Vacation 2007 -- Moving on to Madison

Day 5: Baraboo to Madison

Before Cameron woke up, we had the cabin cleaned and the minivan packed. We ate oatmeal with fresh berries, then started on the road to Madison, WI. What ensued was a back roads adventure involving a lot of corn, a few wrong turns and, eventually, arrival at the hotel. Cameron was excited to see his Grandma and Grandpa T, as well as his cousins and Aunt Sarah. But once he saw the hotel arcade, he had only one thing on his mind -- games. Fortunately, he is pretty much just as happy "playing" the demo as paying for a real game.

At noon, we went to Great Grandma and Grandpa T's apartment building for the surprise party. Great Grandpa T was genuinely surprised to see so many friends and family gathered for his 90th birthday, and said it explained why Great Grandma T had been driving him crazy! The tables were decorated with toy John Deere tractors, which kept Cameron occupied, as did the fish tank. He ate a huge lunch, finished off with the frosting from a large piece of cake. We visited with family, took many photos (which I will post when I get them from Stacy!) and watched a funny performance called "Alfred, the Opera-Loving Farmer" by Karen, Cheryl and Jan.

In the evening, Cheryl and Pete hosted an amazing dinner and bonfire at their hom -- a gorgeous log cabin with a huge garden, a pond, a deck, a sunroom and a backyard with a playset. Cameron became fast friends with his second cousins, Jakob and Ben. They played in the sandbox, played with a ball, rode on the glider, rolled down the hill, fought over a toy mower and ate popsicles. When it got dark, Jakob and him mom showed Cameron how to catch fireflies, which actually caused him to shriek with excitement. We sat around a bonfire roasting marshmallows and listening to Tim recite Robert Service. It was a wonderful night with family!

Day 6: Madison to New Glarus

Karen and Tim had a brunch at their home in the morning. (Cheryl lives in a log cabin at the edge of a state park while Karen lives in an old schoolhouse -- this family knows a house with character!) We ate delicious scrambled eggs with fresh herbs, coffee cake and amazing cheese -- maple cheddar and fenugreek gouda. (We were in Wisconsin, after all!) To Cameron's delight, Tim and Karen have plenty of toys.

Later, Tim and Karen led us on a great hike through forest and meadow. Cameron devoured wild raspberries (shown below with Cheryl and Alleah) and posed with me in front of a hay "snail." Once again, he was a trooper, only requiring a few piggy back rides towards the end.

After the hike, we moved on to our next destination -- New Glarus, WI. It is known as "America's Little Switzerland" and one of David's ancestors was an original settler. Karen had made reservations for us at the Glarner Stube where Cameron cried, kicked, laid on the booth, spilled his apple juice and loudly proclaimed his hot dog dinner smelled "stinky." Finally, some bread with lots of butter and the distraction of waiter breaking a glass improved his mood. The food was incredible, especially the roesti (kind of like hashbrowns with Swiss cheese) and the Belgian Red -- a cherry beer brewed at the local New Glarus Brewing Co. Thanks so much, Karen and Tim, for a fantastic dinner and for putting up with a cranky preschooler!!! We couldn't have asked for better tour guides!

After dinner, we went to see the statue that lists one of David's ancestors as one of the original settlers. Also on the list -- Hilarius Wild. Now THERE is a baby name I had not yet considered!!! We also found a playground where we ALL had a great time. Karen loved the roller slide!