Where can a contradiction live in Wisconsin? (Milwaukee, Viroqua: crime, gated)

[QwertyFarmer]

Try Veroqua, or somewhere between there and La Crosse, anywhere along the mississippi will get yu abundant hiking places. Enjoy and good luck.

[KateDaum]

We moved here from the NE last year and love it. We are big into hiking and hike year round. Here are some places we have hiked in the last year. There are tons of hiking trails in WI. They aren't as mountainous as some areas but they can give you a good workout.
Chippewa River, Elroy-Sparta, Badger State near Madison, Ice Age Trail, Mascountin Ridge near Ripon, Gandy-Dancer near St. Croix, North County near Copper Falls.
We love the outdoors and love the cold weather. So we really enjoy all the outdoor opportunities that WI offers.

[FormerCaliforniaGirl]

CaliGirl - what about snowshoeing or nordic skiing? Don't you love the silence of a forest covered in snow? I would not camp ALONE off-season like that, but if I could find a reliable camping partner (maybe one who knew some survival skills) I would TOTALLY camp in winter. I knew someone who did the whole snow-cave thing and she said it was really comfortable. And hiking is more work, but the rewards of being the only human for miles? The activity of just being outdoors, working up a sweat, the reward of slogging through the snow to just "be" in the clear, cold, beautiful North Woods? I think that is a little slice of Nirvana right there.

LOL! I'm not much for the snow other than just admiring it from my well-heated living room.

I used to do some hiking in California, but mostly on state beaches or county and state parks. I never did anything hard-core (like peak-bagging, which is very popular in California because of the high mountain peaks in the Sierra Nevada). And I've never backpacked.

I enjoy the Wiouwash trail a lot. This is probably the most beautiful trail I've ever hiked (in the Spring). But I guess I consider that more of a stroll in the park than an actual "hike". I guess it's all subjective.

[yo vanilla]

My experience of Appleton has been that as long as you aren't defiantly defining yourself as a "liberal" or "conservative" or whatever (i.e. being an a$$ about it, no one likes an a$$) nobody is going to burn a cross on your lawn. As far as I'm concerned, we're all just Americans, or Wisconsinites, here.

[shedwyn]

Viroqua? Um...no. Uncategorically, NO! I was once menaced by about 5 cars, probably some quality youth from the high school, simply because I had driven around what appeared to be their adaption of leap frog using cars. I was planning on camping at Sidie Hollow but after having driven for many hours, part of which was a looooong reroute due to construction then being menaced (high beams, on my tail, I tried to pull over to let them by and they just waited for me, that sort of thing) by all these kids, I drove THROUGH THE NIGHT to get home because I was so exhausted, disheartened and bitter.
I will never return to Viroqua and, like Bakersfield, CA, would drive MILES out of my way to avoid it.

[shedwyn]

Re: the responder who wants to put a patina of psychology on this discussion...

There is nothing wrong with wandering. You like to stay in one place and that is nice...for you.

You are right - we cannot outrun our problems and issues, but I think wanting to live closer to places where I can enjoy my favorite hobbies is perfectly reasonable. "Hiking" in Chicago is not the same as hiking in nature. I sometimes want to be more alone. Pavement is not dirt. Road sludge is not snow. And the sound of horns and cursing is not the wind in the trees.

If you want to change the tone of the conversation, why don't I lay down a slice of environmentalism - isn't it better that I try to move closer to these outdoor areas, thus using less fuel and minimizing the amount of roadway I use to get where I want to be?

People have moved to find a better life for as long as this country has been in existence and it is part of the America we know for a few of us to continue to seek a better place. That I am not content to stay where I was born or where I was put or where I put myself is NOT a character flaw, it is simply WHO I AM. We all have flaws and I would say that being UNwillingly to explore has its own pitfalls. If I hadn't moved to Chicago I would have missed out on learning a lot about human nature, about other cultures and about myself.

Each to his own, I guess.

[slamont61]

What kind of work will you be looking for in Wisconsin?

[geekgrrrl]

I don't know if you ever decided on a town, but I have to say that Ripon is lovely. Beautiful trails running through town that are perfect for hiking and biking, there's also a very good college in town, and it seems that there are a great number of educated people in general in Ripon. I don't know how conservative or liberal it is by numbers, but although it's the birthplace of the republican party, it seems to be a very "live and let live" kind of place.

[notmuch69]

You don't need mountains to hike. Just need to be away from people. We have many acres of family farm land in the country in Clark County Wisconsin. It's so nice to just take walk and only hear birds, a breeze, and other animals. It never gets old and is enjoyable throughout the year except at times in January and February. My blood pressure probably drops 20% whenever I visit there every year from Phoenix. It takes a couple of days to slow down and adjust. There are several pictures of it on my profile. I can't wait to be there permanantly again.

[Milwaukee City]

I got shied off from Milwaukee because I heard it is even more segregated with even more racial strife and even higher crime rates than Chicago. I lived in a bad neighborhood on the SW side of Chicago for 3 years so I'm not scared of the crime, but I was surprised to hear that it was even worse in Milwaukee than Chicago...downsize the city and get higher rates of crime and worse racial tension? I figured, "what is the point?" If the reports I had were mistaken then I'll put it back in the running

I would say your way off! maybe back in 1992 but not now. Milwaukee is longer even on the top 25 most dangerous cities list. Thanks to our new police chief crime has dropped dramatically.

FBI reports crime decreased in Milwaukee in 2008 - JSOnline

Milwaukee crime drops 17% in 2009 - JSOnline

[SIZE=2]Years ago another Midwest city mirrored Omaha's murders and mayhem, Milwaukee, Wisconsin ranked in the top 50 most dangerous cities to live in. But with a new chief they've got a new crime rate and it's significantly down.
16-hundred fewer people were victims of crime there in the first three months of 2008. Murders down thirty-two percent. So are other crimes like robbery, assault, and even auto theft. And, the man behind Milwaukee's crime fighting miracle Chief Edward Flynn says he has a crimefighting formula that could work here too.



What Omaha Can Learn from a Nearby City's "Crime Fighting Miracle" - Action 3 News - Omaha, Nebraska News, Weather, and Sports |[/SIZE]