A Trip to the Land of Cheese

Before Carter starts Kindergarten, the Holden men (Carter, Parker, and Dad) took a trip to Wisconsin to visit Grandma and Grandpa Holden.  The boys were super-excited, even the parking shuttle to the airport was fun.

Easiest way to keep two kids happy on a plane... lots of water, popcorn, and Big Hero 6

We landed in Chicago and met Grandma and Grandpa and headed to Madison, WI.  However, being a preschooler and kindergartner, hunger and need for snacks soon snuck upon us.  Luckily the Belvidere Oasis (a food court over the interstate) had an Orange Julious and a quick smoothie later and we were back on our way to Wisconsin.

Both boys were excited to finally make it to the house and soon more relatives started to show up for a large family dinner.  Carter was all to happy to help Aunt Laura get the corn ready for cooking.

After a long day of travel the boys were understandably tired and needed their rest for a number of filled days to come.

We woke early the next morning, jumped in the car, and headed to the famed Wisconsin Dells for a fun filled day at the World's Largest Water Park - Noah's Ark.  The park is huge and has a ton of rides both boys could enjoy (with a few extra big boy rides only Carter and the adults could enjoy).  

From start to finish, both boys had a blast with Grandma and Grandpa and only after 6+ hours did either start to noticeably wear down.

The next day we headed to Baraboo Wisconsin to Circus World

Circus World is a museum and show exhibition on the grounds where the original Ringling Bros Circus headquarters and winter grounds are.  Many of the original buildings from the late 1800's used by the circus are included on the property.  We spent the day exploring the grounds, watching many shows (magic show, circus show, kids circus show, etc...).

This might be the greatest drinking fountain ever

Learning to walk a wire

The museum also has the largest collection of antique circus trailers, some dating back to the early 1800's.  The boys found this part amazing, especially those that were designed to hold animals.

The two most wild animals ever exhibited

We decided to stay a bit more local come Saturday.  Our day included a fun morning trip to the farmer's market for breakfast and vegetables for dinner, a hilarious round of mini golf at Vitense, a lot of play time at Play N Wisconsin, and a fun walk/tour through the University of Wisconsin campus (including an obligatory stop at the Babcock Hall Dairy Store for ice cream).

While the sign is fairly benign...

The boys were very interested in all the machinery

The final dairy product at Babcock Hall (Blue Moon - berry ice cream and Badger Blast - Chocolate with fudge)

Like the days prior, we again properly wore the boys out.

After one last evening of stories with Grandma, it was time to head back to Atlanta to get ready for the new school year to come.

At O'Hare, the boys were troopers holding hands and entertaining many people as we waited to check our bags and go through security.

After another uneventful plane ride, taking a ride on the airport train in Atlanta is always a hoot for our little men

As is the shuttle ride to the car...

We all greatly enjoyed our stay and enjoyed all there was to see in Wisconsin on our trip.  We look forward to future visits to come.