23 in 2023: Discover at least 1 new brewery -- Timber Tap

I got an email from Kimberly Library inviting me to an event there were having at a new brewery in Kimberly -- Timber Tap. We would learn about the beer making process and sample some beer. Sign me up. The hubby was like can I go too? So I signed both of us up.

Timber Tap is still under construction and hope to open by end of April or beginning of May. It is located in the same building as the coffeeshop and BBQ place right downtown Kimberly on the corner of Kimberly Ave and Birch St.. It is a bit hard to find since they are on the backside of the building. Luckily one of the librarians directed us and they had signs out. 

The owners Paul and Carol introduced themselves, gave a little bit of a backstory about brewing beer in their basement for family and friends, and then explained how brewing small batch craft beer really is created. They had a very nice Power Point Presentation and handouts.

As they went through their presentation, they let us sample three of their beers: Red Ale, Porter, and a Cold IPA. We also sampled Malt Tea.

The Red Ale was not bad. I would order this if I was here with a group. It was not too beer-y. 

The Malt Tea was interesting. It is just sample of the wort or the liquid extracted from the malting process. It has no alcohol content yet as it has yet to be fermented with yeast. Malt Tea has the flavor of the malt used. I didn't real taste anything. It was kind of bland. The hubby tried this one too. 

The Stout was actually my favorite and I don't like dark beers. Either my beer palate is evolving or this one was especially good. It was not bitter at all. I would have to fight Stacy for this one if we had a flight.

The Cold IPA was my least favorite. It definitely was very hoppy. I was not at all but did finish my beer.

After the presentation, we had the opportunity to see the backroom where the brewing process would take place. It is small and reminded me of Basil's set up at Down Time Wines. 

We also got to sample spent grain cookies. There were white chip cranberry and chocolate chip. I preferred the chocolate chip but both were good. 

I already told Stacy that if we need a beer when she's up here for cookie baking that we should check this place out. Even the hubby, a non-beer drinker, was impressed. It will be a happening spot in Kimberly come summer. It is definitely worth checking out as they will also carry other guest taps.

Hanging with Sloths at the Milwaukee Public Museum

 When the  hubby saw that Milwaukee Public Museum is moving to a new location and not all the exhibits were moving as they are now, he said we should go to the museum. I didn't both telling him we had 3 years to do this since when the hubby wants to do something I'm going to do it as soon as possible to avoid him changing his mind. I also decided we need to go before May 19th so I could see the sloths. 

The Milwaukee Public Museum is open Wednesday through Monday 10-5. The Survival of the Slowest exhibit is there until May 19th and is included in admission. Admission is $24/adult which includes the Survival of the Slowest exhibit. There is no ticket without the Survival of the Slowest. We got our tickets online to avoid the lines.

I forgot that we are going on a Friday afternoon and school groups could be a problem. The things you don't think of when you don't have kids. Luckily for us by the time we got there most of the schools groups were ready to leave. Just remember if you are going during the week, you may encounter school groups. 

When we got to the museum, we decided to work our way up from bottom to top with our first stop being the Streets of Old Milwaukee and European Village. As a kid you don't pay attention to the details. As an adult I wanted to soak up as many of the little details that wouldn't be coming to the new museum. I never noticed the amount of balconies there were.

We meandered our to through the rainforest. I forgot it makes noise as you walk through it. 

We also went back in time to the dinosaurs. I remember the dinosaur exhibit being scarier and bloodier. I remember being able to see it bite from a better angle. This seems not as violent and the guts seem to be missing. 

I took the hubby in the butterfly exhibit. Unlike the butterflies of Costa Rica, these weren't all that friendly. They did not land on us as easily. Maybe it was just me they didn't like. 

Then we headed up to the second floor to the Survival of the Slowest. I was expecting more sloths but there was only one. He was asleep initially but they do sleep 15 hours a day. He was awake when we were leaving.

Besides the sloth, there were also turtles, snakes, a bearded dragon, and various lizards. The sloth was my favorite.

The rest of floor two was devoted to animals of Wisconsin and North America along with Native Americans. I didn't think they would let me pet the fluffy cows.

The third floor was devoted to people, animals and cultures around the world and throughout history. We explored every nook and cranny we could find. We climbed all the stairs to find the less visited exhibits. I forgot about the oceanic exhibit and how it makes you feel like you exploring the great depths of the ocean just by walking down the ramp.

I forgot how large the museum really was. I am used to the smaller museums in the Fox Valley and the ones we visit while traveling. It is not as some of the Chicago or New York Museums but for Wisconsin it is huge and is full of wonderful artifacts. I will miss the old museum but am looking forward to seeing what the new museum holds.

4338. Go to the Congaree National Park in Hopkins

We wanted to avoid Atlanta on the way home so we decided to go through North and South Carolina. The hubby wanted to see the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum in Greenville, SC and I wanted to go to Congaree National Park and the state capitol. The Shoeless Joe Jackson, which is normally only open 10-2 on Saturdays was going to be open to 5 the day we were going to through South Carolina. The hubby wins. However, I figured I could squeeze in a quick visit to Congaree on the way.

Congaree is located in Hopkins, SC. It is open 24 hours and the visitor center is open 9-5. There is no entrance or parking fee. 

The speed limit into the park was amusing -- 27 mph or 13 mph. However the parking lot is small and when we got there around 2 it was quite full. The hubby dropped me off and attempted to park. He actually never left the parking lot.

The visitor center is small and the gift shop was sparse. I did get my stamp. I was disappointed they didn't have a magnet for us that I saw. Well it was probably for the best since I left my purse in the car. 

Congaree preserves the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest. Much of it is surrounded by water. You can explore the park by canoe, kayak, or walk the boardwalk. There are also some backcountry trails that could potentially be underwater due to the water levels in the park. Due to the amount of water, there is a mosquito thermometer to warn visitors how bad the mosquitos are. Since it was early in March, the mosquitos were non-existent. 

Due to the time crunch, I only got to walk a small portion of the 2 mile boardwalk. I didn't see any of the really big trees but saw a few big trees. There were a lot people and dogs since it is a dog friendly part. 

Congaree is worth visiting. Get there early and make sure you have plenty of time to explore. It may not be the majestic parks of the west but Congaree has it's own unique features. It is also very non-hiker friendly with an easy boardwalk to explore. 

Hopefully we will get back to Congaree but due to how much the hubby loves to drive in South Carolina, I don't see that happening any time soon. We actually never made it to Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum because traffic was a nightmare in South Carolina.