Michael April 30th, 2007
Carr Valley Cheese, the award winning cheesemaker from LaValle in Southern Wisconsin has scored a hit with one of his newest cheeses, Mobay. Mobay is a take on the well known French cheese, Morbier. Sid Cook, the master Cheesemaker, does it different by using a layer of goat’s milk cheese, a layer of grape vine ash and then a layer of sheep’s milk cheese. The three are pressed together and aged to create a taste sensation. The Cheese Impresario of Los Angeles, CA loved it so much, she made it Cheese of the Month.
You can order the cheese online or take a trip to the factory and pick up a pound.
Christine April 27th, 2007
Memorial Day is just around the corner! The official beginning of the summer travel season- and Wisconsin there is a ton of events from which to choose! To help you plan your summer fun, go to the Department of Tourism’s website at www.travelwisconsin.com.
But Memorial Day is above all a day of remembering those who have served in our armed forces so that we can all enjoy the freedoms the USA affords. Throughout the state there will be services and parades in honor of these men and women. Be sure to attend an event in your area.
One of 
my favorite places that honors WWII veterens, and Richard Bong in particular, is the Richard I. Bong WWII Heritage Center. The centerpiece of the museum is “Marge,” the fully restored P-38 Lightning that Bong himself flew. The film is a must, and should be watched at the start of your visit if possible. The whole family enjoyed this amazing museum, which is located in Superior.
Click here for a handy list of Memorials located across the state.
Christine April 25th, 2007
Milwaukee is packed with places to hang out- but one of my favorites has always been Landmark Lanes. Quirky and fun describes it best. The lanes are always a blast- but for me the pinball machines always called the loudest. They always have a great mix of machines. There are even several bars from which to choose. Its one stop entertainment- beer, bowling and pinball!
Now it is celebrating its 80th anniversary! Read the whole story in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
The Kids April 23rd, 2007
The Wade House
There are several parts to this historic site. Starting at the house itself you’ll the very large white house. It has a large number of rooms, so to get some extra money they would rent out the rooms. In the kitchen they have a special oven. The hearth had an arm that came out on the top to hang pots from so that the the women didn’t burn their dresses. With a regular hearth many times women’s dresses caught fire and they may have even died from burns. The cook that lived there to help cook had a small bed and lived in the pantry. They had a lot of kids so of course they had a larger house then most. But the beds for the parents were the size of a twin bed, so they all slept on small beds.
They also had a place with carriages of many colors. They also had a blacksmith that told us how they used to make all kinds of useful things like horse shoes. Finally, they had a sawmill where they showed us how to cut a log.
The Wade House rates a 4 out of 5 stars on The Greta Greatness Scale.
Christine April 21st, 2007
Horicon Marsh, often called the Everglades Of the North, is known for their fall migration of birds- especially Canada Geese. It is an amazing site every year. Along with the geese their are a multitude of other species that you can often see up close. There are great areas for walking through the marsh, and of course Horicon Marsh Boat Tours (Marc and Gayl Zuelsdorf).
Many folks do not realize that the birding at Horicon Marsh is amazing in the spring and summer, as well as autumn. The Horicon Marsh Bird Festival is coming up May 11 - 14, 2007- and would be the perfect time to do some spring bird watching.
For more details call the call the Horicon Marsh Bird Club at 485-2936 or visit Bird Festival website.
The Beaver Dam Daily Citizen has a great article.
Michael April 20th, 2007
Child Magazine recently listed the 10 best children’s musems in the nation with three museums in or near Wisconsin making list:
4. Discovery Center Muesum, Milwaukee
8. Minnesota Children’s Museum, St. Paul
10. Madison Children’s Museum, Madison
Besides these three, there are many other very fine children’s museums in the state in Appleton, Stevens Point, Eau Claire and Duluth, MN.
Thanks to the Fond du Lac Reporter for this article.
Christine April 19th, 2007
It is once again time to celebrate Earth Day on April 22. It started here in Wisconsin, and this year there are a whole array of events across the state to help you celebrate this special day.
To find an event near you, this Earth Day or year round, check out this handy searchable calendar or this one. You can read about the creation of Earth Day as written by Gaylord Nelson himself.
There are some great local articles also:
Spooner
Ripon
Milwaukee
Whitewater
Green Bay
Appleton
Manitowoc
Sheboygan
Christine April 18th, 2007
The Portage County Rotary is sponsoring their 4th Annual Heart Of Wisconsin Kite Festival on April 29th! Grab your family, friends or neighbors and head on over for some old fashion fun. We were out flying kites over Easter and all ages were still having fun- some fun is timeless!
Check out the Rotary’s websitefor all the details (they have a nice PDF that can be downloaded to put on your fridge): www.portagecountyrotary.com/kite2.pdf
There is a nice article about the event in the Stevens Point Journal as well.
Christine April 15th, 2007
Manitowoc has a great maritime heritage- including the building of 28 submarines. The Lagarto was the 21st one built- and had been missing since World War II. Divers found the submarine in May 2005, which was presumably sunk by enemy fire, killing all 86 men aboard.
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum will be having a celebration on May 4 & 5 to commemorate the finding of this sub. Check their website for more information.
You can also read more at WBAY-TV from Green Bay.
Christine April 13th, 2007
The calliope music and brightly painted animals of a carousel are my favorite part of any fair or theme park. My Dad always rides along with us on the carousel, he has passed his fondness for carousels onto his kids and grandkids. The beauty of the carvings, the joy of the music and the exhilaration of the ride should be a part of everyone’s fondest memories.
Unfortunately these pieces of art are often dismantled and sold piece by piece, destroying the vision of the artist. Fortunately, the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum (located in Wausau) is currently featuring a collection of these magnificent carvings. The exhibition, Carousel Animals: Art In Motion,also features master carver, Homer Daehn, who will be in residence at the museum May 8th - 13th.
If you want to learn more about carousels there are many great resources on the internet. Here are a few of my favorites:
www.carousels.com
National Carousel Association
Coney Island’s Carousels (and What happened to them)
Carr Valley Cheese, the award winning cheesemaker from LaValle in Southern Wisconsin has scored a hit with one of his newest cheeses, Mobay. Mobay is a take on the well known French cheese, Morbier. Sid Cook, the master Cheesemaker, does it different by using a layer of goat’s milk cheese, a layer of grape vine ash and then a layer of sheep’s milk cheese. The three are pressed together and aged to create a taste sensation. The Cheese Impresario of Los Angeles, CA loved it so much, she made it Cheese of the Month.
