Back to the Future

It's back to Sesame Street and blogging, but we took a little trip into the past on Labor Day when we went to this place called Old World Wisconsin which is about a 50 minute drive southwest of Milwaukee.
All smiles as we board a tram to the past ...
The park/museum is set up with small villages to represent different styles of settlements in Wisconsin from the late 1800s to early 1900s (Norwegian, Finnish, Danish, German, African-American and Polish). We waited about 15 minutes for that tram to leave the station and then got dropped off about 30 seconds up the dirt road. We would have walked from village to village after that, but the girls were too excited about getting on the tram again.
Perfectly simple. Simply perfect. I like turn of the century decorating.
Anyone getting hitched? This little church would be such a cute place for a wedding.
19th century DIY. Smashed up ceramics glued to the outside of a container in the "Finnish Village." Too bad there weren't blogs back then, this would have been a popular post.


It was hotter than a cricket on a signpost.
But we took refuge in the cool and shady shops like this one. They didn't really sell anything, which is good because if they did I probably would have walked away with a few yards of "old world fabric" which I don't really need.

 I admire a woman (or man) who can bake sugar cookies in a wood burning oven.

 I think I like this kerosene lantern better than my own kitchen lighting.

Nasturtiums for lunch? 
 Nice floors!
WARNING: If you have a weak stomach just move on to your next blog now and I'll see you tomorrow!

The women of Old World don't just bake cookies. They skin squirrels! It was road kill, she told us. Anri was absolutely fascinated by this and asked her a ton of questions like, "How come the squirrel doesn't have feet anymore?" And, "Squirrels have blood, too?" When the woman washed off the squirrel and went to dip it in lard before frying it in a skillet (hey, I gave you a warning), Anri got a closer look at its insides left on that stump. I know gross, right? But oddly, we all agreed this was the highlight of the trip.
Are you ready to go to Old World Wisconsin yet? Seriously, it was pretty fun and the setting is very rural and prairie-like. Although, I think fall would be the best time to visit. Or at least not during the hottest summer on record in Wisconsin! 

Comments

Oh wow! What a fun place to visit! This is just the kind of place that we love to see! I love the simple decorating. So practical yet beautiful!
Vanessa said…
It was surprisingly inspiring!

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