Big Boy Trip: Day One

I am having an utterly delightful birthday/vacation week. Monday we took off for Green Bay, Wisconsin to the National Railroad Museum. We meandered into town and stopped for a late lunch at a restaurant in the old train station. A train passed just as we got there. The food was eh but the fries were good and I was happy to be there with my guys and Leo was very excited. We had decided to do the train museum the following day so we could savor it properly. We wandered around Green Bay a bit, hit a couple of antique malls (eh) and a train store. The train store was way impressive....if only I could have bought Leo the $1,000 Lionel Big Boy....

I had rented a little condo about 20 miles north of Green Bay, right on the water. I had really looked forward to being in the water but when I went down and started wading I couldn't help but think...."huh....that water looks kinda murky...." I'm sure I've been in plenty of water that contained all sort of unsafe things but at least it was clear. I stared at it awhile and decided maybe I'd just observe from the table by the sand. Oh well. Once I got past that it was delightful. I love being by water....even murky water. We had stopped at Marchant's grocery store in Brussels, Wisconsin; reportedly that area is the largest Belgian-American settlement in the US. We found wonderful sausages and freshly baked buns. I couldn't help but also buy their sandwich spread which is made of chopped bologna, mayo, pickles, relish and cherries. Nobody else was impressed but I loved it. My grandma used to make chopped bologna sandwiches and I LOVED them. My beloved bologna.....

We barely cooked for dinner....we'd gotten corn and bought coleslaw and had our brats....a perfectWisconsin evening I' day.....  Tomorrow....the train museum!