Wednesday

Shake Rag Alley, Mineral Point Wisconsin


 My closet at the Mineral Point Hotel

Remember my dining room chairs?  Yeah, well they're still not done.  I'd work on them today but my family is crying there is no food to eat.  I'd do chairs tomorrow but it's thrifting day.  Friday?  Ok, Friday it is.  Forget about the 10" tall grass that needs mowing and the 10 FOOT high pile of laundry.  Or those dishes that I can't seem to get washed so the kitchen is clean.

If you can forget those things for me, I'd be happy too forget them as well.

 The Mineral Point Hotel, Mineral Point Wisconsin

The story is that I have been out of town twice in the last two weeks for a total of 7 days.  All that does is make more laundry with less time to do it.

 Stairway of the Mineral Point Hotel

Everyone knows if you have a trip, there is one day preparing to go and one day re-acclimating after arriving home, so if I count in those additional 4 days, then I've been worthless around the house for 11 of the past 14 days.

(Whether I count those additional 4 days or not I've been worthless around the house.)

Lobby of the Mineral Point Hotel

Have you ever toured Wisconsin?  It's more than just cheese, although if you want cheese there is plenty to be had.  And beer.  And wine.  I lost count of the breweries, wineries and cheese stores, and I visited my fair share of both.  Wisconsin is a beautiful state and I wanna go back there, if for no other reason than the beer.  And cheese.  And wine.

Leinenkugel Beer Crates holding tourist information

Our trip started out in the northern part of the state where my little buddy Janel from Nellie Bellie lives, and ended in the southern part.  I have not figured out how to combine traveling with people who don't know I blog and also visiting bloggers, so I peeked in her windows on my way by, ate a piece of cheese and downed a beer in her honor. 

Bessies Blend, an award winner from Carr Valley Cheese, and Spotted Cow from New Glarus Brewery to be exact.

There are so many little towns in Wisconsin that have a story and ooze with charm. The town of Mineral Point is no exception.  They have a very active arts council that has helped oversee a revitalization to their quaint downtown.  And they have done it very well.


 Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts hosts visiting artists who conduct hands on workshops.  Say you wanna learn about blacksmith-ing, this is the place for you.  Jewelry making.  Hone your writing skills.  Bent willow furniture making.  Photography.  Gardening.  Community plays.  Just check out their list of classes.  Antique shops, entertainment, trails, restaurants, B&B's, this town has it all and the population hasn't even hit 3,000.

Have you heard of the Little Free Library?  Take a book, leave a book.  Cute little book stands like this scattered around town.  We traveled with friends, and George is a writer so he was intrigued with this concept.

Want some wine?  They've got that too.  Local and organic.


There is also a brew pub, the Brewery Creek Restaurant, where I had the best burger of my life.  The brewery is also a B&B.  I was going to take a picture of my plate of food like good bloggers do, but I was running out of reasons to give our travel companions for why I was taking photos of odd little things.

FINE... the truth is that I ate it all before I even considered taking a picture.  Do you feel better for forcing me into that confession?  I had the specialty fries too.

The pub brews it's own beers.

View of a room entry at the Mineral Point Hotel

The owners of the Mineral Point Hotel also help run Shake Rag Alley.  I noticed the hotel is for sale, and I'm guessing the way the town is booming with shops and tourists that the owners can't keep up with both.


Our huge bathroom.  No I did not take a long, relaxing soak in the tub.  I'm not sure why, other than the bed was so comfortable I wanted to sleep.

We discovered so many interesting towns in Wisconsin, if you get a chance to go, do it.   Mineral Point was by far the highlight of our little tour.  Stop by Shake Rag Alley and find out how they were able to turn the town into a thriving little artsy mecca, then tour the town.

*All photos taken by a crummy little point and shoot camera loaned to me by my daughter because it fit so nicely in my purse.





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34 comments :

  1. When I saw the for sale sign in the window, I thought maybe you were going to say that you bought it! (C'mon...you know you want to!)

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  2. I'm all over that Little Free Library. I want to live in a place like that. What a fun trip with so many interesting things to see and do.
    You have enough inspiration to keep you busy for awhile...after you feed your family and get all that laundry done.
    I thought you must be there teaching Bliss wannabes and I was mad that you didn't tell me.

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  3. Go back and make an offer....over a beer!

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  4. What an adorable little hotel! And beer, wine and cheese, sounds like my kind of trip! ;)

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  5. I'm still stuck at Shake Rag. My hubby is from Shake Rag here in Ga. Looks like a fun spot to visit. I have never been to Wisconsin.

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  6. This is such a neat place!! Hope you enjoyed your trip!!

    Have a blessed and wonderful day!!

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  7. I've never been to Wisconsin before but neighbors across the street are from there. They are BIG Green Bay Packers fans too! Sounds like you had a wonderful time there. Love that bathroom you shared too. I think I would've loved lounging in that tub and then asking my husband if there was any way we could take it home with us. LOL! I love charming towns like that.

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  8. I've been to Wisconsin, pretty state but way too humid in the summer! What a sweet town. Love everything about it but I really wanted to see all the food and beer that you consumed. Bad, bad blogger!!

    Did I miss the duck naming winner??? I've been holding my breath this whole time.

    Cheers!

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  9. Good girl drinking New Glarus and peeking in my windows!!!
    Love that little hotel...so sweet! I've never been to Mineral Point...gasp! I'm going to have to go. Did you get to Spooner or Hayward? You'd like them.

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  10. When I first began this post, I fully expected you to say that in addition to your barber shop, you had bought a hotel :). I'm currently enjoying a respite in WI but no where near as quaint as you just visited :)

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  11. Living here in Illinois with Wisconsin straight above us, I've been to many neat places there. And yes, they do love their cheese and beer (not necessarily in that order). So where is Mineral Point? That hotel looks awesome!

    I totally hear you on the planning, laundry and recovery scenario. We are at the lake 3-4 days a week and the remainder here. I always feel like I'm in the wrong time zone!

    XO,
    Jane

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  12. I thought you were going to say you bought that hotel too! When my best friend Judy lived in Wisconsin, she took me to Mineral Point and several other cute little out of the way places. (Much beer, wine and cheese was consumed and purchases were made.) Leinenkugel Summer Shandy...yummmm! Please figure out the whole traveling/visiting bloggers thing before you come to Missouri!

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  13. Wisconsin is a beautiful state to visit. I love the scenery and all the little antique shops....everywhere! I love the photos of the hotel you stayed at. I've seen the free libraries in my daughter's neighborhood in Minneapolis and love the idea, too!

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  14. I want to travel with you! Awesome beer to visit, I mean places ;)
    Debbie

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  15. Cheese, wine and beer...hello! And that tub? It's calling my name..throw in a good cup of coffee and I'm there! Thank you for sharing. I've never been to Wisconsin. It looks beautiful. You are so funny about your secret blogger life! I've been away too and today is my first day back so I do feel useless and out of it. Doing laundry, drinking coffee and reading blogs to try and get used to 'normal' life again...

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  16. Sounds like perfection to me!! I'm in love with that hotel... awesome. :) Thumbs down to laundry.
    xo Heidi

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  17. Yup yup yup. Put me on the agenda on your next trip here.

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  18. Great experiences like this beat laundry any day! No regrets, Bliss!

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  19. Sounds like my kind of place to visit! Cheese? Good wine and beer are like a bonus. Love all of the pictures - looks like there is a lot to see and I love how quaint it all looks too. WI by way of FL is quite a trek but hopefully someday we can venture out that way. Thanks for sharing!
    xo, Claire

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  20. What a wonderful little getaway...Wisconsin is a beautiful state, and Mineral Point looked fun! Work at home will always be there (at least it is here)!

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  21. This sounds spectacular!! What a great getaway. Sounds like you had a blast with all the wine, beer and cheese! Sounds like this is very quaint.

    Cynthia

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  22. Looks awesome! I have friends here that are from Wisconsin and they miss home..they are also super nice people, and friendly too. I would like to check it out someday. Did someone say beer, wine cheese?:)

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  23. My grandma is from Wisconsin and still has the accent. I haven't been up there for years, but it was beautiful! I should go back now that I'm old enough to drink....

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  24. Sounds like you had a great time. Love the pictures!

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  25. I truly never knew this about Wisconsin. I just figured it was filled with nice Midwesterners who consumed too much beer and cheese. I always assumed it was also filled with Tole painted furniture and everyone had duck paintings on their walls. That is the California snob in me for SURE! Now I want to go visit this place! PS I agree that leaving like that is punishment for sure when you come home. I call it "reentry". AS in you have to reenter the atmosphere of home and it is painful. It is even more difficult if you have taken the weekend to be with all your painty friends, were treated like royalty, and then had to come home to suffering husband and kids who never want you to leave again because Dad was traumatized by the things he had to take over while I was away being a queen.

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  26. Ok girl, You did not take a bath in that wonderfully oversized looks long enough tub!!???Please you did and you will tell me how wonderful. You see I am so close to 6 ft.I just say it....that tub looks like heaven. I would buy the place for th tub alone. Loved all the pics...you could become a travel writer...Wisconsin is the area my grandfather was born in(Geneva) I had an uncle who would go visit family and the cheese o my heavens...mild cheddar with saugage bits...so my Dear you have brought out envy(the tub)and and memories of how pretty the country is and hunger....I hope to take pics on our vaca and show....a little Colo,Wyo and SO.Dak or Home as I call it

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  27. If it was my trip, I would have loaded up a ton of those vintage beer crates and hoped they wouldn't have noticed. Those are fabulous. Great little town. Thanks for sharing it with us.

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  28. I think the photos turned out lovely ... just proves it's not so much the camera as it's the person behind the camera! You should get royalties from the Mineral Point tourism board!

    Looks like a fabulous trip!

    :) Linda

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  29. Lovely!!

    I also love Wisconsin. I went to the prettiest winery there a few years back. It was somewhere around the Dells. I kid you not. I've been to Napa and Sonoma- it wasn't that kind of beautiful, but it was very lovely!

    I want a break and a hotel room.

    And cocktails and cheese!

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  30. That looks awesome! I could easily trade a daughter or 2 for that beautiful checkered floor! ( I think you just convinced me to drop $200 bucks on the checkered floor mat I have my eye on for my kitchen) Thanks!
    Susan

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  31. Being just below the border in the Chicago area, Wisconsin is always an awesome place for a day trip or more. One of my best friends lives just over the boarder and when I visit we always try to thrift shop. It's like town after endless town of interesting, quaint and curious places to stop off at. Such a beautiful capture of the hotel and town on your visit!!! - Thanks, Bliss

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  32. Looks like a fun trip! I love the hotel...and the bath is gorgeous. Unusual to see such a large space and so beautifully appointed...most hotel baths are small. I have a friend that lives in Wisconsin and keeps asking me to visit. After seeing your photos, I think I must!

    xo
    Pat

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  33. What an awesome trip! The hotel looks incredible and tons of fun! The floors are simply amazing! So glad to visit again and so great to see you! Let me know when you make a doggie bed : ) Sending hugs and wishes for a fabulous day!!!!

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  34. The hotel is adorable but seriously ... how in the world did you NOT climb in that tub???? Tub ... then sleep. Too much beer? Adorable little town. I will have to check that out :)
    Hugs

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