Contest Categories
1. Most Scenic Beauty - the area around the town is spectacular, awesome?
2. Most Beautiful Town - the town itself, buildings, roads in its natural setting is beautiful?
3. Most Exciting Architecture - historic, contemporary, futuristic - but definitely interesting?
4. Best Galleries and Arts Scene - artists and galleries make for a vibrant cultural life?
5. Best Theater and Entertainment - best town for plays, concerts, entertainment?
6. Best Festival Weekend - from pickles to mushrooms to muskys to cheese, which is the best town to visit to enjoy a themed weekend festival?
7. Best Dining - Great Places to Eat make this town great ... but which town is it?
8. Best Fishing Getaway - what town has is the best for a great fishing getaway?
9. Best Biking Getaway - Wisconsin miles of great bike trails, but what town is best to for a biking getaway?
10. Best Snowmobiling Getaway - lots of snow is great for this sport; which town is the best place to base your getaway?
11. Boating Getaway - sails, paddle or motorized - where to take your boat for a great water getaway?
12. Best Cross Country Skiing - sure, ski anywhere there's snow ... but what town is the best for hitting the trails?
13. Best Downhill Skiing - your choices are limited in Wisconsin, but what town is best for a downhill adventure?
14. Best Ethnic Getaway - Wisconsin is proud of its multi-cultural heritage - Which town offers the best getaway for a weekend enriched by another culture?
15. Best Shopping - from flea markets to international big names, you can find it all in Wisconsin, but which town really gets your shopping genes quivering?
16. Best Historic Town - Which town is the best for enjoying an historic getaway?
17. Best On a Lake - Which town offers the best getaway for enjoying some time on a lake?
18. Best On a River - Which town is the best for enjoying some time on a river ?
19. Most Romantic - When you want to get away with your lover, what's the most romantic town to choose?
20. Best for Families - What town is the best place to take your family for a getaway?
21. Best Weekend Getaway - All things considered, expense is not an issue, what town has it all - the right combination of factors to make it - the best in Wisconsin?
A contest is being held to answer that very question.
People can answer and submit their nominations to the Wonders of Wisconsin.
The Wonders of Wisconsin focuses on what makes the state and Wisconsin towns special. Included in the contest are 21 categories for people to look over and decide where their favorite community belongs. There are categories for such things as scenic beauty, most beautiful town, best weekend getaway and most romantic.
Green County Tourism Director Noreen Rueckert suggested Monroe as a nominee for Best Town for Festival Weekend because of the bi-annual Cheese Days festival, held since 1914, and Brodhead for Best Biking Town because of the Sugar River trail and overnight stays at Earth Ride Cycling Boutique and Hotel. Rueckert said all of Green County could be considered in the biking category because Monroe, New Glarus, Brodhead, Albany and Monticello are on bike trails that are popular with outdoor enthusiasts.
"We also have some back roads that are popular for bikers, as well," she said.
Rueckert also said New Glarus should be considered for Best Ethnic Getaway because of the Swiss culture, heritage and cuisine.
"It's America's Little Switzerland," she said.
Cara Carper, Community Resource Development Education at University of Wisconsin Extension in Lafayette County, said it would be too hard for her to narrow down a few towns to nominate.
"With all of the history in Lafayette County it would be hard to nominate just one town," she said.
Carper said two towns that immediately come to mind are Darlington and Shullsburg for their historic look and their shopping. She also said Blanchardville would be a town to nominate because of its history.
"Sometimes the southwestern part of the state is overlooked," she laughed. "But this is where the state started."
Nominations can be e-mailed to WisconsinWonders@aol.com before Feb. 15.
A committee of travel writers familiar with Wisconsin will review and consider submissions and then narrow the nominees to top choices and make sure no obvious nominees have been missed.
A final list of nominees will be announced in the Feb. 28 issue of the Shepherd Express, and people will be able to vote for their choices until April 24.
Winners will be announced in May.
More information is available at www.wondersofwisconsin.com.