If you're looking
for excitement and fun,
there's nothing better
than a jaunt into
the heart of the city.
Join us as we explore
downtown La Crosse,
Eau Claire,
Oshkosh and Green Bay.
Hello and welcome
to Discover Wisconsin.
The bluff's
of the Driftless,
the banks of
the Mississippi,
the historic charm of
the city.
Few places are as
beautiful as La Cross,
especially when getting
downtown is hassle free.
They've implemented
their new 5, 2, 3
parking program,
which means there's
five parking ramps,
two ways
to pay and three
hours of free parking
with only a dollar
an hour after that.
With all the time and money
I saved,
I can hit the local bakery
before meeting up
with the mayor to
get his perspective
on the city.
So we brought you
some treats from
Meringue Bakery.
We hear that the Chocolate
Crescent is your favorite.
You must frequent there.
I do. I love it there.
Absolutely.
No, it's it's
one of those places
where it's just a gem in downtown
La Crosse where we have
a World-Class Baker
that just happens
to be on Main Street.
And you guys have so much
you have so much of
that here, right?
All these like amazing
little spots here
in downtown La Crosse.
Yeah, we're pretty charmed.
You know, lacrosse sits on
some of the most
gorgeous landscapes
that Wisconsin has to offer.
But you have done
such a great job
of integrating
that green space
into the city as well.
It brings a whole nother
level of enjoyment to it.
What are some of the things
that you feel make
downtown La
Crosse stand out?
It's a thriving,
just vibrant area,
certainly.
It's just how everything
is all combined together.
We have our farmer's
markets right downtown.
We have
all sorts of opportunities
for people to take in music.
We have an arts district
that's just,
you know, that's
right at the edge
of our downtown.
People love to live
in a downtown area
where they have access
to all these cool things.
A lot of that has to do with
our recreation opportunities
near the downtown,
you know, the waterways
and then certainly
our bluffs
and all the great
biking trails
and hiking trails and all of
that is just a hop, skip
and a jump away
from the downtown.
So you can have all
of your fantastic restaurant
experiences
and bar experiences
and just hanging out
outside and Moon Tunes.
All those different things.
You could do all that
and then
grab your mountain bikes
and hit the hills.
I think that makes us unique
in the state of Wisconsin,
just in terms of how
compact it all is and
and just the accessibility
and the proximity.
Well, here we are at the
brand new La Cross Center.
Can you tell me what
this is all about?
Well, we have one of the largest
preserved historic districts
in Wisconsin,
if not the country,
for historic downtown.
So we really take
pride in that.
And that creates
a really great atmosphere,
a really good place
to shop and eat.
And it's right
outside the front doors
of our convention center.
So a lot of conventions
these days are promoting
not only the event,
but the city
that they're in.
And it's
really a great place
where you can do business,
you can do what you need
to do and within five, 10
minutes,
really get away from it all
and experience nature
and what we have to offer.
Speaking of experiences,
I heard
there is a Moon Tunes
show tonight?
Can you tell me what
that's all about?
Yeah.
So Moon Tunes
is a really great
community event,
really grassroots effort.
Riverside Park is an
absolutely beautiful park
right on the shores
of the Mississippi River.
It's a John Nolen design.
We've got a great lawn
with a great bandshell
that's been
newly refurbished
when we've got a popular act
and good weather,
it's just a sea of people and a
really great, great event.
Piggy's Restaurant is a well
known establishment
here in La Crosse,
and I've been hearing
so much about it
that I can't wait to try
this pulled pork
sandwich and listen
to some Moon Tunes.
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Coming up next, Discover
Wisconsin scopes out
the scene in downtown
Eau Claire.
We're back checking out
Wisconsin downtowns.
A little bit quirky,
a little bit cool
and tons of recreation,
art and music.
I'm here to talk
to a few of the locals
to find out if what
I've heard is true, that
Eau Claire is like a mini
version of Portland,
which still manages
to keep up Wisconsin's
Midwest pace and kindness.
So this is my first
time to Eau Claire.
But I keep hearing
about how charming it is.
Yeah it is.
What makes Eau Claire
so charming?
I think, you know,
things like this, public art
is pretty much everywhere
in our downtown streets
between our sculpture tour,
this mural project,
you know, the lights on the trees.
We've got art galleries,
music left and right, music
festivals
coming to our area.
And then, of course,
our Pablo Center,
which is a gem of
our downtown that hosts
all kinds
of performance art.
So I've been hearing
about the past 10 years
and that there's
been this big
downtown revitalization.
What's been going on
this past 10 years?
Oh, my gosh, we've
been doing everything.
So we're really trying
to draw attention
to our riverfront.
So we added bike trails.
We added lights to the bridges,
music to the streets.
And that's really drawing
not only visitors
to our community,
but businesses as well.
So we have a whole new strip
of local businesses
that you can find something
interesting and new you
haven't seen before.
Here we are hanging out at
Carson Park, Carson Park.
How's your ice cream?
It's very good.
So what's the
what's the food scene?
Yeah, it varies a lot.
There's upscale restaurants,
but then you've got
the like little dives.
You've got Skorton House,
who has two for one burgers
and Ray's has like hot
beef sandwiches.
Yeah, that's like
the classic, like
if you talk to any person
who's like lived
in Eau Claire,
they're probably going
to tell you to go to Ray's.
It sounds like there's
a good mix for everybody.
What's it like owning
a small business
in the community
around here?
It's changed a lot.
A lot of cool new
businesses are moving in.
As, you know, new businesses
start like
we're able to connect
with them
and build relationships.
We very much, like,
lean on each other.
I mean, a lot of our print
revenue is local businesses.
And then we try to do
whatever we can to help out.
We've done like live
printing events,
so we'll
promote their business.
Last question I have is,
how do I get a ambient
ink t shirt like that?
Have anything in the trunk?
Don't have anything
in the trunk.
Like in the old days.
So we should start off
with revival records.
What does this
place have to do with
Eau Claire
in the music scene?
Yeah, it's
kind of like the main place
where people buy
their records and where
they like to kind of
give back to artists
in a more physical way.
And I think that's
so important and so,
so cool.
I keep hearing about
the music scene
here in Eau Claire.
What makes the
music scene here
particularly unique?
I think
it's definitely unique
in the quality and quantity.
Any day of the week,
you could go to
any kind of venue.
Definitely in the summer.
We like to get out
and have concerts
in the park.
There's people who
busk, even.
You can go into somebody's
basement and listen
to incredible music or
go to Pablo and see,
you know,
sit with twelve hundred
people and see a world
renowned artist.
One thing that I really like
about the rivers
going through town
is there's different
parts to get out.
You can, tube, You can swim.
And then along the river,
one of the things
that's grown has been
the the bike path
running path system.
It's just completely exploded.
It makes a lot of sense
with the flow of the city
for commuting, walking,
running, biking.
We've basically taken
some main
veins of big trails
and interconnected them all
throughout the coolest
parts of Eau Claire.
So it seems like there's
a big social side.
You mentioned a group run.
You guys do group runs.
Yeah.
Our motto is fast
or slow, let's go.
It's pretty laid back.
A lot of people are there
for the time after
where they grab a drink.
And a lot of people
are there for accountability.
All these
different activities
over the course of
all four seasons.
You kind of
see the same people
getting together for
different activities.
It's that welcoming
social spirit,
the bonding over
shared activities
that I think is the
essence of Eau Claire.
So come join the scene
wherever you are,
whatever you're into.
I'm willing to bet
you can find
your people here.
Get the inside scoop
on more
of your favorite places
to visit in Wisconsin
by listening
to discover Wisconsin's
official podcast, The Cabin.
Up next,
we're exploring everything
Oshkosh here on
Discover Wisconsin.
Discover Wisconsin
is back
here in downtown Oshkosh.
When you think about Oshkosh,
a few things probably
come to mind EAA flights,
Public Enemy's, Oshkosh
B'Gosh, but downtown
in the last 10 years,
a lot has been happening.
And if you haven't
been paying attention,
it's definitely time
to take a look again.
Bill, why did you decide
to make Oshkosh your home?
What do you love
most about it? It
is right by the water.
There's a river,
as you can see behind
us, right downtown.
There's two beautiful lakes.
It's a special place
because it's so close
to so much water.
I've noticed that
you all have been doing
a lot of revitalizing
of the downtown,
and it looks amazing.
Why do you think now
is a cool and exciting time
to visit Oshkosh?
I think it's a it's
a great location
for a weekend.
The watering holes
and the restaurants
are my favorite.
If you're more of
a bicycle person,
we have trails that go
way up north
and then come back
along the river.
You can walk downtown
or walk along the shore.
Our parks are beautiful.
Saturdays
are a wonderful day here.
We have one of the best
farmer's markets in
in the whole state.
We close down Main Street.
We have festivals
on Main Street.
The size of the town,
it feels like a local town,
people are friendly.
But there's big enough
things where there's
a lot to do.
There's nothing
like a small town
with a big city feel.
That's exactly what we
have here.
I am
here in Wagner's Market,
a boutique grocery
store in downtown Oshkosh.
They specialize in sourcing
some of the most unique
and high quality
grocery products.
Meat lovers rejoice.
This could possibly be
the best part of Wagners.
They have over
100 types of brats.
And you can go
on their website at any time
and find out what's
exactly in the case.
Wagners cares so much
about fresh food
that they're even growing
their own lettuce and herbs
underneath the store.
As soon as it's picked.
Minutes later,
it's on the shelf.
OK, this is cool.
They actually have
alligator tail here.
I wonder if it tastes
like chicken.
With over
700 types of beers.
They have curated
an amazing selection
from all over the country.
There is no way you won't
find something you
love here.
I am here at the lanes at
the Howard with Jesse
from The Bid
in downtown Oshkosh.
And thank you so much
for joining me here
today, Jesse.
Yeah, thanks for
joining us here in Oshkosh.
We love it so far.
Tell me your job
must give you a unique
insight and deep
understanding of Oshkosh.
How would you describe
Oshkosh to somebody
who's never been here before?
I think the first word
that comes to mind
is friendly.
No matter when you
go into a business
or where you go,
someone's always willing
to help you out.
And 9 times out of 10,
when you go into a store,
it's like the store
owner that's there.
But I also went to
school here, and
the college is amazing.
And
I think in the future, it's
just a great place
to raise a family.
It's safe.
So what is the core
of Oshkosh?
How would you define
the people,
the culture here?
What makes it unique?
Just the vibrant activity
that we have
throughout the city.
And there's always so much
to do and so much going on.
We have lots of events
happening for all ages.
It's a really family
friendly town.
Checking out our
our art scene downtown,
we have tons of live
music happening
throughout the city
at our local bars
and restaurants.
There's tons of events
happening.
the Letch Ampitheater.
You're close to the river
and the Riverwalk.
Nightlife.
So I think it's just a
lot of fun.
Binge all the Discover
Wisconsin episodes
from this season
on the Discover Wisconsin
YouTube channel.
Coming up, Discover
Wisconsin explores
downtown Green Bay.
Discover Wisconsin is back
and we're
taking you on a tour
around Title Town.
You know, a lot of people
forget that Green
Bay is on a Bay.
You've got the waters
of the bay and the waters
of the Fox River,
and we're having
fun on the fox right now
on the Foxy Paddler.
Ready, everybody?
Bom bom, bom, bom,
bom, bom, bom Foxy.
So, of course, the Packers
are the quintessential
Green Bay thing.
But from a food standpoint,
Booyah seems to be.
Oh, definitely.
It's very,
if you want to talk
about local foods,
I mean, you can't get
much more local than that.
I said I remember
when I was a kid,
my dad and, you know,
the night before the men's
club would be a church.
They took a beer.
They'd be cleaning
the vegetables,
prepping the Booya
and getting it ready.
You know, they go through a
couple hundred
gallons of Booya
at these picnics.
Let's let's go through
the history of this.
What is Booya?
Booya, we always like to call it
chicken soup on steroids.
It's slow cooked,
big cast iron kettles.
Ours we cook for about 12
to 16 hours per batch.
Everybody
makes it differently.
There is no one recipe
you'll find alike.
I mean, some people
make with Turkey,
so make it with turtle.
There's no right
or wrong turtle.
Yep. I've had
people turtle Booyas.
And I'm playing with this
because I want to
take a bite.
Mmmm.
You know, it's rich and
light at the same time.
There's something
to be said for it
and I always sort of
try to sip on a cup of broth
a day at least
if nothing else.
It's like a tonic. Almost.
It gets addicting.
So we sell a cup
here for a dollar.
So we tell people
that's how we get
you hooked.
What are you addicted to?
Booya.
So to have a place
like this in Green Bay,
I mean, this is a
very unique museum.
There's a lot of
automotive museums,
but this one has
a particularly
sweet collection.
We have a lot of
visitors come in, Eric.
And the first thing
they will say is
we never realized that
a place like this
could exist in Green Bay.
And that's the
highest compliment
that we can get.
But we will never
lose sight of what
the original intent was,
and that was to make
the automobile the art.
And what really separates
our collection from the 275
million vehicles
on the road in the U.S.
today are the stories.
This is Bart Starr's Super
Bowl one MVP Corvette,
one of one.
And from Super Bowl one.
Right.
That really warms my heart
to be able to look down
on this great car
and remember
such a great human
being and a great player.
Mm hmm.
I had a Mustang GT
back in the day,
and I don't think
it went this fast.
It went pretty well,
though, I would imagine.
I have a few tickets
to attest to it.
A car many know only
from the movies.
Back to the future.
So, Jill, this is a
beautiful space
you have here. Thank you.
And of course, it's
right on Broadway,
which has the farmer's market
going on right now. Mm hmm.
Now, from what I've
heard from people
is that when they set up
booths here, sometimes
it's almost like
they're
doing a little pop up
business
to see if it'll work.
And some have actually
grown enough
and they've moved
into storefronts
here on Broadway.
Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.
The the amount of
small businesses
that have come into this area
and just completely redone
the entire downtown is
it makes me so excited
to be part of it.
Well, what's nice is
a lot of them are so local.
You can support local
really easily down here,
which is the best
thing you can do.
It's a win win.
Well, that's good.
That's nice catalytic
development here.
Yes. From a great event.
Yes, absolutely.
And then it allows us to
support each other.
You want a
good glass of wine,
you got to Amphora
next store.
Down the street, The Voyager
Sour Dough is my
favorite place for lunch.
Like there's
so many to choose from.
You have several days
worth of activities
to choose from downtown.
So this farmer's market
is every Wednesday
at this time of year.
But there's a lot of events
going on around town,
it seems.
Oh, and especially
during the summertime
between the huge
firework shows and
the ignite market.
And they have different art
fairs and
children's activities.
And there's just
so much going on
for the community
to get involved in
that is so fun.
Yes, that yes, absolutely.
Great.
Exploring
new places,
meeting new people,
experiencing new things.
I can think of no place
better to get out there
and live life to the fullest
than Wisconsin's downtowns.
From the shores
of Lake Superior
to the rolling hills
of the Driftless area,
the adventures are
endless here in Wisconsin.
There are so many
beautiful places to see,
and interesting people
to meet.
So hit the road and start
making your own Wisconsin
memories.
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