| No maid service? Mom, you're going to cook? She's a great cook, but that wasn't like a vacation to us. If you're going to cook and we had to make our beds, what kind of vacation was that? We had gotten used to the resort. But they wanted to give us that full experience." Branch went on to enjoy the experience and has ventured forth ever since. And she has a little of that "pioneering" spirit within her. "I'm open to anything," Branch said. "I will try anything once. I'm very adventurous. I have a little daredevil in me. I'm going to take people up on their offers to get me out there and show me that side of Wisconsin. I'm going toget on an ATV. I'm going to do some fishing this summer. I'm going to experience some nature trails and go to some of our beautiful national parks. I'm going to be well-rounded when it is all over." Branch feels it's important that people of color venture out of their haunts and try something different. Their tax dollars are paying for many of the amenities and you never know what pleasurable experience you may discover. "I think that until we venture out, people that may not be familiar with our cultures and you can't be accepting of things you aren't familiar with," Branch said. "How will people become familiar with other cultures if we never go, if we never experience, if we never force that. If we always stay in the same places and the same areas, how will we ever engage other communities?" A case in point is the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake. "I've been going there for years for our church's women's retreat before I started this job," Branch said. "One thing that we noticed immediately was how welcoming they were to people of color. This is a group of 100 Black women. The service is second to none. We felt, as a group, that we were very welcome there. We got the recommendation from another church group that had its retreat there the year before. The Osthoff wasn't even targeting women's church groups. But once it was passed along by word of mouth that people had good experiences there, we've been back for three years and they want us back again. It's about an hour from Milwaukee. You feel like you are getting away. They have a new spa that they put a lot of resources into. We want people of color to know that the Osthoff welcomes us." Branch feels that there are many other places that will be welcoming to people of color for the color of tourism is green, both in terms of the natural beauty and the color of money. "Even when I go up north, I want to know that I'm welcome," Branch said. "One thing I'm finding in tourism is that people in the industry know that tourism means dollars. It's a big business in the state of Wisconsin. It's number three behind manufacturing and agriculture in terms of our state's economy. So Governor Doyle understands what the tourism industry means to Wisconsin. That's why he is so supportive of our industry. Our industry leaders too are looking at ways of being very creative in how they reach out to people of color and other groups. Most of them -- if not all -- want to say 'You are welcome here.' But we have to go to these places and share our experiences so that people won';t be afraid to venture out." And while we have already hit the middle mark of the summer season, there are still many places to go and events to experience. Later this month, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) will be hosting Air Venture July 24-30 when Wittman Regional Airport becomes the busiest airport in the U.S. "Even if you aren't an enthusiast of that kind of air show, it can still be a good learning experience for children or people who have never seen an air show," Branch said. "That's one of the summer events that put Wisconsin on the map. I believe it is one of the biggest in the country. We have people coming from all over." Another big event coming to Wisconsin is the Baylake Bank Tall Ship Festival featuring ocean going sail schooners that will be held in Green Bay July 26-31. "It's going to be a maritime activities festival," Branch said. "There's going to be food, beverages, and entertainment. Most importantly, you';ll get to see a fleet of 10-16 tall ships. This is the biggest in the country. No place has had this many tall ships at one time for a festival of this size. People will be able to tour them and experience them." And of course Milwaukee can always be depended upon to sponsor great events during the summer time. There are the great ethnic festivals including African World Festival that are held on the Summerfest grounds throughout July and August. And don't forget the Wisconsin State Fair taking place in West Allis August 3-13. However, what is probably the most exciting tourism development, in Branch's opinion, is the pending opening of Discovery World on the shores of Lake Michigan, just north of the Summerfest grounds. "They don't want to call it a museum," Branch emphasized. "It's more of an interactive experience. It's going to be something you have never seen before in the U.S. It's an educational opportunity for people of every age. They're going to have quite a few aquariums. They're going to do a lot of interaction things on Lake Michigan, so it's going to be a water experience. Most of their displays, from the environment to how to put together a business plan, will be nteractive." So, no matter what you have to spend, there's an activity out there for you and your family. Go forth and find out for yourself. |
| Tourism's Sheree Dallas Branch Venturing forth Part 2 of 2 by Jonathan Gramling |
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| Dept. of Tourism Deputy Secretary Sheree Dallas Branch |
| When Sheree Dallas Branch, deputy secretary of the Wis. Dept. of Tourism, was growing up, her family took vacations to resorts and the Wisconsin Dells. And while the others were off swimming, she could be found under a tree reading a good book. One summer, they did something different. "My mother decided we would go someplace up north and rent a little cabin," Branch said during an interview with The Hues. "We rented it for a week. It was on a pretty lake. They had a littlecountry store with a game room. We thought that was nice until we walked into our cabin. It had a little kitchen. We asked our parents -- I come from a family of all girls -- "Does this mean no room service? |
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