6026. Go to the John Michael Kohler Art Preserve in Sheboygan

 Andrea always said we should go to the Kohler Art Preserve on one of our adventures. Since it was a while since I made a trip to Sheboygan, I decided it was time to have some shenanigans with Andrea. The Art Preserve was going to the main adventure.

The John Michael Kohler Art Preserve, not to be confused with the John Michael Kohler Art Center, is located on the western edge of Sheboygan. It is open Tuesday-Sunday starting at 9 am each day. It stays open late on Thursdays otherwise it closes by 5 during the week and 4 on weekends. Admission is free and there is plenty of parking.

The Art Preserve was built to house the Art Centers collection of artists' works. It is an experimental design space. On the second and third floors you can see where and how they store this collection. 

Since I like sculptures and 3D pieces, this was my kind of art museum. There were a lot of sculptures and other 3D pieces. Some of it quite interesting.

This house was actually in Sheboygan and was moved to this building to help preserve it. It is covered in sparkles, bits of paper, and bits of shininess.  It is actually really cool. I am glad they were able to preserve it. Andrea was very happy to see it. 

When in Sheboygan, one must check out the bathrooms. These did not disappoint and were also works of art. 

The elevator was large enough to lay down in or spin. It even had seating in it. 

The walk through display with all the hanging displays was another highlight. The artist used foil and wine to make stunning displays that reflect light.

The Art Preserve is quite stunning and definitely work checking out even if you just go to check out the bathrooms. It is 3 floors of unique art creations. It is definitely a hidden gem. 

5194. Go to Soda Bar in Appleton

 I saw an article online about Soda Bar in Appleton. It sounded like something I really check out. Basically it is a "bar" that makes various soda creations using syrups and flavored creamers mixed with Coke and Pepsi products. Apparently it is a big thing in Arizona where the couple who opened The Soda Bar is from. Then Heather mentioned the place to me, and I was like I really want to try it. She sweetened the deal and gave me a BOGO coupon. 

Soda Bar has two Appleton locations. One on Northland Ave that is more of drive thru location. The newest location is by the mall and has seating so you can hang out with your friends. The Northland location is open 8-8 Mon-Thu and 8-9 on Fridays and Saturdays. The mall location is open 10-8 Mon-Thu and 10-9 on Friday and Saturdays. 

We went to the mall location after running some errands. Since I peeked at the menu online, I had an idea of what I wanted. The hubby quickly found something we wanted as well.

I went with the Up Nort -- Dr Pepper with Raspberry Puree and Coconut Cream. The hubby opted for the Daily Vice -- Coke with Pineapple and Coconut Cream.

We both were a bit annoyed that the workers were more interested in serving and chatting with their friends. It seemed like we were a bother but our drinks did come up rather quickly.

We took them to go so we didn't have to deal with a bunch of high schoolers. 

Both of our drinks were quite tasty. You definitely could taste the coconut which was fine by us. 

We would definitely go back. It would be even better if they would open a location on this side of town. I'm sick driving to the mall area for something other than fast food or coffee. 

5504. Go to the Clark County Old Jail Museum in Neillsville

 The hubby and I kept seeing signs for the Old Jail Museum when we drove through Neillsville. Of course, I had to Google it. It turns out that it is only open a handful days a year but nevertheless I added it to our short list of things we wanted to do. 

The Old Jail Museum is located in Neillsville just off of Hwy 10. It is open 6 days a year -- the 2nd and 4th Sundays of June, July, and August from 1-4. That is what made it so tough for us to stop. We decided we were going this year and made sure to get there. It was $3 a person to take a guided tour. Last tour left at 3:30. 

The Old Jail Museum was built in 1897 and was used as the county jail and sheriff's house until 1978. At that time, it was turned over to the Clark County Historical Society and turned into a museum.

Each sheriff brought their own furniture and belongings so none of the pieces are original to the house but there are pieces from the era. You saw the parlor, the music room, kitchen and the living quarters for the sheriff and his family. It was all very fascinating. 

After we toured the living quarters, we were passed on to another guide who led us through the jail. The first floor housed the drunk tanks or holding cells and processing room. 

The second and third floors held jail cells. All but one was converted to show different business in the county. The one cell was left as a jail cell.

The details of the different cells were amazing. They really put a lot of work into the museum and collecting of artifacts. 

Along the corridor of the 2nd floor were various radios and TV sets through out the years. 

Also on the 3rd floor was display of different military uniforms starting with the Spanish-American War. 

I was figuring since the last tour started at 3:30, the tour was going to be about 30 minutes. We were there over an hour. Our tour guides were phenomenal and we probably could have been there longer if there was not another tour behind us.

I would highly recommend going to Clark County Jail. However, we might have visited on the last day ever. The roof is in desperate need of repair and might be too costly. The whole building could be condemned. I really hope not as it is amazing museum that was well worth our time to stop. The hubby said it was probably the best thing we did all summer. I find it hard to believe it beat out the Illinois Railroad Museum but you never know. Keep an eye on their website and hopefully they can get some funding to save the building so more people can enjoy this time capsule.