Jen booked a $70 per night room at a place called The Campus Inn- checked reviews and photos- seems fine. Basic but whatever- just need a bed. Boy was I wrong! We were able to check in early- thank god…..we stepped in to the room and it smelled like an old bowling alley - there were two doors- one each on opposite sides of the room- weird- and flies- at least several - some alive- some dead. We left.

First Fun Stop- Baraboo Bluff Winery

Vine Vibes

Wine tasting- The place was hopping!

Unabridged Notes

Beckie’s Picks…..of course!

We are NOT in Napa

Stopped at creepy barn on Terrytown Road

Zoom in and check out the disheveledness

Awesome clouds- creepy cornfield

Lunch at Tumbled Rock Brewery- place was buuusssyyyy

New bandshell at the brewery

Unplanned quick stop to Devil’s Lake State Park- NOT Devil’s River! Lol Beckie’s never been and likes it. We dodged the fee 🫢 only a quick peek.

Devil’s Lake- Not Devil’s River

Next quick stop- “behind the scenes” at Circus 🤡 World Museum” aka from the road behind the fence….

Circus World Museum- Short Tour

Beautiful drinks at Driftless Glen

Rye Old Fashioned and Rye Poison Ivy Cider

A nod to Gail for breast cancer awareness month

New hotel in Dells- Not the Ritz either, has its own special smell, but better than an ashtray and no flies. Brand new cheap quilts, so that’s a plus- spacious corner “suite”

Beckie insists on having the TV work at our second rate motel so our strange manager is fixing it and he did!

The lights don’t work either, the outlets are crooked and we’re pretty sure the bed is a box spring not a mattress .

Swig at Nigs- prime entertainment!

We made it- cross that off the \240bucket list

Old ladies at DA bar

The Dells is a special place….omg….like we are 20 again…that and crazy weird locals

Showboat Saloon

Pull TABS!

OKtoberfest

God Bless Tug’s Kitchen for carding us…lol..after he looked at both of our ID’s— I said “Are we old enough??!! “ and he laughed

Tug’s Kitchen

We are floored by how many old pepole like us are here.

Ummmm Beckie just said the bar counter looks like veins

And it’s finally time for food….sooo good

Spooky Skeleton Handprints- Exhibit A - Sunday Morning

Wake up to spooky skeletal handprints- no joke! There were no prints on the mirror the day before and we know this because I took video when we arrived to hotel - so I did a screen shot from the video of the mirror and guess what- no handprints! See zoomed in photo below- Exhibit B

Exhibit B- No handprints Saturday

We are freaked out - Jen thinks it’s creepy but interesting- Beckie is just scared and wants to leave room asap. THEN Jen finds another print on the bathroom floor!!! Insane. We leave and head out for breakfast.

Breakfast at Jens Alpine cafe and next door- Beckie finds the PERFECT decor for Jen- a Welcome sign with skeleton hands.

\240 \240 \240 \240 \240 \240Skeleton Sign and Breakfast

Jen’s Alpine Cafe

DEFINITELY soaked up last night’s beer!

Tour of the Ringling Brothers Mansion/AJRingling Brewing Company.

Ringling Mansion/Brewery

Tour guide is very serious about staying together as a group. Was only allowed in one room at a time and if we were done exploring that room- we had to stay \240on the red rug.

Inside the Conservatory

View of Conservatory and grand staircase mid-landing

All windows in the mansion are original Tiffany Glass

Another Mirror! Jen can’t escape them

Actually this is still Sunday, October 8

Jen and Beckie part ways after the mansion tour. 😕

Jen toodles around town quick and then takes the backroads home and finds pumpkins and fresh eggs on the way. Delightful leisure way home.