You know what’s cooler than getting a birthday present? BEING a birthday present!
My friend Ally’s boyfriend, for Ally’s birthday, flew me to spend the weekend with them in the Green Bay area of Wisconsin. I completely lucked out having her as a hostess because not only does she work as in planning and community development (making her the most informed tour guide) but she also isn’t a native. This means that even after a few years of living in the state, the novelty has not worn off and her excitement about her new-ish home is contagious.
While we did a driving tour through several of the towns in the area, I’m going to stick to the main ones we spent time in- Appleton and Green Bay proper.
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Appleton
We spent Saturday bopping around Appleton. There was really fun boutique shopping, which was great because I could pick up some unique birthday goodies for my mom! Everyone has been asking me how cold it was when I was out there, but honestly it wasn’t much colder than DC on a lion-y day in March. The sun was out and by the end of the day we weren’t even wearing jackets.
When Ally was in DC, she and I went to my favorite ramen joint (Sakuramen, for anyone wondering). Because her fella doesn’t love ramen, she took me to try it out. I hate to say it, because there are so many GREAT ramen spots in DC, but Bowl Ninety One may be the best ramen I’ve ever tried!
We probably went into about 75% of the shops in Appleton, but a personal favorite was Angels Forever-Windows Of Light. We spent our time picking out crystals (I got some citrine for my desk) and I was directed to a beginner pack of tarot cards, which I’ve been wanted to get into!
Appleton is big on the arts as well. Ally pointed out the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center where she recently saw Lion King and where Hamilton will be in the near future! A full list of future arts, culture, and community events can be found here.
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Green Bay
Although a lot of retail is closed on Sundays in Green Bay, we still packed it in! I didn’t know this until my visit, but did you know that the Green Bay Packers are the only NFL team that is publicly owned? The community takes so much pride in their team because they OWN the team. How cool is that? Ally took me over to the gorgeous Lambeau Field stadium. I was surprised that it was open on a non-game day, but that’s because since the town funds the field with its taxes, it’s required to be open to the public year-round. We got a snack and checked out the immense pro-shop. Across the street, a whole neighborhood is dedicated to the team with Packers Party Houses. I’d never seen anything like it before!
Did you know that they’re called the Green Bay Packers because of the once-booming food packaging industry in Green Bay? Well, now you do. Bird’s Eye used to have a packing plant right in the heart of downtown Green Bay and it’s now a brewery, Titletown. Ally took me in there so I could get some cheese to bring home with me from their little market. Then we went up to their event space to see some great views of the city.
These are just small snapshots ever everything we saw and did. It was great to catch up with a friend I don’t get to see often, but even better with the backdrop of a part of the country I’ve never been to! For a full list of upcoming events, check here.
Have you ever been to Wisconsin? I’d love to hear about what you saw and did!
PS- I found the hotel I’ll be staying at when I inevitably go back with Kendall. The Hotel Northland has that classic flair that we loved about The Mayflower and just underwent a huge renovation. It’s GORGEOUS!
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