Birthday Club Tips - Hudson, WI
by Cindi Sutter, Founder & Editor of Spirited Table®
"Girls just want to have fun!" RIGHT!! So on that note, many years ago, a small group of us began celebrating birthdays with a lunch or dinner. Not a big deal, everyone does it, right? But then something happened...How in the world can you pack in the life, status reports, of 5 women in 2-3 hours? No way, right? So thus our Birthday Club began...
Template for Birthday Club Success
Be the ringleader and ask your friends if they'd like to start a birthday club; I promise you won't regret it! Think way outside the normal dinner/lunch box.
In our case, three times a year, five fab women celebrate 5 extra special birthdays. (We combine those that share the same month.) The non-birthday girls are in charge of planning each getaway. We've evolved into choosing any city or suburb, no matter the size, that is within a 1.5-hour drive of Minneapolis.
Our goals are simple. Lots of coffee, eats, chatting, exploration, shopping, cocktails, chatting, site seeing, museums if possible, photobombing, gift giving and oh...did I mention chatting? One month the gifts included a reusable, but of course cute, shopping bag. And yes, we take turns driving and planning.
Breakfast and coffee, a late lunch or dinner (usually two meals are enough); but that doesn't preclude us from an ice cream cone, cake or at a minimum chocolate. So here's the very loose itinerary from our most recent adventure!
More birthday club destinations on the horizon or ones in the rear view mirror will be posted.
BIRTHDAY OUTING
Cindi & Linda – Wednesday, January 31, 2018
9:30 am Meet at The Woman’s Club of Minneapolis – drop off a car
10:30 am Drive to Hudson-Brunch at Hudson Bagel & Coffee- Shopping Second & Locust Streets
3:30 pm Return to Minneapolis
5:30 pm Dinner at The Woman’s Club of Minneapolis
Since we ran out of time on our November trip to Hudson, we felt a “return” was in order. Looking forward to another “fun” birthday!
P.S. Dress casually with comfortable shoes.
Hudson Quick Facts
Location - Hudson is located on the western edge of WI, along the St. Croix River & the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.
Population - Hudson is home to 13,744 residents & is one of the fastest growing cities in Wisconsin, 57% since 2000.
Geography & Size - Hudson has a total area of 7.5 square miles & rests in the St. Croix River Valley. The downtown retail district & "Old Town" residential district rest along the river valley, while the city's "The Hill" residential, retail, & industrial parks are located on the hills/bluffs that rise above the St. Croix River.
The City of Hudson's Neighbors - Hudson is the county seat of St. Croix County & is a major retail center while St. Croix County, a population of 88,000 residents, is one of the fastest growing counties in Wisconsin.
Ten Facts You Probably Did Not Know About Wisconsin
1. Wisconsin is modest about its lakes. Minnesota is known as “The land of 10,000 Lakes” but Wisconsin is not one to brag at a count of 16,000+.
2. Madison wasn’t always the Capitol of Wisconsin. Belmont was the original in 1836 when Wisconsin was not yet a state but a territory.
3. The oldest city in Wisconsin isn’t Madison or even Milwaukee. It’s actually Green Bay dating back to French explorer Jean Nicolet who started a small trading post in 1634. There’s more to be told of “Titletown” than that of the Packers, but most Wisconsinites’ favorite fact about Green Bay is still the 13 world championships.
4. The Swiss Cheese Capital of the World isn’t located in Switzerland. Monroe, Wisconsin is known for their cheese & every even-numbered year for Green County Cheese Days.
5. Wisconsin is the “Land of Bratwurst.” Most know that the “World’s Largest Brat Fest” is located in Madison every Memorial Day weekend.
But, not nearly as many know that Sheboygan is also known as the “Bratwurst Capitol of the World.”
6. Wisconsin shaped modern music. What we now refer to as the solid-body electric guitar was brought into popularity by Wisconsin’s very own Les Paul aptly nicknamed the Wizard of Waukesha, due to his innovations/inventions in guitar playing/recording styles. His legacy lives on with the modern interpretations of the Gibson Les Paul. Visit the Waukesha County Museum to take-in the Les Paul Experience.
7. The Statue Atop the State Capitol is not “Forward.” Often mistaken as the “Forward statue”, the sculpture at the highest point of Wisconsin’s State Capitol building is officially named “Wisconsin,” but also nicknamed the “Golden Lady” (actually clad in gilded bronze). The statue is a nod to the Greek goddess, Athena. The figures outstretch right arm is said to symbolize the state motto, “Forward” so that is where the misnomer comes in.
8. Wisconsin is a contributor to cinema history. The creator of what many consider the greatest movie ever made, “Citizen Kane,” did not hail from Hollywood. He was an export of Wisconsin. Orson Welles was born in Kenosha & became an accomplished writer, producer, director.
9. Wisconsin is vertically challenged…sorta. The highest natural point in Wisconsin isn’t a mountain – it’s actually a hill. Timm’s Hill is recorded at 1,951 feet. Due to Wisconsin’s mostly glaciated terrain, there aren’t a lot of craggy peaks. In exchange for leveling the landscape, glaciation has left some of the most beautiful rolling hills, valleys, prairies & fertile farm fields.
10. Wisconsin leads the nation. Known for dairy production, Wisconsin actually leads the nation in exports of cranberries, whey, ginseng root & sweet corn.