Even if you are not a Green Bay Packers fan… even if you absolutely hate the Packers… you owe it to yourself to take a tour of Lambeau Field.
Obviously, I’m just a tad prejudiced when it comes to the Packers. My Dad was born in Eau Claire, Wis., so even though I’m a native Californian, I grew up a Packers fan. Late in my Dad’s life, some of my fondest memories are of watching Packers games on TV with him, especially during the Brett Favre era.
To see what a city of 104,000 has been able to do with a major professional sports team — the only such community-owned team in the United States — is truly jaw dropping. When you take the tour, you’ll learn the history of the franchise, its tradition of winning, and the story behind the “re-birth” of Lambeau Field.
You’ll also learn the Packers’ “fight song” — all three words of it: “Go, Pack, Go!”
After taking the tour, we were back on the road and headed for the Wisconsin city of Kenosha. The plan was to spend the night there, then get up early the next morning in search of fresh kringle — another homage to my Dad and his roots as a baker.
En route, we decided to stop in Cedarburg for a visit to Cedar Creek Winery. I’d visited Cedar Creek many years ago, so I was curious to see how’s it’s doing and to check out the quality of its wines.
All in all, I’d say the quality is pretty good. The “secret” of its success involves bringing in juice from other locales — primarily Washington state. There’s also a nice Beaujolais made from Gamay grapes grown in France, as well as a handful of Wisconsin-grown varieties that vintner Philippe Coquard has crafted into award-winning wines.
Cedarburg is located about 40 minutes from Milwaukee, and Cedar Creek Winery can be found amidst The Shops at Cedar Creek Settlement, where you can also do some shopping and have a good meal.
You can read more about this unique destination here: http://cedarcreeksettlement.com/index.html.