Wake up, Wisconsin! (Green Bay, Kenosha, Appleton: camp, live in, moving to)

[Back 2 the Midwest]

I think Bettyboopster needs a hug....or maybe just a friend. Everyone keeps giving her ideas and nothing seems to be good enough for her. Poor her.

[muskyhusky]

Originally Posted by bettyboopster

Wisconsin has got to be the most boring place on the planet.

I don't think Wisconsin is boring---there's biking, fishing, boating, parks, Lake Side Park is always lit up during Christmas [here in Fond du Lac] people come from miles around to go through the park. There's Walleye Weekend in June, the fair is at the end of July, heck we even have husky sled races in December. You're just talking to the wrong people, not everyone here drinks beer and goes to the bar, oh yeah we also have the Green Bay Packers.... We also have beautiful skies:

[galfromwi]

I am surprised at all the negative comments about Wisconsin. I grew up here, so my opinion might be biased, but I have traveled some too. I do tend to stay in Wisconsin not only because I like it, but because I have family here. I couldn't imagine my kids not seeing their grandparents. I am sure that is the reason most people stay where they are, and I am a big supporter of the importance of family. Putting that aside, I can tell you there is something here for everyone here. The main areas are Milwaukee, The Fox Cities (Appleton) & Green Bay, Eau Claire, Madison and LaCrosse. I went to school in LaCrosse. It is beautiful, but there was way to much college partying going on there for me. It is also kind of isolated, not a major city that close by. I also attended school in Menomonie WI (close to Eau Claire) and loved it. Friendly people and lots to do outdoors-trails, etc. Menomonie is less than an hour from the Twin Cities, too. Grew up in Milwaukee which has lots to do, but to live there is becoming very dangerous, very segregated. I currently live in Appleton and absolutely LOVE it here. Downtown is thriving with new business, quaint shops and ethnic restaurants. Decent school system, lots of charter and private schools. I would say it's 50/50 regarding liberal & conservative. In this smaller town, one can live in an older, charcter-home area, new construction areas, or just a few miles out of town you can live in the "country", surrounded by farmfields or forest. Centrally located, we have Milwaukee to the south, Madison to the west, Green Bay and Door County to the North. It's only a 3 hour drive to Chicago. I disagree that people sit in their houses all day. We do have a shorter summer season, so we make the most of it-biking, golfing, great parks, swimming at the numerous public pools, camping, boating, fishing. Yes, there are the "red-neck" type people here, as there are everywere else, too. Maybe the people who complain about WI are just living in an area of the state that is not for them. I didn't really find my niche until I moved to Appleton--right away I could tell I fit in. Each area has something different to offer. My suggestion would be to travel and give it a chance.

[LML]

Originally Posted by Marilyn Torbeck

I am new here, and having moved to Wisconsin from southern California-well, let's just say there is no end to what is lacking. .

You might be surprised to know what most folks in Wisconsin think of California. Even those who do not exactly enjoy the 3-4 months of winter weather think it a small price to pay not to have to live in crazy California.

[muskyhusky]

As I said before Wisconsin is ok....it's below freezing in the winter, good for sled dogs, snowmobiles and our beautiful wolf population, ice fishermen. In the summer it gets hot and really humid, the lakes good for that but the fish have that VHS disease and no matter what the DNR says I won't be eating anymore fish ever.....

Here in Fond du Lac we have Walleye Weekend in June, but there's that fish thing again...We have pretty cool water park, bet ya didn't know that.

I have a sled dog but she doesn't know that she is one...


Isn't she the prettiest blue eyed girl you've ever seen?

[loulou123]

Originally Posted by bettyboopster

Wisconsin has got to be the most boring place on the planet.

I take it you've never been to Minnesota......

[CADRMNDANES]

HUH?? I was just there in Madison for week. (only one or two days were humid) We were outside everyday. The community pools were packed with kids & adults. Even attended on of our family membre's swim/dive meets. Parks had kids runnning around having fun. We spent the day on the boat along with a lot of other people. I saw lots of walkers, joggers and bikers. Kids were outside playing in the street. We were downtown eating at the Madison Club (outside on the terrace). We saw tons of people on top of the new art center enjoying a live band. Watched the ski & boat show (lots of people on the beach watching).

Even when we are there in the winter people are outside doing their thing. We drove up to Hurley and stayed in their cabin. Lots of folks up at the ski resort and on the horse sleigh rides. Saw lots of folks on their snow mobiles.

We drove to several small towns around Madison and I couldn't believe all of the families outside enjoying themselves.

[CADRMNDANES]

Originally Posted by LML

You might be surprised to know what most folks in Wisconsin think of California. Even those who do not exactly enjoy the 3-4 months of winter weather think it a small price to pay not to have to live in crazy California.

NOT all of California is CRAZY. Yes, I don't care for S. CA, Bay Area and the Central Valley due to the cost of living and the over population. But there are some wonderful othe places to be in this beautiful state. Not all of the Californians are crazy. You can find many of the down to earth and simple. Ummm.... Most of the people here are from out of state and even from WISC. So I wonder where we get our nuts from??? LOL
There are some wonderful areas along the California Coast and then there is Lake Tahoe. There are ski resorts all over the Sierra Nevada mountains.

[escapetacoma]

Originally Posted by CADRMNDANES

NOT all of California is CRAZY. Yes, I don't care for S. CA, Bay Area and the Central Valley due to the cost of living and the over population.

OK, let's just agree that all of the populated parts of California are nuts

Actually I know some very good people in SoCal - I've never understood what they see in the area that keeps them there, though. When I've asked them about it it seems to be mostly inertia. Given that I stayed in Western Washington for more than 20 years after I had a good chance to leave I can understand inertia.

[43north87west]

Kenosha has always given me the impression of a factory town, with no factories left.

What you are experiencing is not a Wisconsin thing, it is a Kenosha thing. There are other areas like that, but not all. IMO, not even MOST areas. There are many places that are active, summer or winter, or any time in between. I wouldn't expect Kenosha to be one of those places though. It is still reeling from the loss of manufacturing, but is pulling out of it. With a valuable lakefront and a key location between Milwaukee and Chicago, it won't go on forever like that.