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Private Notes
Plymouth is a community of Makers: Sargento makes cheese, Drewry Farms makes maple syrup, artists make art (don't say it - duh!), Plymouth Foam makes those giant foam airplanes, Shelly makes cupcakes, a myriad of volunteers help Linda make Camo Quilts, Road America makes Johns adrenalin pump, Allechant Boutique makes men long for the good old days, and John Gurda, by asking us to meet him at a Giant Cow, made our day!
Know what else is made in Plymouth? Friendships, fun and a lasting impression that will always bring a warm spot to our hearts which is a good thing since it was about 20 degrees when we started shooting. But still, we couldn't have asked for a warmer start to Season 4. Plymouth is like a favorite sweater comfy cozy!
In Green County they say, oecheese is life! And there is a lot of Swiss (cheese, people and cows!), but for you shoppers, there's more for sale than just cheese. Need a robot, or a drive-in movie ticket, or some homemade soap, or how about some of the best food we've ever tasted?
For you animal lovers, Monroe offers more than cows. We found prehistoric sheep (for real!) and purple martins (we know not an animal, a bird). And for those of you looking for a new hobby, you'll be inspired by the mystery writer who doubles as the mayor, the town clown and more than 100 accordion players who accompany the Monroe City Band.
Without a doubt, Monroe has the best court house we've seen and the best yodeler we've ever heard, and the best Limburger Johns ever tasted (OK, it was his one and only taste, but he might eat more someday). No doubt: Monroe is a town that can stimulate all the senses!
So Menomonee Falls is a village. Sounds small, right? Wrong! This village is giant, and is home to some really big things.
Kohls is a big employer and since John is a big shopper, he was happy to get big savings at the local store. The Menomonee Falls Little League is the biggest in the state. The garden scale train set at Shady Lane is the biggest in the Midwest. There's big attraction for history fans at Old Falls Village, and a big opportunity for creative types at Just Kiln Time. The synchronized swimming team and their coach are a truly a big deal. The neighborhoods have big community spirit, and the menu at Harvey Moys? Need we say it?
Of course its Ernie Von Schledorns jingle that made Main Street in Menomonee Falls a destination, so wed be remiss if we didn't ask: Who do you know wants to go to Menomonee Falls? We do! And after seeing this episode, you will too!
Overachieving. That's what the oeO in Oshkosh stands for! Yep, we found the famous stuff in Oshkosh that all Wisconsinites know about - EAA, Hughes Chocolates, Silver Star Brands (Miles Kimball), Oshkosh Truck. But then we were introduced (by our dear friend Amy Leach) to Julies Touch of Silver (so NOT what you're thinking), Lakeside Plastics (NOT producing what you expect) and Ardy & Eds (EXACTLY what you long for!). Maybe you do know that Oshkosh is on the largest inland lake in the state and is home to the Miss Wisconsin Pageant every year. But unless you live there, you have never seen an overachieving YMCA like this before!
We promise: this episode is going to surprise you. It sure surprised John. The city has changed and grown some since his college days spent at the U of Oshkosh. Hmm 40 years can do that, John!
SB can stand for Sturgeon Bay the city, or Sturgeon Bay the body of water. If you ask John what oeSB stands for and hell say Super Busy! In the city of Sturgeon Bay, we nearly lost John to the many freelance opportunities he found. He loves WDOR, the local radio station, and could work at Third Avenue Playhouse tomorrow. He tried glass-blowing at Popelka Trenchard Glass and also visited Blue Front, Country Ovens, Scaturos, Holiday Music Motel and Snug Harbor.
John didn't know there are so many big things in the little village of Brown Deer! There's a big high school, big companies like Badger Meter and TAPCO, and River Lane Inn and Larrys Market attract big crowds. But there's also smaller companies with big doings. Modus Designs may be a little firm, but their designs and vision are huge. Peabody Interiors may look small from the street, but they house big creativity and a lot of very cool stuff into their eight showrooms. Poco Loco is the smallest restaurant with the biggest tastes that we've ever loved!
How is a community of 1200 people home to two outstanding performing arts theaters, Frank Lloyd Wrights Taliesin and the most beautiful cave in the upper Midwest? What about the Ring Brothers? Wait until you see their work. Ninas Department Store can seemingly transport you back in time. Wisconsin Riverside Resort has harnessed nature. The Opal Mans creations are completely mesmerizing. And somehow there is a full size carousel inside the House on the Rock! Add to that the spell that White House Theater cast over John and the crew, and you, too, will have no other explanation: Magic!
South Milwaukee has a sports memorabilia museum that makes your jaw drop, the only NASCAR store in Wisconsin, a Martial Arts Master and a huge park to play any sport you want. We didn't just find sports seekers in Grant Park. We found Nels the historian and bird nerds, and down the block, the only hosta-holics we ever met. South Milwaukee also has everything you need to woo your loved one. There are flowers, jewelry, a night at the theater and a restaurant with 20 flavors of margaritas!
John and the crew finally made it to the very northern tip of Wisconsin. Bayfield sticks out into what is by volume the largest freshwater lake in North America the third largest in the world! Thats why its called Superior did you know that? (Yes, we learned that from John Gurda.)
So youd expect to go fishing, swimming, boating and kayaking, right? But how about doing all that surrounded by 22 islands? Yes, islands. Its like our own Caribbean, only colder. In fact, in the winters when the conditions are right, there are ice caves and people come from all over the world to see them.
In summer, you can take the ferry, like John did, and explore the largest island, Madeline, by bike, car or foot. When John found the Madeline Island Art School, he wanted to enroll right then and there. But theres plenty to do back in Bayfield, too. Youll find good food at Ethels at 250, great entertainment at Big Top Chautauqua, and if youre lucky, youll see a ghost or two as you explore the cemeteries. (Hint: go with Mrs. Currie Bell. She died in 1882 and has the inside scoop!) Or just relax, be a tourist, and soak up the New England-like atmosphere.
If John could figure out a way to shorten the drive, hed spend every summer weekend in Bayfield!
Do you know where Silver City is? Don't feel bad - we didn't either, and it turns out it's a Milwaukee neighborhood that's only two miles from the MPTV studios! But now that we've experienced it, we'll never forget it, and we'll be back often. What a thrill for John to stand on Joy Global's giant shovel and be able to see the whole neighborhood - from Miller Park to the Mitchell Park Domes, up and down National Avenue. But it's best experienced at street level because that's where we found lawyers (our first in four seasons!) School Sisters of St. Francis, wood carvers who make the most unbelievable kitchen utensils, restaurant owners of nearly every ethnicity, the dedicated staffs of the Journey House and the Urban Ecology Center, and we could go on and on. Oh, that's right. John did go on and on, and we could hardly keep up. Silver City is a real gem in Milwaukee. Keep shining!
“You can’t go back.” Really? John did – and loved every minute rediscovering the East Side of Milwaukee neighborhood in which he grew up. And in our attempt to find the locations of some of John’s most cherished childhood memories, we found some really great new places, too. He couldn’t wait to walk us through his paper route. Lisa’s Pizza is still there, and still great.
This is a bucket list kind of community.
During this season’s travels, John identified seven topics he wanted to explore in depth.
