Manitowoc is a small town on the Wisconsin side, with plenty to do. There is a terrific Maritime museum with a submarine tour, and we were lucky enough to be there for both the Sputnik festival and a fish boil. The story goes that when Sputnik finally crashed back to earth, a large, 20 lb piece dropped into downtown Manitowoc. The people there sent the piece back to Russia, and have celebrated the date ever since. We attended the Miss Manitowoc pagent as well as the Aliens in the Alleyway festival, featuring a parking lot tent, brats and beer.
The fish boil is another local tradition, similar to a clam back or lobster back, but again, held in a parking lot. A large pot is brought to a boil and a basket of whole potatoes and onions is boiled. Then a large basket of local fish – in this case, whitefish — is put on top and boiled. Chucks of fish, including bones and skin. As the fish is brought to a boil, the fat and scum rise to the top of the pot. A canister of diesel was then thrown on the wood fire, causing the pot to boil over and the scum from the top to pour over the sides, leaving the food free of the scum. The baskets are then removed and served. Anyone knowing Artie will be relieved to know that there were also hot dogs available.
M/V Leap of Faith 