Wisconsin-Part 2

 Whats a trip to Wisconsin without sampling cheese?  On Saturday Nick's cousin Steve and his girlfriend drove in for the day from Chicago to hang out.  We ended up driving all over the countryside and through the Kettle Moraine (which is where the glacier came through- how cool!) and visited two small cheese factories.  We all stocked up on cheese, summer sausage and bacon- yum!  

 On Sunday after church, we took a drive to the farm where Grandma grew up.  Her sister-in-law still lives there.  It was breathtakingly beautiful- I couldn't stop taking pictures!  It was also quite COLD.  But what else would you expect from WI in November?

This is the view from the farm- a whole different kind of beautiful.  The sky seems huge and the soil is black and rich.  Because it is so flat, you can see forever.

  

    

 

I had heard that this area was heavily influenced by the Germans, but it was crazy experiencing it.  Nick's grandmother did not speak English until she was 6 years old!  Her first language was German.  The town's newspaper was published in German until 1917.   It was fascinating learning about her life. 

Of course I had to capture the dairy cows and the typical red barn. 

                      

We came home to make another typical Midwestern/ German meal-  brats, German potato salad, slaw and relish.  Chris was sad (but she was the only one) that we didn't break out the sauerkraut.