As I mentioned in the previous post, Scott and I intended to go down and watch the canoe race Friday night but the weather was extraordinarily unpleasant (rainy and cold). Yesterday, even though the weather wasn't much better, we ventured downtown to the Syttende Mai celebration. It was so windy, overcast, and cold that I wore jeans, boots, a down vest and a stocking cap (pictured below, and a very cute stocking cap if I don't say so myself.) Not my preferred attire for a spring day but, unfortunately, necessary in order to tolerate the elements.
We got downtown mid-morning. It wasn't too crowded at that time but the runners/walkers in the 20-mile trek from Madison were making their way through town. Below is a shot as we approached downtown.
After we got parked and started to walk around, this is the first place we went in. Montage.
Montage needs to get some new letters for their sign. The "C. Cream" actually means "Ice Cream". Yesterday was not a good day for ice cream (too cold out), but they do have a little, old fashioned parlor in the Montage where you can get hand-dipped ice cream.
Montage also has a small section of novelties and gifts. Kind of cute.
Lucky for me, Montage had funky sock sets for sale. I have to admit: I was lazy when I got dressed in morning. I put my boots on with athletic footies. Not a good plan. As I walked, the footies kept sliding down off my heel. Not good conditions for walking around a festival. I ended up buying socks at Montage and going into the bathroom and putting them on. The socks were actually sold in 3's, with the intention that the wearer would have on mix-matched socks. I bought a set of black/white ones. As I put them on in the bathroom, I came to realize these are some of the most comfortable socks ever. I ended up buying a multi-color set, too, which I think I'm going to send to a friend as a little gift.
Montage sits a bit back off of the main strip downtown and is in an old house, pictured below.
After Montage, we ventured back up to the strip. Next stop was a shop named "Cheesers", which I have been wanting to go in for a long time. Below is a shot I took right before we walked across the street to Cheesers. Gives you a bit more of a sense of downtown Stoughton, which I think is charming.
At the entrance to Cheesers was a booth with a friendly woman wearing a cow suit. Had to get a picture of that. Here she is with Scott. Nice udder.
Cheesers is endearing; I just love these little shops in old houses and old buildings. Of course Cheesers had a respectable selection of Wisconsin cheeses, just as one would expect. The woman we talked to in the shop said she travels to Monroe every Thursday for fresh cheese curds. Only in Wisconsin.
Here are a few pictures inside Cheesers.
Cheesers had a cheese head hat for sale (of course). Scott tried it on. He is such a cute boy, he even looks cute as a cheese head.
Last picture from Cheesers. On the same table as the cheese head hat was this bumper sticker.
I do love Wisconsin cheese....... but not enough to put a bumper sticker on my car about it.
Scott was really into hats for the Syttende Mai celebration. After Cheesers, we stopped in the Pour House for a beer. Here is Scott in a Viking hat.
As cute as he is, he ain't cute enough to pull off the Viking hat with blonde braids. He is a good sport, though, for putting it on and letting me take his picture.
We continued to roam around a bit and then eventually ended up in this place, Cully's, for another beer.
Walk around a bit. Shop a bit. Drink a beer./Walk around a bit. Shop a bit. Drink a beer./Walk around a bit. Shop a bit. Drink a beer. That's pretty much how Scott and I worked the Syttende Mai celebration.
Cully's was actually a disappointment. From the outside, Culley's looked like a typical small town pub, but we had the impression it would be a bit more "grown up" than it actually ended up looking on the inside. Inside it looked like a campus bar.
While we weren't impressed with the inside, we had a beer in Cully's anyways. We were the only customers, except a young girl who wandered in and out a couple times while we were there to talk to the bar tender. We ended up chatting with the bar tender, too. She was a tiny little young thing who said she moved to Stoughton from southern California 2 1/2 years ago. What would make a person do that?? She didn't say and we didn't ask. She said she lives right here in Stoughton. I asked her what young people do for fun in the small town of Stoughton. She answered: Drink.
Here is a shot of the interior (which is kind of actually also the exterior-- since it's right out there in the open for God and everyone to see). Is there anyplace in there to plug in my iPod?? OK. No iPod connection. How about a cassette? Not that either?? *Sigh* Will it at least play an 8-track?
As with most festivals, there were food booths set up, like this one.
One difference, though, is the type of fare for sale. Of all the festivals I went to in Columbus, I don't ever recall these being sold at a food booth.
Yep. Cheese Curds. 4 bucks.
Scott and I did stop in a parking lot set up with food booths so we could get a bite to eat. After shopping and bar hopping, we were hungry. This fella was posted up in the parking lot making things out of balloons. He was surrounded by fascinated children.
One of the food booths we went to was selling sweet corn on the cob. Before they hand it to you, they dip it straight down in a big vat of melted butter. I don't even know where one gets sweet corn this early in the season but, damn, it was good.
We also split an Italian beef sandwich. I was a bit surprised they had Italian beef at a Norwegian festival, but it was actually really tasty. Seasoned well. Meat was moist.
In addition to purchasing the socks, I made a purchase in one other store. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of it. I got this cute bamboo bowl and dishtowels.
Did I need these things? No. But I've been into cute dish towels recently. I don't know why. And that bowl? Bamboo. Purple on the outside. And the perfect shape and size for putting out chips or tortilla chips at a party. Now, how could I pass that up?
So, that about sums up our first trip to the Syttende Mai celebration in Stoughton. As you can see, Scott and I continue to live like rock stars in Wisconsin.
2 comments:
Every time I read about one of your excursions, I wish I was there.
I love Scott in the viking hat! adorable!
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