Wisconsin

Year of First Visit – 1978
Point of Entry – US-41 in Marinette


"Is it West Consin or Wisconsin?" is the question I would ask my 5th graders in Texas when we were learning the 50 states song.  For many of those students, English was not their native language so enunciation within a song was a part of learning at a different level.

I first entered Wisconsin when we were taking my brother to college in Iowa.  We had always gone south around Lake Michigan with the town of Standish being a signal point that we were getting somewhere.  That day we caravanned across US-2 through Michigan's Upper Peninsula and crossed into Wisconsin in time for lunch. My brother looked at the map and exclaimed, "We've been traveling all day and we're still not south of Standish!"

Another time, I was relatively new at driving I powered our brand new Oldsmobile down I-43 and I saw my first 65 MPH speed limit sign; they hadn't gone up yet in Michigan after the partial repeal of the nationwide 55 law.  A little ways down the road, I saw a sign that said, "Milwaukee 65" making the city an hour away.  The speed limit slowed to 55 around Sheboygan where I saw a sign saying "Milwaukee 55" making the city still an hour away.

We were dining at a former Sambos in Menominee Falls, the waitress stopped by the table to let us know that the tornado sirens had sounded and if we felt the need we were welcome to com into the restaurant's coolers.  We turned to watch the darkness and rain strengthen to the point that we couldn't see our car parked only a few feet away. 

I have many less intriguing memories of Wisconsin.  One brother lived in the Milwaukee area so visits there were a part of my regular summer travels as a teen.  Another brother live near Green Bay during my college and early career years so I had a few visits there as well.  I've traveled in, through, and round the state from the Apostle Islands to the Illinois and Iowa lines.

I was on a Southwest Airlines flight that stopped in Milwaukee on their inaugural day flying there.  The pilot was excited and invited those of us who were continuing west to get off the plane and see the airport.  He was quite surprised that I skipped the opportunity and stayed on the plane.

That sort of summarized my experience with Wisconsin.  I'm glad to go.  I'm glad to be there.  But I'm not quite as excited as those I'm with and it's not too long until I'm ready to move on.