So it looks like our family is relocating once again. SWMBO has aging grandparents and with another little one on the way being near more family seems wise. Pending the sale of our house we'll be heading east. Hopefully I'll be wrenching at another Toyota shop.
What part? On the east side it's only an hour or so to road america. In the middle you're close to blackhawk farms. I'm on the illinois side of the border in the burbs - actually closer to milwaukee than chicago.
I'm in what I like to call the trifecta. I'm an hour between Milwaukee, Rockford, and Chicago. Southern Wisconsin, from my experience is great. Much less crowded than any of those cities I mentioned , but not far from anything.
Things are priced a little better. What is a $1000 motorcycle on Chicago's CL is a $700 bike in Wisconsin. 
Be prepared to get Packer shoved down your throat come football season.
It is a nice area - you will feel at home with the trees and greenery although no mountains. I feel I can leave the Chicago 'burbs someday and retire in central/southern Wisconsin with a 5 acre lot and big garage.
Lived about 15-30 minutes from Wisconsin for 18 years of my life. WI>IL. My dad owns some land in the Fontana/Lake Geneva area and was at one time planning to retire there, but now just plans on selling it. That says nothing about the area, just that my parents plans have changed.
We'll be west of Janesville between Rockford and Madison. Went to RA before and loved it. Think I'll be ok with the packers, the Seahawks fans are a little much IMHO.
erasmus229 wrote: We'll be west of Janesville between Rockford and Madison. Went to RA before and loved it. Think I'll be ok with the packers, the Seahawks fans are a little much IMHO.
Seahawks fans have nothing on Packers fans. I'm not sure that there is a more devoted set of sports fans anywhere in the world, and I am a diehard Cubs fan saying this.
I saw this article a couple weeks ago. Its relevant to this thread.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/20/wisconsin-best-food-beer_n_5429225.html
Born and Bred Wisconsinite. Spent most of my time in the Appleton area, but went to college in Madison. One of the tricks is being far enough away from the larger cities for the small town feel with nature out your back door, but within a short highway travel to the big city amenities.
If you look up the 'driftless area', it's one of the more beautiful areas of Wisconsin that's not in the Northern parts. The triangle of of Green Bay/Appleton, Madison, and Milwaukee is actually a little boring geographically, minus a few spots.
You can buy good fireworks and booze on Sunday, but the football sucks.
I don't know much about Wisconsin other than Packer fans can be a bit irritating, cheese curds are yummy and the people who live there pronounce the name of their state incorrectly. Wiss-SHAHN-sun. That never gets old listening to the one of the goofiest regional accents in the country mostly because the people who live there think they do not have accents. I am including all the Minnesota folks in this as well. I suppose, Wisconsin doesn't insist on playing a Prince song from the 80's every 10-15 minutes like the stations in Minneapolis do. It must be a local ordinance up there or something. Why couldn't they play the Replacements or Husker Du?
Based on some of the actual comments above, it sounds like you are looking at a nice place to be. Moving always is a combination of sucky and exciting for me. Hope you find a good place!
Make sure to get some bug spray.
mndsm wrote: You can buy good fireworks and booze on Sunday, but the football sucks.
Tell us how many championships the Minnesota football team has won. 
Datsun310Guy wrote: It is a nice area - you will feel at home with the trees and greenery although no mountains. I feel I can leave the Chicago 'burbs someday and retire in central/southern Wisconsin with a 5 acre lot and big garage.
I live in the Chicago area and I am shopping for just such a place.
RealMiniDriver wrote:mndsm wrote: You can buy good fireworks and booze on Sunday, but the football sucks.Tell us how many championships the Minnesota football team has won.
We have a football team here? I thought purple was the official MN prison color.
It's always funny when I ask someone what part of Wisconsin they're from and they're all like "how'd ya know" lol
jimbbski wrote:Datsun310Guy wrote: It is a nice area - you will feel at home with the trees and greenery although no mountains. I feel I can leave the Chicago 'burbs someday and retire in central/southern Wisconsin with a 5 acre lot and big garage.I live in the Chicago area and I am shopping for just such a place.
Pretty much the reason the term for illinois folks in Wisconsin is FIB (berkeleying illinois bastards). We're also looking to head across the border. Illinois isn't run very well and the prospects of it improving don't look so good either.
oldtin wrote:jimbbski wrote:Pretty much the reason the term for illinois folks in Wisconsin is FIB (berkeleying illinois bastards). We're also looking to head across the border. Illinois isn't run very well and the prospects of it improving don't look so good either.Datsun310Guy wrote: It is a nice area - you will feel at home with the trees and greenery although no mountains. I feel I can leave the Chicago 'burbs someday and retire in central/southern Wisconsin with a 5 acre lot and big garage.I live in the Chicago area and I am shopping for just such a place.
Also, FISH--effing Illinois Sh!t Heads. For another variation, add "TAB" on the back of it--Towing a boat
T.J. wrote: I don't know much about Wisconsin other than Packer fans can be a bit irritating, cheese curds are yummy and the people who live there pronounce the name of their state incorrectly. Wiss-SHAHN-sun. That never gets old listening to the one of the goofiest regional accents in the country mostly because the people who live there think they do not have accents.
Yes we have an accent and yes it sounds stupid. The mispronouncing usually comes from non-natives in the form of "Wesss-consin". I never heard anyone not say the 'C'?!??
Oh and the fact that we don't get much big time local news means that the Packers usually make the front page even in the middle of spring/summer.
If you're a hockey fan, all you get are the UW Badgers. Hockey is all but forgotten in Wisconsin.
erasmus229 wrote: We'll be west of Janesville between Rockford and Madison. Went to RA before and loved it. Think I'll be ok with the packers, the Seahawks fans are a little much IMHO.
Blackhawk Farms is a nice road course in South Beloit.Rockton. MCSCC has events there, including high speed solo type.
In reply to RossD:
I'm an idiot. I meant there to be a SKHAN in my poor attempt at phoentic spelling.
In reply to T.J.:
Yah know, you'll have some of that too. You betchya. 
The only other thing I know about WI (And I live 20min from it) is anything west of Eau Claire on 94 is considered Minnesota. At least as far as Minnesotans are concerned. Until football season. Then things get ugly.
RossD wrote: If you're a hockey fan, all you get are the UW Badgers. Hockey is all but forgotten in Wisconsin.
What the hell is with that? Minnesota can have a team, loose a team, and get another one. C'mon Sconsin!
RossD wrote: If you're a hockey fan, all you get are the UW Badgers, Green Bay Gamblers, Madison Capitals, St. Norbert, Stevens Point, Eau Claire, Stout, Superior, Lawrence, and Marian. Hockey is all but forgotten in Wisconsin.
FTFY
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