The Explore All 50 States Project
Let's Go!
As a result of it's vibrant German population one thing you'll find plenty of in Milwaukee is sausage, and by far one of the most well-known sausage purveyors in the city is Usinger’s. The store and factory are right down the street from the Wisconsin Cheese Mart so wander around and do a tasting tour. We were dying to go on in and take a look at the variety and watch some getting made, but just our luck it was … [Read more...]
Wow, were we lucky that we happened to wander into The Wisconsin Cheese Mart, as this amazing cheese store claims to have the world’s largest selection of Wisconsin cheese. By the looks of the cases I wouldn’t doubt it, this store was chock full of every type of cheese you could imagine. Our luck continued as the store was pretty empty, so they let us sample all kinds of cheese. We were thrilled when they … [Read more...]
Osseo is a tiny town with a mostly Norwegian population and their claim to fame is the bakery and family style restaurant known as the Norske Nook. After reading about this find in one of our guidebooks, and of course pie being one of our favorite desserts, we could not wait to dive in. This is some of the finest pie you will find in the whole country, and they have the blue ribbons to prove it. (For any of you … [Read more...]
Could you think of a more aptly named place to be the home of the Jelly Belly Factory tour than Pleasant Prairie? My kids were so excited for this stop it's all they could talk about since the moment they woke up. I'll confess I have a pretty big sweet tooth and I think I was just as excited as they were. As a mom, my mantra is moderation and I think it's an important lesson to teach your children especially as … [Read more...]
As we drove in the Wisconsin Dells area we were completely thrown for a loop as we'd never seen anything like this. Hotels and indoor and outdoor water parks stacked all along the main strip Vegas style and it was jam packed with people and cars. I had no idea which one to choose but my kids kept yammering about the one they'd seen on TV billed as “the largest water park in the US”—Noah’s Ark. As soon I … [Read more...]
The first thing that struck me about Iowa was that it was just how I'd pictured it. Farm after farm, and miles of crops as far as the eye could see. What did surprise me was realizing that America's farms are changing from family owned and operated to large factory farms. While time marches on and progress moves forward, a way of life is slowly disappearing along with it's culture and it's values. It's a … [Read more...]
Arriving in Des Moines after driving through miles and miles of corn, we made our way to the Iowa State Capitol Building which stands out in the city like a gleaming gold domed beacon. We were greeted by the beautiful bronze sculpture of two frontiersmen and a Native American tribesman. I imagined them looking out onto the rolling plains wondering if they had any clue that these parts would later become one of … [Read more...]
Visiting the Living History Farms is like getting in a time machine and arriving at a farm during three different time periods. You will see the same area as a 1700 Ioway Indian settlement, an 1850 Pioneer farm, and a 1900 horse-power farm and it's an incredible lesson to see how some things change and some things remain the same throughout each farm. It’s a self-guided tour, so you can wander at will, but there … [Read more...]
Missouri is just one of those states that I had always taken for granted and didn't really pay much attention to, but after exploring right through the heart of it, I fell in love. What came as a total surprise is how much I loved St. Louis and now, after having visited, I rank it as one of my all time favorite cities. Driving around the city, it had such a nice peaceful vibe, hip but not taking itself too seriously, … [Read more...]
Who doesn't love baby piggies and puppies and kitties? You can see and touch them as as well as milk a cow and do a bunch of other neat things at the Purina Farms Visitor Center right outside of St. Louis. Not only did we get to spend time with some adorable animals we also learned all about pet and animal care and what role Purina Farms plays in everything from feeding and taking care of your pet, to working … [Read more...]
