See the full itinerary (with links to giveaways!) here
Welcome to the next stop on the Reading Road Trip: Wisconsin!
Now, I’m a Wisconsin girl through and through so I’m excited that you’re here. A few things you should know:
* Have fun pronouncing the names of our towns (Menomonee, Nekoosa, Prairie du Chien, Oconomowoc, Wauwatosa, Ashwaubenon, Mukwonago, Packwaukee…)
*On a related note, we do not have an accent. 🙂
*We (meaning any fans who purchase stock) own our football team. Seriously. As you can read on wikipedia, “The Packers are the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team in the United States.” Season tickets have been sold out since 1960. The waiting list has 81,000 names and the average wait is 30 years. (According to Packers.com)
*Wisconsin law forbids the substitution of margarine for butter in a public eating place (unless requested by the customer.) No Joke.
*You drink water from a bubbler.
*If you visit in summer you have to eat brats and sweet corn before leaving. If you’re here on a Friday you need to hit up a Friday night fish fry. Ice Cream and cheese are musts no matter when you visit.
*Apparently we drink “pop” here. (But I say soda. I’m so ashamed.)
*When giving directions we might tell you to turn right at the “stop ‘n go lights” aka the traffic signal.
*Make sure to stop by The House on the Rock, Noah’s Ark, Cave of the Mounds, The National Mustard Museum, Taliesin, Forevertron, Door County and the Milwaukee Brewery tours!
More fun Wisconsin facts here! Midwest Magazine’s 20 Reason’s to Love Wisconsin here.
Wisconsin Author: Elizabeth Eulberg
Not only do I get to highlight my awesome home state but I also get to talk about one of my favorite authors (and I’m not just saying that because she’s a Wisconsin girl!) Elizabeth Eulberg. I thought it’d be fun to learn a little more about why she loves Wisconsin. She was gracious enough to answer a few interview questions. Enjoy!
YA Bibliophile: What’s the best part about growing up in Wisconsin?
Elizabeth Eulberg: I grew up in a small town so I grew up feeling very safe. I would walk on my own to a friend’s house when I was little or go to the movie theatre with a friend when we were in first or second grade by ourselves. I’m really happy I grew up where I did. I think people in the midwest in general have a better work ethic. And we’re generally nicer. And better looking. 🙂
YAB: What do you miss most about living in Wisconsin?
EE: Just the sense of community. I got stuck in Wisconsin during Hurricane Sandy, and people went out of their way to help me out. I wasn’t prepared to be gone so long so a pharmacy worked with my insurance company to get my prescription that I needed. I went to Sephora to try to buy some more travel sized toiletries to carry on my next flight and they were just giving me samples for free. I really appreciated their kindness.
Oh, and the fried cheese curds, of course.
YAB: Now that you no longer live in WI, are there phrases, customs, foods,etc… that you recognize as being “a Wisconsin thing”? Or even a midwest thing?
EE: My first day in my dorm at Syracuse University, I asked where the bubbler was. Nobody knew what I was talking about so my nickname quickly became “Bubbler” – little did I realize that only Wisconsin people call a water fountain a bubbler. Oops! I’ve been on the East Coast for a while now so I say soda (not pop), dinner (not supper) – it’s like I’m a totally different person!
I also find it surprising that Friday night fish fry is only a Wisconsin thing. It’s weird when you grow up with something and think that every place has it then you go outside the state and people think you’re just making stuff up. It’s real, people and it’s glorious!
YAB: Related to the above questions, do you find there are misconceptions people have about Wisconsinites? Certain things they want to know when they find out you’re from Wisconsin?
EE: What I find funny is that anytime I mention I’m from Wisconsin (which I’ve been told is often), someone either has a Wisconsin story or know someone from there. And without fail they want to know if I know that person. Wisconsin is a BIG state, but I think people see it as a very small place.
YAB: Wisconsin sports teams… love ’em or leave ’em?
EE: Are you kidding me? GO PACK! It hasn’t been a very good couple years to be a Packers fan in Giants country, but I hold strong. I also hold on to the delusion that Aaron Rodgers is going to ask me out. A girl can dream!
YAB: Do you have a favorite place to visit in Wisconsin?
EE: Just my parents’ house that I grew up in. And Culver’s (a girl’s gotta eat!). [For those of you who don’t know what Culver’s is. Also, I pity you.]
YAB: Would you ever set a book in Wisconsin?
EE: YES! As a matter of fact my next book takes place in Wisconsin, Better Off Friends (Point/Scholastic, March 2014). Originally the location of the book wasn’t going to influence the book. I thought it would be nice to set a book in Wisconsin so little things did end up influencing the characters. There’s lots of references to the Packers (I used Rodgers, Matthews, and Driver as last names), Culver’s, Friday night fish fry, cheese curds, bubblers, etc. I think Wisconsin ended up as its own character.
YAB: Anything you’re working on now or have coming up you can share?
EE: I just finished up Better Off Friends and started working on another book. It’s too early to talk about, but I hope when I’m finally to announce it that it will make my readers happy. I know I’m excited about it.
Giveaway:
And now for the giveaway! Enter to win a mini Wisconsin prize pack (Pictured below, I may add more stuff.) and a book of your choice by Elizabeth Eulberg! Must be 13 or older to win. US only.
 |
| Wisconsin Prize Pack |
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Leave a Reply