...how great Wisconsin is! We just absolutely love it here so much!! From the people to the schools to the cost of living, things to do, beautiful scenery, four seasons, I could go on and on. The only thing we miss from Louisiana is the food, but we do have a restaurant here with a guy who trained with Emeril and cooks some fine cajun cuisine. They even have crawfish in season! We are so thrilled to have moved here. DH and I love it and so do the boys. They have already made some really great friends and we have such terrific neighbors too.

Now we just have to figure out a time/place to meet some time. We were over shopping in Appleton yesterday and we will probably be in Green Bay next weekend because one of my favorite singer-songwriters is performing in a coffee shop there. I don't think Sheboygan is too far away from us.

By Conni on Sunday, January 13, 2008 - 04:49 pm:

Sorry, to butt in...BUT , one of my good friends moved outside of Madison, Wisconsin 2 yrs ago (from Fayetteville, Arkansas) and she says the same things as you! They love it there. So, it is neat for me to hear this from you, as well. I am glad you are enjoying it. Do you have pictures of the area you can share? Or have you shared pics and I missed them?

By Dawnk777 on Sunday, January 13, 2008 - 09:20 pm:

Green Bay is only an hour away from me! Although, next Saturday, we are getting together with family to celebrate my grandma's 95th birthday!

I love WI, myself, but I'm probably rather biased. I lived near Stevens Point, in Marshfield, for 10 years, right after college, as did Gary! We were fixed up by someone who still lived down here, though. Gary is also a life-long Wisconsinite.

People complain sometimes that Sheboyganites aren't very friendly to outsiders, but in the almost 15 years that I've lived here, I've never felt that! I don't really have trouble starting up conversations with people, so maybe that's why.

We have great restaurants in Sheboygan, but most of them are locally-owned. People complain that we don't have an Olive Garden, but have they ever eaten at Il Ritrovo or Trattoria Stefano's. I don't think so. His food knocks Olive Garden out of the ballpark! No cajun food that I know of, though!

Are you going to Cup-O-Joy? I haven't ever been there, but they advertise on the Christian radio station I listen to. WPFF 98.9 for Sheboygan. 102.1 in Appleton. 90.5 is the main station, if you are around Green Bay.

Appleton is about 1-1/2 hours away from me.

By Pamt on Sunday, January 13, 2008 - 09:28 pm:

Yeah, it's Cup-O-Joy. Sara Groves will be there and I just adore here. Plus, we can do the tour of Lambeau Field beforehand. DH has been a diehard Packers fan since 7th grade, so he is still blown away that we are in Packer country.

Conni, come visit! . I have pictures, but can never do the resize and posting thing. I'll see if I can send them to someone and get them so post.

By Dawnk777 on Monday, January 14, 2008 - 12:17 am:

Sarah's Pictures of Wisconsin

My Pictures of Lake Michigan

My Pictures of Wisconsin

By Dana on Monday, January 14, 2008 - 07:31 am:

Gosh, you make me think I need to be moving out of FL to head up north.

I doubt it though...brrrrrr.

I've been there during once in the spring time and it was beautiful.

By Dawnk777 on Monday, January 14, 2008 - 08:08 am:

You probably don't want to come up later this week, though. January will be showing its ugly head and it's going to be COLD! It's in the 20's now, with a stiff breeze and it's already COLD. I was thinking, when I was out with the dog, that it's only going to get worse.

20's with a light breeze and the sun shining can be downright pleasant, in the winter, but any cold temperature with a strong wind, isn't pleasant at all.

By Bea on Monday, January 14, 2008 - 08:33 am:

Sorry that I don't share your enthusiasm. Our son lived in Fond du Lac, and I worried the whole time they lived there. There were bars on every corner, and it seemed that the local pass- time was getting drunk. Each spring, when the snow melted, they would find at least one or two drunks who had fallen into snow drifts and died. I visited during the warmer months, and although it was pretty then. I was very happy when they were transferred to Pennsylvania.

By Reds9298 on Monday, January 14, 2008 - 08:45 am:

We have some friends that just relocated to WI and absolutely love it as well! It sounds like a good choice cost-of-living wise, from what they have told us.

By Dawnk777 on Monday, January 14, 2008 - 09:55 am:

Aren't there bars in Pennsylvania, too? Among my circle of friends, getting drunk is not a local pastime. I personally am not much of a drinker, and I keep pretty busy.

By Bea on Monday, January 14, 2008 - 04:16 pm:

I was raised in an old fashioned ethnic neighborhood in PA where the corner tavern was the norm, but I've never seen as many bars as I saw in the city of Fond du Lac. Nor have I ever seen so many obviously drunk people on the streets.

By Dawnk777 on Monday, January 14, 2008 - 04:39 pm:

I've been to Fond Du Lac and don't think I've ever seen a drunk person. It's only 35 miles to the west of me. Not that I've ever spent that much time there, but there certainly weren't any drunk people in Staples the last time we were there.

By Pamt on Monday, January 14, 2008 - 07:40 pm:

Yeah, drinking is popular here, but I haven't seen one drunk since I've been here. The drinking I hear more about is people who are beer snobs, much like wine tasters. They drink for the taste, not to get drunk. Two of my co-workers brew their own. However, they are into the science of brewing and perfecting various ales, lagers, pilsners, etc. I don't drink and don't know what they are talking about! Coming from SE Louisiana where there are DRIVE-THRU Daiquiri stands on every corner and people take their kids trick-or-treating while pulling a wagon with a cooler...WI is nothing!

By Dawnk777 on Monday, January 14, 2008 - 09:59 pm:

My dad brews his own beer and also makes his own wine, too. It's more for the taste than the drunkenness.

Drive-thru daiquiri stands? Like drive-thru coffee? Yikes. I don't think we need those up here! LOL!

I admit I don't go to bratwurst days, at night! We only go to the parade that's in the morning. I imagine I would see drunk people down there! That's why I don't go. At Applebee's and Chili's, I do see people getting giddy from too many margaritas! LOL!

By Kate on Monday, January 14, 2008 - 11:18 pm:

Pa never should have dragged his poor family from Wisconsin. They were doing great there. They had both sides of their families there, they had a snug cabin with a loft and glass windows and a good stable. Once they left it was all downhill from there. They even came BACK to Wisconsin and the same cabin, but once again Pa insisted on leaving...sigh....

I'm hoping you all know what I'm talking about.

By Dawnk777 on Monday, January 14, 2008 - 11:30 pm:

Laura Ingalls Wilder, by chance? Pa definitely had a wanderlust!

By Kate on Monday, January 14, 2008 - 11:31 pm:

Yay, Dawn!! Have you ever gone to Pepin and seen the homesite? De Smet is far more interesting, of course, and I know you went there!

By Pamt on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 - 07:44 am:

Kate, I just finished re-reading all of the Little House books. I've been to Mansfield, MO, but now I want to go again! We're also planning a trip to Pepin, Walnut Grove, and De Smet. It was all downhill after they left WI, but I can understand Pa too. I get wanderlust as well.

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 - 07:58 am:

I haven't been to Pepin. It's on my list to get to someday. Pepin is 275 miles from here, on the other side of the state. I have a wedding in Rochester, MN, in April, but I don't think we will have time to go to Pepin, on that occasion, either. It's an hour away from Rochester. I want to drive some of the River Road in MN and see Great Bluffs State Park in MN, on our way home that day, instead, as we are coming home. I need more time!