Welp, the “vacation” part of my vacation is just about over. All that’s left is an oil change this afternoon – go ahead, be jealous! – and then just an ordinary ol’ weekend. I’d say I’m amazed at how quickly all that time off flew by, but really, I’m not. That’s always the case.
I’m not too upset about it. Yes, it’s nice having no set schedule and loads of leisure time, but you know what else is nice? Having a roof over our heads. These bills aren’t gonna pay themselves, and Tara has made it clear that she refuses to be my sugar mama. Of course, I haven’t tried manifesting that yet. Hmm…
Also, I’m excited to start my new job. This feels different than going to work for TobacCo did. I can’t even really explain why. Maybe…more official? Small companies have their perks, but there are drawbacks, too. Ain’t nothing small about the State of Wisconsin.
Even though my vacation didn’t turn out exactly as expected thanks to the weather, I have no regrets. It began raining on Monday afternoon and continued nonstop for 24 hours, falling so heavy at times our fish pond was overflowing. Luckily, the koi did not end up in the grass.
And then, the rain turned to snow mid-afternoon Tuesday. Even Shirley couldn’t believe it.
Once the snow started, that didn’t stop for another 45 hours. Geez Louise, that was one long stretch of precipitation, especially considering our drought last year. As much as it pained me to do so, cancelling my Door County reservation really was for the best. I finally just figured, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, so on Wednesday that’s exactly what I did.
My first stop was Mukwonago. It may be “Place of the Bear,” but it’s also place of the world famous pie baked in a paper bag. I first came across this in an NPR story about The Elegant Farmer a few months ago and was immediately intrigued. So I visited the shop, which has all kinds of interesting food items. Did I pick up a bottle of dill pickle hot sauce and a bag of popcorn with kernels from their corn field? You betcha. And, of course, one of their paper bag pies. I got a 5″ peach/apple pie, which is just about the right size for two people – especially when one of them isn’t crazy about pie. Hint: that would be Tar, not Mar.
Supposedly, the bag captures moisture and steams the crust while baking, reacting with the sugar to create a crispy, crackly, but tender crust. If it’s a gimmick, it’s a tasty one. I can vouch for that.
Other than The Elegant Farmer, I had no destination in mind, so I just started driving through the snowy countryside. Eventually, I came to a sign for Lapham Peak State Park, so I decided to check it out. I came across a tower that was built in 1870 by the U.S. Army Signal Corps to record weather observations for the National Weather Service. Allen Lapham was a pioneer in the field of meteorology, and he recorded the first published national weather forecast on Nov. 8, 1870, calling for “high winds and falling temperatures for Chicago, Detroit and the Eastern cities.”
Meteorology buff that I am, I couldn’t resist climbing to the top of that tower, never mind the snow-and ice-covered stairs and brutally gusting winds. The view from the top was, of course, spectacular. But I did not linger. After climbing back down, I hiked briefly through the forest before resuming my journey, which included ramen in Watertown and a new pair of Skechers in Janesville. It was a productive, if circuitous, day.
Thursday I zipped into Madison to walk around Atomic Antiques and pick up sandwiches from Gino’s Deli, since Tara was working from home. Then, in the evening, we went out for a celebratory dinner at our local supper club.
When we found our apartment two weeks before moving and began researching Fort Atkinson from two states away, nearly every article or post featured a photo of the Stagecoach Inn. The sign is pretty cool! And, there’s yet another link to Justin the Realtor (and his sister Jess, our Sconnie friends): their brother-in-law owns (or manages?) the Stagecoach. Honestly, I can’t believe it took us this long to try it out; it’s just a seven-minute drive from home. The vibe is cozy, dark and candlelit, with lots of wood and twinkling string lights. Framed rifles on the walls and wagon wheel chandeliers…because Wisconsin, I guess?
But we came for the food, and it did not disappoint. My ribeye steak with crumbled bleu cheese was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Not pictured: the broiled scallops or au gratin potatoes. And then there were salads and appetizers. Believe it or not, we didn’t even get the full dinner service, which also includes a relish tray, soup, and bigger steaks. And we were much too full for dessert, as amazing as it looked.
Best of all are the prices. Wisconsin supper clubs are not cheap; we spent well over $200 at Ishnala for my birthday last year, but our bill at the Stagecoach was under three digits. If their decor is stuck in the past, so are their prices (my ribeye was $24), and that’s not a bad thing. We both agreed that we’ll be back…and probably often.
Gotta take my car in for that oil change, so I’m going to wrap this up now. Next time I update, I’ll be a government employee. Whoa!
Mark My Words 
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