DAY SEVEN  (Wisconsin)

The previous day we left Indianapolis in the middle of the afternoon and drove nearly 400 miles to Green Bay, Wisconsin. We arrived in the early evening and spent the night playing baccarat at the Oneida Indian Casino near the city's airport. Green Bay was not one of our original stops on the road trip. We had planned on spending two nights in Chicago but the cost of staying in the 'Windy City' seemed excessive for such a short stay. We decided to reschedule  Chicago for a future trip and opted instead to visit  the Lambeau Field football stadium in Green Bay. Built in 1957, this is the oldest continually operating NFL stadium in the country. Home to the Green Bay Packers, the stadium is now also the largest venue in Wisconsin with over 81,000 seats. On Day 7 of our trip we had tickets for the 10:30am Legendary Tour of Lambeau Field, which is a  2-hour guided tour of the entire stadium. My brother Joe was the one who pitched this idea. I have to admit I was a little hesitant to drive so far up north just to see a sports stadium. But it was a wonderful experience. Lambeau Field and the adjacent Titletown district turned out to be another enjoyable stop on our road trip. The stadium was empty (except for the regular employees) and our small tour group got to visit areas usually not available to the general public, like the VIP suites, the press room, a section of the locker room area and the sidelines. We had two guides who did an excellent job of explaining not only the history of Lambeau Field, but also its significance as a cultural icon for the state. Following the tour we walked across the street to visit Titletown, a mixed-use park and plaza  constructed by the Green Bay Packers on 45 acres adjacent to the stadium. It opened in 2017 and offers a family-friendly park with plenty of activities (from running tracks and playgrounds to a seasonal skating rink and more). If visiting the Green Bay area, I highly recommend putting this stop on your must-see list even if you're not a football fan. It is well worth the time. After our visit to Lambeau Field and Titletown we continued driving to Minneapolis for a two-night stay.