Cheese Trip to Monroe Wisconsin

We do a yearly family trip to Monroe Wisconsin to get cheese.  It is usually in November and for the most part we have been lucky with the weather.  A few times it was snowing on our trip, but today it was mild for awhile before the rain started.

Our first stop is at the Maple Leaf Cheese Store on the way into Monroe.  Then, it's off to Alp and Dell in Monroe.  What a great place!  They remodeled the store and it seems bigger with more selections.  They always have a clearance bin that we check out first.  There are also samples to try.  It is funny how we only go once a year (sometimes more often) and they remember us.  Today they were so surprised at how big the boys got.  We buy a lot of cheese and freeze it.  It does last us for the year.  The only cheese we found out that doesn't freeze well is cheddar.  It crumbles when thawed. 

Next, is our stop at Swiss Colony which is just down the street.  We stocked up on cakes.  How can you not when most were $2?  They freeze well and are good even 1 year later.  Caldwell found a great pair of black suede shoes for $30 on clearance.  They also have the Seventh Avenue outlet attached to the store. 

We always stop for lunch at Baumgarteners on the square.  It is a fun place to get more cheese to eat and you can even have one of the staff throw a $1 bill to stick on the ceiling.  They donate the money every 2 years to charity.  They said that this summer they had about $8500 to donate to 2 local charities.  The kids love watching them try to get the money to stick on the ceiling.  We usually walk around the square (not much is open on a Sunday), but today since it was raining, we just left. 

We were early enough to stop at a favorite antique/junking store, Van's Antiques.  It is not far from the town of Walworth.  He is only open from April to Nov and next weekend is his last weekend for the season.  He is only open Friday to Sunday.  I didn't know that he was closing next weekend, so I was glad that we made the trip today.  I found another metal lawn chair for $12.  Everything was 20% off.  Caldwell found a fishing rod holder for about $10 and I found a great bracelet for $2.60 that just needs to have the clasp fixed.  He is a nice guy and always answers the many questions that the kids have.  He also remembered us today and couldn't believe how big the boys were.  This was the third metal lawn chair that I have bought from him.  I have also bought a dresser and many other items. His prices are really good and he always has a nice selection.  I never leave empty handed.  I'll be looking forward to April when he reopens for the season.

I look forward to our yearly trip up to Monroe.  It is a great town and there are lots of stops to make on the way.  It is our way of beginning the holiday season.