Cheese Tour
The vacation shouldn't start when you reach your destination nor should it end when you pack up the car to head home. C and I consider travelling to and from part of the trip and we make it as fun as possible. Our friends,Kent and Susan,occasionally take trips where they stop at various cheese factories in Wisconsin. Since I am a Wisconsin cheese snob, this sounded like a good idea. Our cheese stock was getting low and we would be going past several places that I had not been to.
Over breakfast we looked at the cheese map that we had brought with us. (Yes, it is a map with most ,if not all, of the cheese factories and stores in Wisconsin listed on it as well as their locations.) We plotted out our route and found several stopping places along the way. I knew that we wouldn't be able to hit all of them, but there were a few I wanted to see.
The first one we went to was a really nice place. It had something for everyone, Packer themed items,local wines for those that partake and a good selection of cheese. I went there and picked up several things. I was trying to be conservative as we would be stopping at other places. They had a lot of what I would call "flavoured" cheese, cheese with other things in it like salami, peppers or cranberries. Nothing really caught my eye. I took my selections up to the counter to pay. Then I saw the fudge.
Most cheese shops in Wisconsin have fudge or ice cream or both. I like fudge,but since it is so unhealthy I only allow my self a little bit every year. They had the standard chocolate, mint, and maple. They also had Oreo fudge and red velvet fudge. I looked at the red velvet fudge. It looked good and there was a nice square of it already cut out. I knew I shouldn't do it. I didn't need it. C doesn't eat fudge so I would have to consume it all myself. Then I realised that I was on vacation and I could do whatever I wanted, including eating fudge. I bought the square. (It is really,really good by the way.)
C wanted to get a picture of each place we stopped at. I had an idea. Last fall I had bought a necklace strung with plastic wedges of cheese. It was a silly purchase,but I did it anyway. I asked C if he would take a picture of me wearing the necklace in front of each place we stopped. Given the fact that I really dislike being photographed, this was something.
The next place seemed familiar. I was pretty sure I had been there before, but I wasn't sure how. I'd been to Milwaukee before I married, but didn't usually stop along the way. There was a giant cow in front of the store and the place looked like a Swiss chalet. It ,too,had a fine selection of cheese including C's favourite,cheddar cheese with a blue vein in it. They also has something I had never seen before, chicken soup cheese. I was tempted, but a little scared. I don't mind the flavoured cheeses. There are some lines that shouldn't be crossed. I stowed our purchases in the cooler we had bought for the trip. I was beginning to be grateful that C insisted on the larger cooler. I didn't think we would use all the space. It was about one fourth full and we still had a few places to stop.
The next place was smaller and had a giant mouse in the front holding a wedge of cheese and a sausage. It was a smaller place. According to the cheese map this was one of two locations. We were the only people there. They had some nice gift ware and a good selection of cheese. they also had cheese curds, something that C was looking for. I had introduced C to curds a few years ago. Proper cheese curds should squeak when you bit into them and if possible still be a bit warm. These curds still squeaked. C bought two bags, he really likes curds.
The last place was much larger. When we went inside it was full of soldiers. (I think Camp McCoy was not too far away.) This place had an ice cream counter. C found that they had his favourite flavour,black walnut. He got himself an ice cream cone. I looked around at all the things that were there. There were meats,dips,dip mixes and mustard. I realised that I had not yet bought any smoked string cheese so I picked some up. C found some Bucky Badger peanut butter filled pretzel nuggets. He was pleased about that. A coworker had brought some in once. C tried it and liked it alot. I waited for the soldiers to clear out and then paid for my selections. We loaded them into the now nearly full cooler. This would be our last stop.
I donned the cheese necklace for one more picture in front of the sign which was shaped like a slice of Swiss cheese. (It was the wrong colour though, Swiss is not a yellow cheese.) We climbed into the car and headed for home wondering if we had room in the fridge for all the cheese we bought.
Over breakfast we looked at the cheese map that we had brought with us. (Yes, it is a map with most ,if not all, of the cheese factories and stores in Wisconsin listed on it as well as their locations.) We plotted out our route and found several stopping places along the way. I knew that we wouldn't be able to hit all of them, but there were a few I wanted to see.
The first one we went to was a really nice place. It had something for everyone, Packer themed items,local wines for those that partake and a good selection of cheese. I went there and picked up several things. I was trying to be conservative as we would be stopping at other places. They had a lot of what I would call "flavoured" cheese, cheese with other things in it like salami, peppers or cranberries. Nothing really caught my eye. I took my selections up to the counter to pay. Then I saw the fudge.
Most cheese shops in Wisconsin have fudge or ice cream or both. I like fudge,but since it is so unhealthy I only allow my self a little bit every year. They had the standard chocolate, mint, and maple. They also had Oreo fudge and red velvet fudge. I looked at the red velvet fudge. It looked good and there was a nice square of it already cut out. I knew I shouldn't do it. I didn't need it. C doesn't eat fudge so I would have to consume it all myself. Then I realised that I was on vacation and I could do whatever I wanted, including eating fudge. I bought the square. (It is really,really good by the way.)
C wanted to get a picture of each place we stopped at. I had an idea. Last fall I had bought a necklace strung with plastic wedges of cheese. It was a silly purchase,but I did it anyway. I asked C if he would take a picture of me wearing the necklace in front of each place we stopped. Given the fact that I really dislike being photographed, this was something.
The next place seemed familiar. I was pretty sure I had been there before, but I wasn't sure how. I'd been to Milwaukee before I married, but didn't usually stop along the way. There was a giant cow in front of the store and the place looked like a Swiss chalet. It ,too,had a fine selection of cheese including C's favourite,cheddar cheese with a blue vein in it. They also has something I had never seen before, chicken soup cheese. I was tempted, but a little scared. I don't mind the flavoured cheeses. There are some lines that shouldn't be crossed. I stowed our purchases in the cooler we had bought for the trip. I was beginning to be grateful that C insisted on the larger cooler. I didn't think we would use all the space. It was about one fourth full and we still had a few places to stop.
The next place was smaller and had a giant mouse in the front holding a wedge of cheese and a sausage. It was a smaller place. According to the cheese map this was one of two locations. We were the only people there. They had some nice gift ware and a good selection of cheese. they also had cheese curds, something that C was looking for. I had introduced C to curds a few years ago. Proper cheese curds should squeak when you bit into them and if possible still be a bit warm. These curds still squeaked. C bought two bags, he really likes curds.
The last place was much larger. When we went inside it was full of soldiers. (I think Camp McCoy was not too far away.) This place had an ice cream counter. C found that they had his favourite flavour,black walnut. He got himself an ice cream cone. I looked around at all the things that were there. There were meats,dips,dip mixes and mustard. I realised that I had not yet bought any smoked string cheese so I picked some up. C found some Bucky Badger peanut butter filled pretzel nuggets. He was pleased about that. A coworker had brought some in once. C tried it and liked it alot. I waited for the soldiers to clear out and then paid for my selections. We loaded them into the now nearly full cooler. This would be our last stop.
I donned the cheese necklace for one more picture in front of the sign which was shaped like a slice of Swiss cheese. (It was the wrong colour though, Swiss is not a yellow cheese.) We climbed into the car and headed for home wondering if we had room in the fridge for all the cheese we bought.
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