SPECIAL EDITION: Best of UpNorthNews

Step aside, Badgers! This weekend is all about the birds—Bald Eagles, to be exact.

Birdwatching season begins now, according to the Wisconsin DNR. Here are a few things you probably don’t know about the fun hobby and booming business:

-33% of Wisconsin adults say they’ve gone birdwatching–the second highest in the country, tied with West Virginia and trailing only Vermont.

-More people bird watch (1.7 million) than hunt (895,000) or fish (1.2 million), making birding the biggest part of Wisconsin’s $8.7 billion outdoor recreation industry.

-Sauk Prairie attracts the most birdwatchers–and money–roughly $700,000 each winter.

-The average Wisconsin “birder” goes birdwatching 95 days/year.

Wisconsin’s longest-running eagle watching event, Bald Eagle Days, is held every January in Prairie du Sac. 

For the past two weeks, we’ve been looking back at the year that was, and ahead to the year that is, across a variety of categories: politics, climate change, sports, travel, food & drink, and more. Today, we’re celebrating what we’re calling “the best of the rest”–the stories that didn’t fit into just a single category, or sometimes, any at all.

Click on any “winner” to read the original story it was featured in!

Best Cheese: Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Uplands Cheese in Dodgeville

Best City Flag: Hayward

Best Fast Food Restaurant: Food Dudes in La Crosse

Best Fish Fry: Maricque’s in Green Bay

Best ‘Hidden Gem’ Restaurant: Northfork Fin & Filet in Arbor Vitae

Best Independent Bookstore: Arcadia Books in Spring Green

Best New Bakery: Miggy’s Bakes in Madison

Best Non-Beer Beverage: Cherry Bounce

Best Paczki: Smurawa’s Country Bakery in Pulaski

Best ‘Pandemic Pivot’: Ken Fager’s “Mini Wisconsin’s”

Best Podcast: “Why Should I Give a Damn?”

Best Pro Athlete: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Best Restaurant: Fairchild in Madison

Best Thrift Store: Chosen Family Closet

Best Tourist Attraction: Dane County Farmers’ Market

Best Uniquely-Wisconsin Meal: Cannibal Sandwich from Salmon’s

WE NEED YOUR HELP! It’s a new year, and while we already have a long list of new places we’re hoping to check out, we want to be your eyes, ears, and stomachs, too! 

So tell us–WHO or WHAT do you want to read about in 2024? REPLY to this email with your favorite restaurant, a person who’s making a difference, or something else we should know about, and we’ll add them to our list.