July 27, 2010
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Xanga Meet-Up...Wonewoc
I am reading all these posts about a New York City Xanga Meet-Up and I am jealous. Sometimes it feels like I am the only person in Wisconsin on Xanga. I know that this thought is a fallacy but the other Wisconsinites are hours away from me. Even the Minnesotans are a long way from where I live.
As you know I claim Wisconsin Dells as my home. A Wisconsin Dells Xanga Meet would be so cliché because Wisconsin Dells is the happiest place in Wisconsin and with the tourist prices it would be pretty expensive for people to visit and see the attractions, which is why I am purposing a Xanga meet-up in the small town of Wonewoc, WI.
Why Wonewoc? Why not? Wonewoc has a population of 848 people. There are 3 churches in Wonewoc and 4 bars. The residents of Wonewoc, Wonewocians, have their priorities set. Wonewoc also contains a bike trail called the 400 Trail. The trail, a converted railroad, gets its name from the former 400 line of trains that went through the area. You can rent bikes in Wonewoc, the midpoint of the 400 Trail, and explore the area.
Another aspect of exploration that is possible in Wonewoc is that of canoeing the Baraboo River. Right now it might not be proper canoeing conditions since the Baraboo River is in flood stage however at a later date we could canoe the shit out of that river. And how’s this for business, the same place where you can rent bikes, you can rent canoes. If Wonewoc isn’t the epitome of the American Dream, I don’t know what is.
If we choose to have our Xanga meet in the winter, there are plenty of snowmobile trails. Little do people outside of Wonewoc know that snowmobiling is a year-round activity. Yes, you can snowmobile without the snow in the summer. Residents of Wonewoc are known to use their snowmobiles to skim the Baraboo River. Snowmobiling is quite exhilarating and nothing says exhilarating like snowmobiling through Wonewoc and the Baraboo River to get to a fine establishment like Bernie’s Wagon Wheel or The Mayer’s Office or The Wooden Nickel or Degner’s Corner Bar. Bernie’s offers competitive prices and stiff drinks. A double Jack and Coke will run you $1 during happy hour and $2 any other time. Degner’s Corner Bar may be the best place to hold a Xanga Meet-Up since so many of Wonewoc’s high school reunions are booked at that fine establishment.
Also if any Xangans belong to the Masons, you will feel at home in Wonewoc since they have a Masonic Lodge. You might find yourself asking "Is there no releif for the son of a widow?" And then a member of the Wonewoc lodge will say "in the darkness as well as in the light" or something like that.
The biggest draw to Wonewoc is not churches, bars, snowmobiling, bicycling, or Masonic lodges. It’s the spiritualist camp. You can stay at the camp and have a psychic reading or a past life regression. There are also special days when séances are conducted. Every Wednesday night there is a healing service…whatever that means. After the service they have the best spiritualist camp ice cream social in western Wisconsin.
So how about it? A Xanga Meet-Up in Wonewoc? I’ll start the booking process…
Then after we meet up in Wonewoc, we can drive to my house and drown our sorrows with scotch while we listen to Tom Waits.
Maybe I'm getting out the Tom Waits because today I spent some time in a hospital and feel that I am entering the autumn of my life. My legs were horribly swollen this morning and when I was examining them I pushed a little too hard and sprung a leak. So I went to the hospital and my blood pressure was too high and they figure the swelling is because of that. On blood pressure meds and the one is making me go to the bathroom every 30 minutes. I guess it was destined to happen sooner or later but I wish it was later rather than sooner. Anyway, I'm fine. I've been letting it leak. The swelling is way down. Fun times.
Comments (53)
PSH. I am from Minnesota, and I feel left out. =[
You are too funny. That sounds like a badass town!! Wisconsin towns are fantastic....bars everywhere!! I have family in LaCrosse and they have the most bars per capita in the whole country. Speaking of the Dells, we were just there a couple months ago! We stayed at a condo and went to some indoor waterpark....very different. If i move to Wisconsin (which will probably happen sooner or later), i will be game for your meetup anywhere in Wisconsin!
no way! i was supposed to go to wisconsin dells this thursday but our plans fell through. i love the dells but not the crowds.
I've never been to wisconsin dells.
I want to retire in Wisconsin. I know there are lots of places to go fishing, happy hour is cheap and I could meet that ignorant bastard Cocky. Seeing as how he's your handler, I guess I'd have to buy drinks for you too?
I've never been to an Xangan meet-up. I'd love to go to one though.
That's a great touristic-promo for your town...you should submit it to your local touristic office (if there's any)
I keep toying wtih the idea of moving to Wisconsin. My family used to have a summer home in Balsam Lake, WI. With my work-at-home job I could easily move to Wisconsin and keep my Minnesota job, and since the cost of living is cheaper in Wisconsin that'd be great, only I'd have to find someone to do my taxes, lol.
Take care of that BP, and the biggest draw to Wonewoc would have to be you.
Seems like all xangans are so excited about these meet ups. I wonder what happens when you add alcohol. Is it like a big quasi-orgy? You filthy creatures!
Don't feel bad, I am in Canada. And while I am actually very close to NYC, I am not traveling out of the country for a meet-up. Poops to that.
Wone-a-what? Never heard of it.. and I truly thought I'd heard every bizarre sounding Wisconsin town by now. What does one do at a meet up? Talk about Xanga blogs? oh joy.... lol... the offer sounds tempting but I think I'll pass. If you'd like to come down to Milwaukee we can meet up at a park and I'll push you on the swings.
Are you kidding? The hotels and attractions in the Dells are CHEAP. My husband and I had a four-day vacation there where we had two major activities a day planned for each day and we still left spending less than $400!
i also would like to participate in one of these events put i live in the bottom edge of texas far away from everyone else
lol sounds good to me, i'm in... but only if you add snowshoe baseball and a lumberjack show to the list of activities!
Count me in... LOL
I miss Wisconsin so much. I grew up there. *sigh*
I was kinda jealous too but then a part of me is okay with missing out on it, lol.
@Peridot21 -
LOL, I wanna try that out too!
Oh shit, what you tell about your leg doesn't sound good! I hope the pills help you!
Dude-edema--take care of yourself. That can be serious.
The Dells! I got the mad love for the Dells! Grand Canyon caliber scenery and Route 66 kitch! It vies with Pidgeon Forge for being the tackiest place in America. Tacky is the new chic. Trendy lasts as long as the next trip to the mall--but tacky is perpetual.
Actually your xanga meet in Woenoake (however you said it) sounds fun. Unfortunately I'm far out of the way and will probably never get to go to any xanga meet up anywhere unless it happened to be in Memphis or Birmingham. Cause that's about as far as I go lately. 2 plus hours away.
Sorry you sprung a leak... that can mean so many things.
I'd choose any place where the bars outnumber the churches.
@imasilentheart - yay!
I could make it, if there's one there; I have family that lives in LaValle and I could see if I could chill at their place.
There's also Devils Lake in Baraboo, always nice, except when it's cold and raining
@crazy2love -
Well you can come or I'll come to MN for your Xanga meet-up.
@ShamrockLover -
I went to high school in La Crosse, a town with the world's largest 6 pack and the world record for most bars on one street.
the indoor waterparks in the Dells have really bolstered that town and have made it a year-round resort. Before the indoor parks, it seemed that everything shut down around the end of September and didn't re-open until Easter time.
I also tried to talk people into meeting at the nearby town of Baraboo because there is a bar there that I frequent. It's haunted. Here is a collection of my experiences.
@SoftlyPearlsSlipOffAString -
Imagine working there on a weekend like July 4th. I had nightmares when I was in high school and college of working there. It was the height of the Beanie Baby craze. I had all the invoice numbers and prices memorized and all my dreams revolved around those demonic creatures. I just said prices and rang them up in all my dreams. Things got better when I turned 21 and worked next to an Irish pub and then got a job as a bouncer.
@TheSecretLifeOfPandas -
It's a fun place but you can't hijack parades and lip-synch Wayne Newton or Beatles songs. The casino is quite fun too.
@DickDoktorII -
Yeah, you'd have to buy that Schlitz drinker his swill or he'd cry like a little girl. He's taking the day off to go fishing but it's too late. He took his sweet ass time trying to pick a lake.
@Shining_Garnet -
I hear people talking about them but what I want to know is what they do at these meets. Do they pull out the laptops and blog? Do they bad mouth the people not there? Is it an orgy? Inquiring minds want to know.
@NiDH0GG -
Well I don't live in that town but drive through there on a daily basis. I also went to grade school in that town at a private school.
@Melissa___Dawn -
It is so beautiful in northern Wisconsin. My family used to have a lakefront cabin in Eagle River. My grandfather bought it way back when for the ungoldy price of $10,000. He sold it right before he died for $500,000.
I have to say the cost of living is so cheap around here. I also love having fresh, right off the farm, vegetables. The people are so trusting. There are Amish families that have stands set up outside their houses and they have a suggested price for their goods and you just put the money in the box. I bought some honey the other day. They only wanted $3 for organic honey. Yeah, that's awesome.
@POETIC_ISIS -
actually I think the biggest draw to Wonewoc is the monthly all you can eat chicken supper put on by the VFW. You'd also think the biggest draw to the chicken supper would be the chicken, it's actually a tie between the price ($7) and the potato salad. Oh and I forgot accuball. It's a game that has higher points for longer distances. It's played much like basketball but the further a person is from the basket the more points they get. There are only two accuball courts in America and one is in Wonewoc.
@windoftheforest -
I've wondered that myself. I guess we will have to find out. Maybe people will see once we get the orgy started why I need to join overeaters anonymous.
@Mrs_Jack_Daniels -
I might travel a few hours if it was the right people but so many of those NYC people, I had no clue who they were but then I don't always leave my corner of Xanga.
@spititoutalready -
Hmmm the next time I get to Milwaukee, I need to go to the Safe House and then do some brewery tours and then find the subdivision of little people housing. Oh and it's pronounced juan-ee-wok. some jokingly say it means "one day walk". The Ho-chunk tribe had lands by Baraboo and they would walk to the hunting grounds of Wonewoc. Actually the name means "howling hills". There are some nice bluff formations on one side of town.
@ithiliya -
Well ok, they are cheap but not for everyone. There is a hotel in my town that is pretty nice and has nice rooms. The honeymoon sweet is $80 a night.
So what do you do when you visit the Dells? The Sand Bar? Ho-Chunk? Mt. Olympus?
@itsayanav -
that is how I feel where I live. I live in such a rural area in Wisconsin.
@Peridot21 -
Hey, you should have been here July 4th weekend. A town neighboring Wonewoc, where I currently live, had a lumberjack competition. It was fun.
I don't know if there is any snowshoe baseball but I'm sure we could get a game going. I know the local 9 hole golf course occasionally has snow golf.
@RestlessButterfly -
Awesome...I am sure you would find this area interesting.
@imasilentheart -
When I moved out of WI to MN, I missed the little things like curvy roads and hills and scenery.
@nattata -
Well a couple days make a big difference. The swelling is all down and I'm no longer leaking. I just have to watch it. Thanks.
@wrybreadspread -
I worked downtown in the Dells and that was so kitschy. It seemed like every store sold the same products but maybe that was because my boss owned 30 businesses. The t-shirt shops had crappy t-shirts because they got all the shirts that had flaws. Buy a shirt for 1cent, slap a Wisconsin Dells print on it, and sell it for $15.
@NightlyDreams -
Yeah I am doing better. My legs are pretty much normal now.
It's pronounced juan-ee-wok. I had to go there last night to pick up my aunt to take her to a home depot like store.
@curiousdwk -
La Crosse is a fun town. that's where I went to high school for 3 years. It has the world's largest six pack and has a world record for most bars on one street.
@NVPhotography -
WOW! Someone who knows Wonewoc and even more impressive knows La Valle. I was just driving through there last night. They have some great restaurants. Devil's Lake or some place in the Dells would be a better place for a meet-up. I haven't been to Devil's Lake in such a long time. I need to get a scanner so I can share some of my photos of that place.
well..it has a very nice name that town...
@godfatherofgreenbay -
wow, i can't even imagine.
@godfatherofgreenbay -
Well, when we were on vacay there, we did Mt. Olympus, kayaking on the Barabou, horseback riding, carriage tour of the Dells, a dinner cruise, the deer park, and a couple other things I don't remember. We were going to do the helicopter tour, too, but my stomach wasn't doing so hot that day. I can't remember where we stayed, but it was a nice place with larger rooms, a jacuzzi, fridge, etc. It had an indoor and outdoor pool, too, which was nice.
We usually stay at Kalahari when we're there for our Christmas family trip, in the big condos. This year we'll probably switch to Wilderness, though, because the last couple of trips to Kalahari have been pretty bad. And the condos at Wilderness are just so beautiful, and the employees more welcoming... much more relaxing than Kalahari.
@ithiliya -
I have heard nothing but bad about the Kalahari from workers. I think people are blind to the problems. I know a guy that makes food deliveries and he says the kitchen conditions are horrible. I won't ever eat there. It's bad enough I once went to the bar that was way too high priced.
Wilderness isn't that bad except you have to watch out for Green Bay Packers with twinkles in their eyes.
@godfatherofgreenbay -
The condos at Kalahari were really nice at first but they haven't kept them up at all. My last trip, I spent the entire time I was there dealing with problems. We initially picked Kalahari because the condos have their own outdoor hottub, and the first year they were open year-round. We LOVED having our own 6-person jacuzzi. Plus they had a lot of really neat fall activities like bonfires and cookie decorating. Then they cancelled the fall activities and restricted the times that you could use the hottubs, which I understand because of budget and health and safety concerns, but we arrived almost a month before the hottubs were supposed to be shut down for winter and they were already packed up. I fought for hours with the front desk about that (mostly because the manager wouldn't speak to me the three times I asked, so I ended up having to go down to the front desk in person and refuse to move until I could speak to him), and when I told them that the main reason we stay at Kalahari was because of the private hottub, the manager just blew me off with a "I have a hard time believing that." When my family came back from the waterpark, I had to tell them that the one thing we had looked forward to the most... relaxing in the hottub with a bottle of vodka and good friends... couldn't happen. We were all incredibly pissed off.
I ADORE the waterpark at Kalahari, but yeah, everything else is overcrowded, loud, disorganized, poorly run, and the people who work there aren't friendly at all and really don't know what they're doing. Though I had this REALLY good drink at one of the bars, and the higher-end restaurant right off the waterpark has good food and atmosphere. I'm hoping Wilderness turns out better.
@godfatherofgreenbay - i bet it was... they have a lumberjack competition where my parents' lakehouse is too (well, they call it a "show" where we go, but it's a competition + comedy show lol) ...they are really fun to watch. =)
oh, and re your audio comment... yeah, The Beatles version of Smokey's song is good, i like it... btw, when you say songs you were working on, what do you mean? jw...
@Peridot21 -
They try to be funny about things at the shows here but people get way to serious about them. I think there was some betting action going on during the competition this year. I forget where it is up nort' that has the huge lumberjack festival that gets ESPN coverage. I think it's Hayward but I might be getting that confused because that is where the fishing hall of fame is located...the giant fiberglass muskie. I wrote them when I was in grade school to induct my grandfather but they never replied...jerks...that wasn't the word I intended to use but I censored myself.
I had this strange project going where I was trying to sing a few songs in multiple parts by layering it with my computer. I would play the guitar if called for, play a bit of percussion, and sing lead plus backing harmonies. That song was one on the list as was "Blue Moon".
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