Wisconsin
Discover Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a state in the Midwest in the United States of America. Being home to two Great Lakes, thousands of inland lakes and waterways, the state could easily be called the nation's "waterworld". Tourism is one of Wisconsin's largest industries, relying on people from Illinois and others who enter during the summer for fishing and its parks and recreational facilities such as those in Wisconsin Dells, those entering during the fall for a very popular hunting season, and winter for ice-fishing, ice-sailing, ice-skating, skiing and snowboarding, snowmobiling, etc. The southern portion of the state is mainly agricultural and urban while the northern half is mostly rural and forested and is more similar in appearance to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The central region acts as a transition zone with both forests, farm land and small cities. The state's largest city and urban area is Milwaukee in southeastern Wisconsin. In south-central Wisconsin lies the state capital Madison. Green Bay is listed as the state's third largest city. Wisconsin is a popular Midwestern travel destination both in the summer and winter months.
What to Experience in Wisconsin
Taste of Wisconsin...
Like the rest of the Midwest, traditional Wisconsin food is generally of the simple and hearty meat and potatoes variety. As a consequence of the large German immigration to Wisconsin, German meals found their way into the local eating habits. Bratwursts are common and well liked, with Sheboygan claiming to be the home of the bratwurst. The Bratwurst is a state delicacy served during summer cookouts, preferably boiled in beer prior to being grilled. The modern hamburger was said to have been first served as a meatball-like product when its creator realized they stayed on the bun better if flattened. It was first sold at a Seymour, WI fair. Frozen custard is also a Wisconsin delicacy not found often outside the Midwest. Frozen custard is similar to ice cream (but do not call it ice cream!) It is unique in that there is far less air in it (making it less "fluffy" and far more smooth and creamy). It contains egg, making it richer and creamier. It has an inappropriate reputation as unhealthy relative to ice cream when in fact most frozen custards have less calories, less fat and less sugar, being less healthy only in that it has slightly more cholesterol than ice cream. Culver's is a fast food chain from Wisconsin with a presence throughout the Midwest that is known for their frozen custard and other Wisconsin specialties like cheese curds, but while you're in Wisconsin, seek out some of the local establishments that do not have a presence outside their home cities.
Location & Landscape
With its location between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River, Wisconsin is home to a wide variety of geographical features. In the north, the sea level is lower, and there are a lot of rocky hills, forests, streams, and sandy areas near Lake Superior. Just to the south, you will find massive mixed hardwood and coniferous forests including the nearly 665,000 acre Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, as well as thousands of glacial lakes, and the state's highest point, Timm's Hill. While Wisconsin considers smaller bodies of water to be lakes, when moved up to Minnesota's requirement, Wisconsin still has more lakes than "The Land of Ten Thousand Lakes." Moving along, the middle of the state has some unique sandstone formations like the Dells of the Wisconsin River in addition to rich farmland. The Southeastern part of the state some high ridges and lowlands, with lots of marshy areas, such as Kettle Moraine State Forest.
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Wisconsin.
The state of Wisconsin, especially the greater Milwaukee area, hosts many festivals. In fact, Milwaukee is even known as the "City of Festivals!" Throughout the summertime, you will find many cultural festivals, such as Scottish Fest, Polish Fest, Greek Fest, Bastille Days, Asia Fest, African Cultural Festival, Festa Italiana, Croatian Fest, Armenian Fest, German Fest, Puerto Rican Festival, Irish Fest, IndiaFest, and Mexican Fiesta. That's a lot of festivals! If you are looking for one for the premier music festivals in all of the United States, be sure to look into Summerfest. This festival takes place yearly at Henry W. Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee and is home to many performances from mainstream artists. Like the rest of the Midwest, traditional Wisconsin food is generally of the simple and hearty meat and potatoes variety. As a consequence of the large German immigration to Wisconsin, German meals found their way into the local eating habits.
Climate
Wisconsin can have one of the most diverse climates in the United States. Just like nearly everything else in the Badger State, the climate depends on what part of the state you visit, and when you visit. Winters can be very cold, with temperatures averaging from between 20°F to 10°F in the Winter (in Madison), with the wind chill dropping below 0°F on many different occasions. During the wintertime, the state also receives a lot of snow, averaging nearly 40 inches of total snowfall. However, some areas, such as the Lake Superior Snowbelt, can average over 150 inches of snow every year. This can make for lots of opportunities for Wisconsinites and tourists to go snowmobiling or go ice fishing. The snowy season will usually begin in Late October/Early November and run to Mid March, but snow and cold temperatures can hit the state as early as September and as late as May.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsIf you are traveling to southern Wisconsin, Milwaukee Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee or Dane County Airport in Madison are good choices. If you are traveling to northern Wisconsin, Appleton International Airport in Appleton is a good choice with fares competitive with large airports such as Milwaukee and Minneapolis. At these airports, Delta Air Lines provides frequent flights from Minneapolis, Detroit, and Atlanta. United also provides frequent service from Chicago O'Hare and Denver. American has a lot of flights from Chicago O'Hare. There are also a few other airlines like Southwest, Frontier, and Allegiant who offer a couple of daily flights from these airports. In addition to the airports noted above, there are also airports with commercial service in Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Mosinee, and Rhinelander. Use caution when choosing these airports, however, because they tend to have higher fares than Milwaukee, Madison, and Appleton....
Regions
Explore AreasThe name Wisconsin means "meeting of the waters" and is of Native American origin. Wisconsin is known nationwide for its dairy heritage, or as "America's Dairyland". People from Wisconsin are called c…...
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Several bus companies provide service within the state. Amtrak has three lines that service the state. The Hiawatha has 5-6 daily roundtrips between Milwaukee and Chicago, with additional stops outside of Racine and at Mitchell Field Airport. The Empire Builder runs once daily, and effectively parallels I-94 to Chicago, coming all the way from Seattle. The Borealis has a daily roundtrip between St. Paul and Chicago, making the same stops as the Hiawatha and the Empire Builder. The Milwaukee train station has been remodeled into a nice clean and modern-looking building in the downtown. As is with most of the United States, travel by car is one of the most popular ways to get around. The following are the major routes in Wisconsin: Unless there is a sign saying otherwise, it is legal to make a right turn after stopping for a red light. When traveling through the Wisconsin countryside, non-natives may be confused when navigating their way through county roads.
Where to Stay
Wisconsin offers the usual assortment of chain motels, usually just off the interstate highways, as well as a number of larger resorts. Bed & Breakfasts-- from the one bedroom in a home to large, historic, buildings, and inns are also popular. Some areas, such as Baraboo, also specialize in casino hotels. Locals in Wisconsin have a strong rivalry with those from the neighboring state of Minnesota, which manifests most strongly in sports, particularly in college football between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Wisconsin Badgers.
Language & Talk
Wisconsinites speak with a specific type of Midwestern accent (similar to that of Minnesotans) and tend to emphasize vowels, using the longer pronunciation and drawing them out. Examples include the words "bag" and "rag" (using the same vowel sound found in "bagel," sounding like "bayg" and "rayg"). People in the state commonly refer to a drinking fountain as a "bubbler". Unlike much of the Midwest, Wisconsinites in the eastern part of the state (especially the Milwaukee area) refer to soft drinks as "soda" rather than "pop". People in some areas may use the phrase "Uff da!" as an exclamation. It's common for people in many parts of the state to refer to ATMs as "TYME Machines" (named for what was the most common type of ATM in numerous areas meaning Take Your Money Everywhere).
Safety Information
Glimpses of Wisconsin
The setting sun shines some golden light over Horicon Marsh.
Milwaukee Sunrise
Madison State Capitol
A lighthouse sits on top of devils island of the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. The island shores are lines with caves and pillars being eroded by the waves and storms.
Just a Nice Day
an aerial view of a lake surrounded by trees
Searching For Your Message...
an aerial view of a rural area with a river running through it
Downtown Milwaukee seen from Veterans Park.
Summer Wanes
The setting sun shines some golden light over Horicon Marsh.
Milwaukee Sunrise
Madison State Capitol