The Explore All 50 States Project
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Immigration has been in the news quite a bit lately, from the plight of mothers and children held at detention centers, to the deportation or lack thereof of illegal immigrants who commit crimes, immigration is the hot topic du jour. Candidates for president are bringing this issue to the forefront and it really made me reflect on what I saw on our last trip (trip #16) when we visited Ellis Island-the now closed … [Read more...]
The Paul Bunyan Logging Camp Museum is a wonderful place to learn about an important part of Wisconsin history and an industry that was and continues to be an important part of the American economy- logging and lumber production. Paul Bunyan was a mythical figure; however, there were plenty of real lumberjacks that inspired his legend. Inside the logging camp, we learned about what life was like for many immigrant … [Read more...]
I figured since our theme was all about The Immigrant Experience, and since we were in Madison, home to a population with strong German roots, that it would be fun to find a German restaurant with live polka music (and who doesn't love polka music?). According to all our guidebooks, the Essen Haus was the place to go for a dining and dancing experience not to be missed and so we headed right over. Walking in … [Read more...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
I can hear the commercial playing in my head ... Budweiser Beer, St. Louis, Missouri ... well guess what, St. Louis really IS the home of the Budweiser beer factory and not only can you take a tour of the factory, but you can even see those famous Clydesdales in person! This factory tour played right into our theme of The Immigrant Expreience, after all Budweiser Beer was started by a German immigrant named … [Read more...]
During the planning phase of this trip, the theme sort of came to me just by looking at the activities and historic sites. Many things had to do with waves of different groups who came to settle in these states to begin a new life far from the foreign lands they’d come from. It’s what makes cities across this area so interesting and unique—places like Chicago, a wonderfully diverse city where you can explore … [Read more...]
