Tour of Stillwater

We've been meaning to take an "official" tour of Stillwater, now that we've been residents for the past 5 and a half years. With family in town, this seemed like the perfect occasion.

We often see the historic trolleys amble past our home, and I was dying to know what they were saying about our street. As it turns out, most of the really interesting stories are on the North Hill. Our little corner of South Hill was considered "charming and quaint". I prefer "walkable and affordable", but both work. 

The Stillwater Lift Bridge, always an eye-catcher. Now with new girders!

I would (almost) kill for this conservatory. Imagine all the tea I could drink and all the croquet I could play! Neat fence, too. Lovely home. Not too quaint.

Adam is re-enacting the water line recorded during Stillwater's highest flood stage. Just below this mark ensures a successful drowning.

Lift Bridge closes on September 10. Traffic is about to get much worse for Wisconsinites.

Requisite candy stop. There are many delicious options for sweet treats downtown, although my personal favorite will always be the $1 box of Dots from Menards.

And finally, bird seed from the Farm Store. Someone needs to help those squirrels bulk up for winter. They seem to really enjoy the Cardinal Delight.

Ye Olde Stillwater. Pretend it's the 1960s.

A Night With Surly Syx

In conclusion, Surly Syx is crazy good. Nicole and I split the bottle 80/20. It had a lot of bright fruit flavors that helped to balance the insane 15.5% alcohol. Make no mistake, we could easily taste the alcohol on the back of the tongue, but the light malt mouthfeel, dynamic fruitiness, and deep oak flavors helped make this an amazing experience. Some people might scoff at $18 for a bottle, but since this is Surly's anniversary offering for 2012, we are unlikely to ever taste it again. The man who sold me Syx at the liquor store reluctantly offered his support to us for buying such an expensive bottle, but I doubt he would have batted an eye if I had paid the same for wine. Treat yourself and get a bottle while you can.