Day 2 – September 4 

We had a few hiccups with our internet at the B&B but had an absolute blast sitting up late sewing and chatting. We both got our chance in the absolutely AMAZING bathtub jets and all. I love the attention to detail and comfort they took with this place.

We had a continental breakfast to enjoy in the morning (full breakfasts are weekends) and a wonderful conversation with our host. The poppy seed muffins were yummy. We made our plans… first to find cheese curds (as fresh as possible), then to head out for shopping and an art gallery and of course one more stop off at 7-11 before heading home.

The cheese factory we found had a wonderful window into the factory where we could see them making their cheese. The cheese curds I purchased (and put in the cooler we brought for this very reason) were fresh that day. Karyn splurged and got some swiss cheese as well. With the new regulations if food is properly labelled and sealed you CAN take it across the border!!

The art gallery was a free one found on the state university campus. Definitely a novel experience, being among the college students again and so close to the beginning of the term. It was a lovely building.

And an amazing art gallery that covered tons of different themes and eras. I must warn you… we took more than a few pictures! No flash and the phone loved it! So enjoy.

After the art gallery it was shopping in the gift shop.

And then down the street where all the students shopped to look for some amazing deals and have a light lunch. With Italian soda.

And then realize that all good things must come to an end. Our drive home was uneventful and bittersweet but amazing! A roadtrip to remember… and now for the rest of the pictures! 

Day 1 – August 3

For the first time in OVER 2 years I had an overnight trip! What a rush! Karyn and I took a two day trip to see the scenic Wisconsin…. Ok so the scenery was MOSTLY corn fields (seriously – where were all the cows????)… and we had a ton of rain on the road… but it was so much fun!

We started out the morning of the 3rd all dressed up with a cooler full of drinks and a bag of snacks. We had over 4 hours on the road… first to the bed and breakfast and then on to Madison Wisconsin. Miss Echo had to show off her all in white fashion as well.

Walking Iron Bed & Breakfast was lovely (HERE). We had the William Thompson room (HERE). Trust me the bathroom WAS decadent. What a tub!!! And so much space. We lucked out and the other guests were not yet checked in so we got a chance to peek into ALL of the bedrooms they have available. Ours was one of the smaller but they all were equally amazing. They certainly put a lot of work into each and every room in the house. The dining areas were lovely, the hallway and stairs so gorgeous. Check in was simple and after we brought in our bags and such we HAD TO take pictures. The B&B has a continental breakfast the morning we are there, a spa we did not use and complimentary drinks including tea and coffee 24/7. The wi-fi was a little wonky (they were having issues and trying to get it repaired) but otherwise our stay was AMAZING.

After properly photographing our temporary abode it was time to head into Madison for some shopping and dinner. There are some absolutely LOVELY craft stores to peruse in the capital city of Wisconsin. We started with art supplies and cross stitch bits. Our GPS sent us on a few adventures this trip. They led us right over to the WRONG mall which had us have the happy accident of finding not only Sephora but a food place called Potbelly that was absolutely amazing. Karyn had had it before in another state and was unaware that it was a chain. We had flatbread. So yum!

I have to admit it was fun to be out and about without kids AND dressed up all fancy. I finally got to wear my birthday indulgences… my brand new rose patterned skirt and red crinoline. Not only comfortable but the compliments!! I lucked out and before Karyn got here found a fitted t shirt to match for now. I look forward to budgeting in a blouse from the Tatyana store one day!

Apparently Madison Wisconsin is the place to go if you want to find an amazing selection of yarn. It was in a rather dead mall but well worth the bungled up GPS instructions. I could easily have indulged hundreds of dollars worth of amazing yarn. Restraint was hard to find!!! Thank goodness for a budget and the realization that we still had another day of fun in Wisconsin to come.

After shopping and dinner at Potbelly and MORE shopping it was time to find a 7-11 to try a slurpee. Not quite the same as back home but a definite improvement on the Icee! Almost a taste of home and an awesome reason for such a fun odyssey.

After all that fun it was back to the B&B for a well earned rest!