A Week in Wisconsin (A Week of Spotted Cow)

You probably maybe noticed in early August I was posting a lot of pictures of Spotted Cow bottles. New Glarus Spotted Cow... I could write pages about that beer! My college beer. But, for the sake of space I'll just share with you that, yes, it is only available in Wisconsin and that, yes, Andy and I spent a week in Wisconsin enjoying our favorite beers. Ok, ok, we actually went for his cousin's wedding and to spend time with his family. But Spotted Cow is kinda like fam, right?

We flew out of Denver Thursday afternoon and landed in the evening Milwaukee, almost two hours late mind you. My good friend from college, Steve, is always up for anything (as long as his wife, 37 weeks pregnant at the time, doesn't go into early labor ;o) ) and was able to meet us for a last minute dinner and beers to welcome us back to Wisco. We drove that night up to Sheboygan (about an hour north of Milwaukee) and pretty much crashed right away.

Waiting for the bus to the airport.

Airport beers. Coulda had more if they woulda filled us in on the two hour delay at some, really any, point.

STEVE!

Friday was a working day for both Andy and me (hey, someone's gotta pay the bills, even on vacation!) and we enjoyed the beautiful sunny patio Andy's mom Mary and her boyfriend Mark built in their backyard. Not too bad of a workday view, huh? Andy's dad, Randy, came over for a bit in the afternoon and Andy, Randy, Mark, and I (and Nellie, Randy's dog!) hung out in the back chatting before Andy, Randy, Nellie, and I went out for lunch in downtown Sheboygan.

So, what do you think Andy and I do best when we're on vacation? (Hint: It's pretty obvious.) Find breweries! Andy found that 3 Sheeps brewing was just a few miles from his mom and Mark's place and that they had tours on Fridays. We checked out the brewery and bar late afternoon before meeting his mom and Mark and their friends for their weekly Friday dinner. It was really nice to meet the couples that they talk about all the time and put together some faces with stories :o) Following dinner, and subsequent dessert at the coffee shop in town, Andy and I headed right back over to 3 Sheeps to try the beers we missed earlier on our tour.

We had Saturday brunch plans in Sheboygan with Andy's good friend, Jon, and his wife Stacy followed by a walk through the beautiful Sheboygan Farmer's Market. Andy and I were totally jealous; we don't have markets like this in Denver! Plus, I mean, all the Green Bay Packer tents were a total homecoming. Jon and Stacy have been close with Andy for years and mean a lot to both of us. It's such a bummer we only see them once a year! So when they invited us to go to the Moose Lodge annual summer picnic, we jumped at the chance to spend more time with them.

Stacy, Andy, and Jon strolling through the market.

This machine was making ice cream! Yes, I had some and it was delicious.

Sign at the Moose Lodge picnic. Don't go blaming Clifford when you freeze your fingers getting ice for your cocktail.

Now, we could have spent the afternoon hanging out with Jon, Stacy, and the other Sheboygan Moose Lodge members, but we had a wedding to attend! Andy's cousin, Katie, married her long time boyfriend Jibrail in a totally hippie, beautiful, outdoor wedding. It was perfectly Katie and Jibrail with a meaningful ceremony performed by a close friend, flowers from the farmer's market, Spotted Cow on tap (love!), and a head table packed with their immediate family. After the delicious curry and super vegetarian friendly dinner that got Andy agreeing to make tofu curry around the house with me (seriously, it was that good), everyone moved back outside for dancing under the stars.

 

Andy's cousin's wife, Emily, and her new little gal :o) Emily is just lovin being a new mama!

View from the deck on the barn where the dinner was held. 

I found a tree house. No joke. 

We spent the Sunday day with Mary and Mark since we'd been on the go much of the week and really hadn't seen them but in passing since Friday dinner. Following brunch, they brought us to the local park where we wandered around on the sand beach and waded in the water (sand! beach! water!). We headed into the city and walked along the boardwalk, mainly with the goal of getting some coffee and ice cream. Seriously, water, family, and ice cream in the summer; it's the best. We capped-off our summery Sunday with a grill-out on that awesome patio at Mary and Mark's house. And then later in the night, my good friend Nina and her boyfriend Wes came up all the way from Kenosha, WI (over an hour drive) for drinks and catch-up with Andy and I. How wonderful are they??

Look at the toy train, Dad!

NINA!

Well now Monday I just forgot to take pictures most of the day! On Monday my friend Marissa drove all the way from Menasha, WI (also over an hour drive) for lunch and drinks. It was so good to see her and catch-up! So much catch-up with good friends :o) Andy and I met his mom and Mark for dinner that evening, and spent the night playing three person cribbage with Mary back at home.

Tuesday. Tuesday I went to La Crosse, WI, where I spent my college years. Stayed tuned for a future post on my trip down memory lane in La Crosse :o)

Our last day in town was Wednesday. Andy and I walked out to the light house on Lake Michigan in Sheboygan as our last hometown activity before packing-up and heading out, back to Denver.

Well, this is cute, but where's the light house?

Ok, now there's still no light house, plus there's no bottom half of Breanna's face.

There we go! Do you think everyone will be so enthralled by the light house that they won't notice my crocked smile?

Hey, this beer won't fit in my suitcase; should I just drink it?

Bye bye, Wisconsin.

How is it that the vacations and family trips we take always require a lot of planning, seem to stretch on when you're there, but when you reflect back you realize they just breezed by? After having a week earlier this summer in my hometown in Minnesota, and a week in Andy's hometown in Wisconsin, it gets us thinking. A lot about how much we miss our families, our friends, and the familiarity of back home. But it also gets us thinking about how much we love coming home to our Denver home and how grateful we feel to have a place in Colorado that we share together that feels like home to both of us. Now all we need is to get our families to move out here ;o)

-Breanna