On Wisconsin!

Here we are, right in the midst of the home of the Wisconsin Badgers. I must admit that I don't have enough nerve to wear my Penn State garb. I had hoped to visit the campus and the football stadium and the bookstores, but the local television stations are advising folks to stay away this weekend. It appears that we hit the weekend when the students are returning and because they have many of the streets torn up for repair, they are predicting massive traffic jams around the campus. So I guess we'll visit elsewhere while we are here in Madison. However, some day I'd love to return to see a Penn State - Wisconsin football game. Now I must admit that we are really enjoying our second visit to Wisconsin. The last time we enjoyed Milwaukee and Green Bay. This time it has been Rhinelander and Madison. There are many things that I have enjoyed before about the University of Wisconsin - their band is outstanding. We have seen them perform at Penn State. And I have always loved "On Wisconsin". It is one of my favorite college songs. We often played it at football games when I was in band in high school. The people we have met here have been very friendly and courteous. They have tasty cheese curds that are best when they are squeaky. The roads here appear to be in much better shape than they are in Pennsylvania. And they tell me that humidity is seldom a problem here. That is a big plus as far as I'm concerned. The scenery, especially the mountains and lakes, is spectacular. But then Pennsylvania also has it share of beautiful scenery. But there is one thing that Wisconsin (and 16 other states) has that Pennsylvania doesn't - Culvers. Now if you've never had the special experience of eating at Culvers, you are missing a real treat. They are especially known for their ice cream treats (which I can't eat anymore). But they have a full menu of sandwiches, soups, salads, and even dinners. It is run like a fast food place, but the food is of a much better quality, the prices are very reasonable, the service is outstanding, and the eating areas are attractive and clean. We have already eaten three meals in three different locations and have enjoyed all three. We will probably stop by a few more times before we leave. I don't know why they don't have any Culvers in Pennsylvania but I wish somebody would open one in Lancaster County. So you can probably tell that we are enjoying Wisconsin and we really are. In fact, we are considering moving here - no we really aren't. But if it were April Fool's Day, I would write a blog outlining our plans to move here. Some of you may recall that I did that a few years ago when we returned from Florida on April Fool's Day and I upset many folks with this fake announcement. So I won't try it again with Wisconsin, even though it would be a great choice if we were considering relocating. Anyway, even though we love Wisconsin, my cheer still is "We are ... Penn State!"