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Casa Blanca: Fine Dining in Downtown Appleton
Posted by Alexandra Rathbone on 6/11/10 |
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 If you are looking for a new dining experience, head over to Casa Blanca at 531 W. College Avenue in Downtown Appleton. I discovered Casa Blanca Latin Cuisine the other night and cannot wait to go back! The menu features a large variety of both hot and cold tapas (appetizers) and a large amount of elegant seafood, poultry, and steak meals. All four of the guests in my party chose full meals, which included salad, bread, and a sample of different dipping sauces. No one had a single negative thing to say about the food; in fact, all of the meals tasted and looked amazing! The service and ambiance was also wonderful, with friendly and attentive waiters, beautifully set tables, and lovely murals that run the length of the restaurant.
Casa Blanca is open seven days a week and offers a DJ and dancing Thursday through Saturday starting at 10pm. Although we were seated without a problem on a Monday night, reservations are strongly recommended. For reservations or questions, call Casa Blanca at 920-954-1010.
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Art Activity Days and Wizards of Pop at the Bergstrom- Mahler Museum
Posted by Alexandra Rathbone on 6/11/10 |
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Looking for a rainy day activity or maybe a quick break from the sun with the kids? I visited the Wizards of Pop exhibit at the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum (Neenah, WI) and found a collection of framed images, picture books, and pop-up books that captured both my imagination and that of my six-year old! The exhibit features not only impressively engineered paper creations on the walls, such as tigers, sharks, and dinosaurs, but also a collection of books that children are free to look through and touch. The exhibit runs from April 10th through June 19th during regular museum hours.
While we were there, we also discovered the Art Activity Day that is hosted by the Bergstrom-Mahler once per month from 11am to 2pm. With the help of an instructor, we were able to sit inside the Wizards of Pop exhibit and make our own unique paper book and decorate it with various materials. The project was simple enough for young children to follow and do most of, but turned out beautifully enough to be part of a Father’s Day gift. For more information on the Art Activity Days at the Bergstrom-Mahler, call 920-751-4658.
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Lillians, “The Hippest Shoppe in Town!”
Posted by Kim Tisler on 5/28/10 |
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 Shopping downtown Appleton recently, I happened to catch Lillians on their ‘open’ weekend. Given that the shop is only open the first Thursday through of Sunday each month, you’ll want to mark your calendar in order to catch some of the most trendy, but super affordable fashions and accessories around. The Lillians shopping experience offers women hundreds of fashionable handbags, including the Big Buddha brand, fun flat wallets, stylish sunglasses, trendy jewelry and seasonal fashions at “ridiculously affordable” prices. They have some of the most unusual, fun, and funky clothing that you just have to check out if you are looking for something truly unique and different. My daughter found an adorable little black dress, tried it on, fell in love with it, and then checked the price tag… $34.00!! The quality of their products is great, plus they provide a punch card which may earn you a free handbag! For those of you who love our summer Downtown Appleton Farmers Market, Lillians has extended their hours to include June 19 and June 26. The shop is colorful, and sales associates are friendly and inviting. You just have to add this to your list of ‘must see’ shops, restaurants, and boutiques, the next time you are in downtown Appleton! |
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Winter & Road Construction
Posted by Pam Seidl on 5/18/10 |
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 ...Wisconsin's 2 seasons! This season, all roads lead to Downtown Neenah. Ok, right now that's not quite true as Wisconsin Ave. in Neenah is under construction, BUT the plus side is a number of downtown Neenah businesses are offering special construction discounts. Here's a link to the coupons. |
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Staying at a hotel near the mall?
Posted by Lynn Peters on 5/17/10 |
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 Staying at a hotel near the Fox River Mall? Here are a few things you should know:
•Planning to relax in your room? World Market carries a nice selection of wine and beer, as well as interesting snacks. Woodman’s, just east of 41, has a huge liquor department and pretty much any food you could want.
•Looking for a classic Wisconsin fish fry? The American Legion on W. College Ave. serves boatloads of fish on Fridays and it’s located less than a mile from the mall.
•Prefer local joints to chain restaurants? You’re less than 2 miles from downtown Appleton where there are lots of interesting/ethnic restaurants. My favorite? Apollon.
•If you’re a serious caffeine freak, you'll find Starbucks on the north side of the mall property and Gloria Jean’s Coffee Bean directly inside the “Northwoods Café” entrance.
•Should you find yourself in need of business services, there’s a FedEx Office (formerly Kinko’s) on W. College near McDonald’s.
•The Fox Cities Visitor Center is just minutes away, also on W. College. It’s open ‘til 6 on weeknights, and weekends too. Even if it’s closed, you’ll find Visitor Guides and maps near the front door.
•And just in case you want a permanent souvenir of your visit, there’s a tattoo parlor right in the Fox River Mall. Really!
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New canoe & kayak portages!
Posted by Lynn Peters on 5/12/10 |
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| Thanks to some recent work by the Friends of the Fox, there's no place like the Fox Cities for urban paddling. A series of 7 launch points and portages will make it easy to canoe or kayak the Fox River, right here in town. Despite yesterday's wind and rain, I joined a a hardy group of silent sports enthusiast as they cut the ribbon on the portages yesterday, so I saw how nice they are . . . and they'll be all the more perfect on a sunny day! |
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Stop in May 10-14
Posted by Pam Seidl on 5/7/10 |
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There's No Place Like the Fox Cities ... especially during National Travel and Tourism Week.
Anyone who stops in at the Visitor Center between May 10 and 14 can pick something from our Fox Cities prize basket. They will also be able to register for our grand prize -- tickets to "The Wizard of Oz" at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center.
Finally, we'll be asking visitors to complete the phrase: "There's no place like the Fox Cities ...." We'll be videotaping their answers and posting them to our website and Facebook page.
People out of the area can play along by answering the question via our Facebook Fan page or submitting their own video.
Thanks to our tourism partners who have provided prizes for this promotion: Kerrigan Brothers Winery, The History Museum at the Castle, LIttle Chute Windmill and the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center.
See you May 10-14th! |
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Science Snot
Posted by Pam Seidl on 5/3/10 |
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| Had the chance to watch the making of "science snot" at The Building for Kids in Appleton. Thanks to Patty Lipka for her fun and informative demonstration. They do such cool stuff in their DaVinci Studio. The "snot" video is posted on our YouTube channel. Click here to watch it. |
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NCAA Baseball
Posted by Lynn Peters on 4/26/10 |
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| Need to make plans for Memorial Day weekend? I recommend that you spend an afternoon at Fox Cities Stadium watching college baseball. The 35th annual NCAA Division III Championships will be held in the Fox Cities May 28th to June 1. This double elimination tournament brings 8 topnotch college teams to town and you can buy an all-tournament pass, which will let you go to any or all of the games, for just $15. I’ve gone lots of times and it’s a wonderful way to spend a sunny start-of-summer day! |
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OMG Legally Blonde is a lot of Fun!
Posted by Pam Seidl on 4/21/10 |
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I saw opening night of "Legally Blonde the Musical" last night at the Fox Cities PAC. It was soooooo much fun. I must admit, this show wasn't tops on my must see list: I'd seen the movie. It was cute. Done.
But I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the show. Lots of humor (the show lampoons every stereotype we have of Harvard, blondes, cheerleaders and more). True entertainment and cute dogs, too! If you have a chance, catch the show before it leaves town. It runs through the weekend, and there are some seats still available. Trust me, you'll never look at your UPS man the same way again. |
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