peak, included:

• Robert W. Monk Public Gardens, a 20 acre natural sanctuary donated by the late Robert W. Monk III, a local businessman and longtime Wausau resident.  The Monk Garden aspires to become a first-rate botanical garden in Central Wisconsin, filling the gap in botanical gardens between Green Bay and Superior.
• Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, central Wisconsin’s renowned cultural attraction featuring galleries of diverse artwork from around the world and a stunning outdoor sculpture garden.  The 39th annual Birds in Art exhibition is currently underway at the museum, one of the country’s premier animal art exhibitions featuring 112 artists from throughout the world.

Ghidorzi Hotel Group team members join Walk with Walker group for two-mile hike of Robert W. Monk Gardens.

Autumn beauty at the Robert Monk Garden pond.

The garden’s treasured Treehouse offering 360 degree views of the property and ramp accessibility.  Home to the garden’s concert series.

A zen moment for Ghidorzi Hotel Group team members in the Meditation Garden.

Garden Vice President Linda Grilley previews the future site of The Potager, French for “Kitchen Garden,” an open air facility that will host events and cooking classes.