Things truly Wisconsin, or originally Wisconsin (Racine, New Glarus: store, clubs, vacations)

[ekg56]

UW Badgers, what a great post. We have been in WI for almost 21 years and we love it. We moved here from Chicago looking for a good place to raise our kids. We couldn't have asked for a better place. Our kids are now grown but they loved growing up here. We have found the people to be great.
People complain about the long,cold winters and unfriendly people. We have many friends, aren't treated as outsiders and as long as you keep busy,winters aren't bad. I still walk outside most days. Even today it is only 8 degrees but the sun is shining. I dress for the weather and get out and enjoy it.
We also found that volunteering helps us meet people but also gives us a chance to bond with the community.

[UW Badgers]

Thanks ekg56. I think this is one of my favorite threads on the Wisconsin board, along with the thread Wisconsin People(posted in there too).

People seem to think Iowans are friendly..WRONG! Not one neighbor came to welcome us when we moved into our house. We live in a nice neighborhood too. I was expecting this great welcome. A friend of ours got a house in Milwaukee around the same time and about 5 of his neighbors welcomed him and they all became friends. If you aren't a part of a group, no one invites you. Even the guys that work for my husband. They all get along, but no one invites to any get togethers and I even watch the child of one of them. I definetly miss the friendliness.

The winters here are brutal. The plowing sucks and anything 3 inches or less, they find it a waste to plow. When we get more then that, they don't plow until the storm ends. 3 Saturdays in a row we were trapped in our house because the roads were so bad. We don't even live in a rural area either. Winters in Wisconsin don't seem so bad when we have had 3 ice storms and more snow then I want already.

At least I can see the light at the end of this dark tunnel bringing us a little closer to home. When we get back, we agreed that we will never move away again. "Don't know what you got till it's gone" has never rang more true...

[Bullitt007]

This is hilarious! Makes me want to drive back tonight and spend a couple of days reliving the past.

Okay, here's mine:

1) Davenport...have only heard this term used in Wisconsin!

2) Front Room...I guess nobody else but Wisconsinites have front rooms! lol

3) Lightning Bugs...oh, what great memories of my brothers and sisters running around in the evening catching them and putting them in a glass jar and then placing in our bedrooms that night only to let them go in the morning.

4) Leinie Lodge...if you haven't been there, plan your trip to Chippewa Falls now!

5) Supper Clubs...let's see, a bar and a restaurant under a big roof out in the middle of nowhere...and kids are invited too. (there's also parking available for your tractor too!)

6) Bars & Taverns...everywhere you look on every corner sits a Mom & Pop tavern. Hungry? They'll throw in a pizza, hot dog, or give you some crazy food that's been sitting in a jar near the cash register for the past 2 years.

7) Creameries...if you haven't visited one, you're truly missing out. Make sure you time your visit to purchase your curd just as it comes out of the vat...warm, salty and very squeaky. (oh, there's usually a Pepsi machine there too...ice cold Pepsi is required drinking when eating curd)

8) House on the Rock (Spring Green)...now that is just weird!!!

9) Country Kitchen...need I say more?

10) The County Fair! I don't get any better than this! Deep fried cheese curds, hamburgers by the VFW or American Legion, animal auctions, rides, and of course the demolition derby!!!

Okay...I'm planning my trip real soon!

Cheers,
Bullitt

p.s. why is it that the only people "up nort" who don't have an accent are those who are on the local news?

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Bullitt007

p.s. why is it that the only people "up nort" who don't have an accent are those who are on the local news?

I dunno, many of the newscasters in the really small markets -- markets so small you'd never know they even have their own television newsrooms like Rhinelander and Eau Claire and Wausau -- have pretty hardy accents.

[KateDaum]

Most of the people on the local news are fresh out of college. They come here for a year or 2 and get their skills polished and move on. We have only been here a short time but every time I turn on the news their are new reporters.
And don't forget many people aren't from here. I have a flatter accent being from Iowa/Missouri. I love talking to the old timers here because of their accents. Lots of Scandinavian influence here.
My kids have lived in NC, NY and NH but have not picked up a southern or eastern accent. I think it is because parents are the early influence on how someone sounds.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by Trabbz

I am originally from Wisconsin so my Florida friends and I are always talking about things from "back home". I was trying to think of some things that are either native to Wisconsin, originally Wisconsin, or things that Wisconsin is known for. I will start the list, then you help me out......

1. Culver's. I love Culvers and cannot get it anywhere in Florida.

2. Leinenkugels. I can even get a little taste of Chippewa Falls in some Florida grocery stores.

3. Cheese Curds. Never the same unless they come from Wisconsin.

How would you rate Leinenkugels as opposed to other beers. I have never tasted it but I don't mind giving it a try.

Have you tried Frozen Custard? I haven't. That is why I ask.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by KateDaum

Most of the people on the local news are fresh out of college. They come here for a year or 2 and get their skills polished and move on. We have only been here a short time but every time I turn on the news their are new reporters.
And don't forget many people aren't from here. I have a flatter accent being from Iowa/Missouri. I love talking to the old timers here because of their accents. Lots of Scandinavian influence here.
My kids have lived in NC, NY and NH but have not picked up a southern or eastern accent. I think it is because parents are the early influence on how someone sounds.

I like the Wisconsin(and Minnesota) accents. To me, accents out of the Upper Midwest sound peaceful.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by quijote

Sprecher beer and root beer....

Rishi tea....

Milwaukee's Speed Queen BBQ....

Fish boils....

Danish kringle from Racine....

Other places make a big deal out of fish fries, too, but Wisconsin offers perch and walleye, in addition to the basic cod....

Leon's custard is the best....

George Webb's diners....

Butterburgers (from Solly's, Culver's, etc.)....

Cranberry Cheddar Cheese!....

Real Chili....

I never had a Cream Puff at State Fair, but they get lots of press....

"Lobsterwurst" at Dream Dance Restaurant....

Spices and spice blends from Penzey's and The Spice House....

What ingredients do I need for a fish boil(other than fish, but what kind of fish)?

I like kringle. A friend of mine brought some from Racine and I tasted it. Loved it!! I want to go up to Racine and try some more.

I have never tried frozen custard. I hear it's good. What is your experience with it? What kind of taste does it have?

Cranberry cheddar cheese is something different, but cheese goes well with fruit in my humble opinion.

[jjacobeclark]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

What ingredients do I need for a fish boil(other than fish, but what kind of fish)?

Any whitefish like cod or haddock will do for a fish boil. Potatoes, corn, and onions are usually in the mix too. I have never experienced one personally, but judging from the huge flames in the pictures I've seen, I think it needs to be done outdoors.

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

I have never tried frozen custard. I hear it's good. What is your experience with it? What kind of taste does it have?

Frozen custard is the sh*t. It's basically ice cream with egg yolks in it, so it's richer than ice cream. Leon's and Kopp's are Milwaukee institutions.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by jjacobeclark

Any whitefish like cod or haddock will do for a fish boil. Potatoes, corn, and onions are usually in the mix too. I have never experienced one personally, but judging from the huge flames in the pictures I've seen, I think it needs to be done outdoors.

Frozen custard is the sh*t. It's basically ice cream with egg yolks in it, so it's richer than ice cream. Leon's and Kopp's are Milwaukee institutions.

Basically ice cream with egg yolks, well, I have been to Milwaukee a few times but never tried it. It sounds good. Hopefully I make it to MKE for summerfest.

I can find whitefish, cod, or haddock somehow. I knew it was done outdoors. I don't know if I can do that. I thought about trying it on a gas stove range.