An ode to Wausau

We were ready to get out of there as soon as we could. We ran off to whichever school could get us at least an hour away, but when you are talking to someone and find a Wausau connection you know you can feel your heart glow.

The classic central Wisconsin “city”. We would not dare to call it “The Northwoods”, but to some visitors it is the farthest North they have ever been. While, those in the true North see it as taking a trip South. Wausau was the perfect in-between hometown for all of us small city kids, dreaming of the big city, all whilst subconsciously in love with where we already were.

Photograph Courtesy of Max Rock

Despite feeling trapped in it when we grew older, it offered the best combination for freedom when we were younger. Before we could use the older kids for rides, and were obsessing over getting time in for our temps, we had bikes. The safety of Wausau allowed for total freedom in the summer and after school. The streets of downtown’s 3rd street, Grand Ave, and the always more adventurous rides to Briqs, were never safe from our street gangs of children on bicycles. We would savor our allowance for the week for that 1lb cone, the slice of pizza from Politos, or getting some popcorn from the game room at the Y.

Photograph Courtesy of Jay Stahl

Bikes couldn’t take us everywhere though, and as we got older, cars and driving allowed our freedom to grow outside of the acceptable biking distances. Weekends and weeknights were spent at “The Hill”, testing our skills at downhill skiing and snowboarding. Even teaching our fellow friends and watching them sometimes succeed, but usually fail. The classic $5 Tuesdays under the teal roof of Cedar Creek Cinema also offered us a place to utilize our licenses, packing into cars, ready to watch whatever latest comedy or terrible horror film that was showing. (We all know these are where most of our first dates would occur).

Photograph Courtesy of Max Rock

Our Friday nights in the fall from middle school onward were reserved for Thom Field. We started off playing a pickup game behind the field, as we grew up we watched friends become the players or maybe we were the players ourselves. Annually, the cross town rivalry game “The Log Game” would be played to win the coveted Log against the Wausau East Lumberjacks and Wausau West Warriors. You would never dare miss this game due to fear of committing social suicide. Win or lose though, those Friday night lights nights would end at Applebee’s for half price apps.

Photograph Courtesy of Caroline Maahs

Perhaps one of the best pieces of Wausau is that it also holds a little sliver of countryside too. From exploring your friends backyard woods, to four-wheeling, and sledding down any hill you could find – it offers an escape from the outside world. It also offers some of the best locations for late night mischief in our late high school years; resulting in a recovery morning breakfast at Blue Willow, running into other peers doing the same.

So, when the words of “my friend is from there” or “I graduated from Wausau West” mutter out of any new acquaintances mouth and you get that feeling of comfort: be a little thankful for that Wausau bubble you grew up in, it is your hometown after all.