An Adventure in Cedarburg

 When Stacy and I were planning an adventure, Cedarburg was on of the options. Both growing up in the area, we've been to Cedarburg many times for many different things. It is just one of those local towns you randomly visit. 

After our pancake breakfast, we headed to Cedarburg. Located about 20 minutes north of Milwaukee, Cedarburg is a cute little town. It has many little shops on Washington Ave and an old Mill that has more shops and a winery. My mom, cousins, and I would do our Black Friday shopping there for years. 

Today our first stop was not downtown but more on the outskirts of town. We stopped to check out Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts.  This was on my bucket list and I knew the hubby wouldn't be interested in seeing a bunch of quilts. The museum is in an old barn and has one large gallery space. The current exhibit was Heidi Parkes: Soft Magic. It was a gorgeous exhibit of more than a dozen quilts of various sizes.

After we left the museum, we headed to Washington Ave or downtown Cedarburg. We found parking in the public lot. Parking can be tricky in Cedarburg depending on the day and season. Parking is free downtown, you just have to find a spot. 

Stop 1: The Gem Shop

We didn't even know if it was still open. It's been around as long as I remember. It certainly was and it was busy. There was a curling team browsing. It is not a big shop but it is packed with all sorts of rocks and gems. 

You could buy individual pieces of your favorite rocks and gems or discover a new favorite. 

I should have bought some Tumbled Coprolite. I'm sure a few of my friends (and nephew) would get a kick out of it.

They even had rock candy. I was trying to stay in budget so I kept the wallet in the purse here.

Stop 2: Downtown Dough

We wandered in this cute shop to check out the cookie cutters. I am trying to find a home plate (pentagon) cookie cutter. No such luck here. I love cookie cutters but don't bake enough cookies to justify buying any more. Maybe one day.

Stop 3: Ashley's Confectionary

Since I wanted to visit a new chocolate shop, we decided to check it out. We picked up some truffles and enjoy them while we continued our adventure

Stop 4: The Pink Llama Gallery

The name alone made us stop and check it out. It is one of a handful of art galleries in Cedarburg. They had some great paintings and artwork for sale. They have a no photography policy so if you want to see some of the wonderful art, go check it out yourself. 

Stop 5: The Chocolate Shoppe

We were getting hungry and needed a bit to eat. Since I've never been to The Chocolate Shop, we decided it was the perfect stop for lunch. A quick glance at the menu, we ordered lunch. I got the Italian Sub. It was great and it even came in Amy size -- a mini sub. It was a little pricy but then again what isn't these days.

Of course we needed dessert. They sell their ice cream by the ounce. I went with chocolate mint which was fabulous. It really wasn't any more expensive than any other place for a scoop and they had a wide variety of flavors.

Stop 6: Covered Bridge

After we ate, we had some time left to wander and decided to get in the car and check out the covered bridge. Like Cedarburg, we've both been here numerous times but it is always fun to check out. 

We had a fun little adventure in Cedarburg. One day I will get to the Wine and Harvest Fest to stomp grapes. There isn't much more on my Cedarburg bucket list but I will work on getting those crossed off as well. 

Cedarburg is always worth checking out for a day adventure. There's plenty of little shops, restaurants and even a winery, brewery, or shinery to wet your whistle. 

25 in 2025 -- Visit a New Chocolate/Candy Shop -- Ashley’s Confectionery

As soon as I posted my 25 in 2025 list, Andrea asked if I was to the chocolate shop in Kohler. I told her I think after the beer run many years ago. Turns out that beer run was 10 years ago and I'm still pretty sure we checked the chocolate shop. So I was still on the hunt for a new chocolate shop for this year.

It turned out it was easier than I thought. I thought I might had to wait until girls weekend. I just needed an adventure with Stacy. While we were exploring downtown Cedarburg, Stacy mentioned wanting to go to Amy's Candy Kitchen. I happened to notice Ashley's Confectionary across the street. I mentioned we can go to Amy's if we can also check out Ashley's. That was not a problem.

Ashley's Confectionary is located downtown Cedarburg on Washington St. It is open daily 11-5 (until 6 on Saturdays).

I was surprised by the size. It was much bigger than Amy's. There was plenty of room for customers even a small seating area. There was your typical kid candy such as Soda Can Fizzy Candy in the middle of the store. I tend to avoid this area. I want the good stuff

There was pre-packaged homemade candy such as cordials in a variety of flavors and espresso beans. Many looked tempting but I went straight to my favorites.

They had truffles. I love truffles. The had small and large truffles. I opted for the small truffles so I could get a few flavors. They were many flavors to choose from and I had a hard time deciding. I ended up with 2 milk chocolate caramel truffles and a milk chocolate truffle for the hubby. I opted for a caramel, a mint, and a champagne truffle all in dark chocolate for myself. 

Unlike most truffles that I have had, these had a extra thick outer coating. It was unexpected but good. It just took a bigger bite to get to the creamy middle. All the truffles were amazing. The caramel was probably my least favorite but it was on the sweeter side. 

We definitely will be back. I think the hubby was slightly disappointed that I went to Ashley's instead of Amy's (he likes Amy's coconut clusters) but did gave his seal approval for the truffle. I guess he wasn't that disappointed. 

Now I may have to go to Amy's for coconut clusters and Ashley's for truffles when in Cedarburg. I still do have to have to try a caramel apple from Amy's. Stay tuned for that adventure. 

Let's see if I find any other good truffles this year. 

5245. Go to Festive Friday Eves in Cedarburg

 Cedarburg is a charming place to visit. They put on Festive Friday Eves every Friday between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Cedarburg becomes magical during this time. I've wanted to check out Festive Friday Eves for a few years now. It's something the hubby wouldn't be interested in. He's not really into the magic and festivity of the holidays. However, with being down in Saukville for 2 days before cookie baking this year, it was a perfect time to check it out and even better Kris was more than willing to join me.

Every Friday, from 5-8, various shops in downtown Cedarburg will be bursting with Christmas Cheer. It is a time to eat, drink, shop and be merry. Luminaries line the sidewalks adding to the festive atmosphere. There are drawings, music, and even a trolley. 

Parking is a challenge. Kris and I decided to meet behind City Hall. Well when we both got there shortly before 5, the lot was full. We ended up parking on the street and then had to coordinate where to meet.

Once we met up, we decided to grab dinner at Sal's Pizza. It's a small pizza by the slice place with limited seating. We were lucky to grab a seat inside. They also had outdoor seating which since it wasn't too cold out, wouldn't have been too bad.

After dinner, we strolled Washington Avenue. We popped in a few stores. We enjoyed the Christmas window displays. We particular liked the jeweler's. I wonder how they managed to do get the tree through the window.

We stopped to catch the end of the live nativity. 

However we were on a mission. We had to check out the moonshine place. It turns out the moonshine place is called the Shinery which is also in Appleton. It was a popular place and not very big. We opted to sample a few shots. Now I have sampled moonshine before and am not a fan. However, I am always opening to samples. 

For $10 you get 4 shots of moonshine. There were about 15 flavors to choose from and plenty more flavors you could buy. I went with Caramel Apple, Peppermint, Shine Nog, and Chocolate Cream. Apparently I've been tasting the wrong moonshine. All of them with the exception of the peppermint were very smooth and I would bring any of them home. I wasn't sure the hubby would like them so they stayed there. The peppermint was definitely moonshine. It had that really strong alcohol taste. I was not a fan. 

Our second mission of the night was I wanted to go to Cedar Creek Winery. It's been years since I've been there. It was the first winery I've been to right after I turned 21. They were not doing wine tasting per se. They offered BOGO glasses of wine. We had about 5 wines to chose from.. none of them really sounded great. We both had the Christmas Blush. It is a semi-dry wine which is not my favorite. I still am a sweet, fruity wine kind of girl.

We wine and moonshine flowing through our veins, we continued on our way. 

We studied the architecture of the old buildings

We tried to recreate the famous Singing in the Rain lamp post scene. The first attempt was the best probably because I didn't even think about it.

We explored the Cedarburg Art Museum. The art was okay. 

The trees and trains were more excite.

The original woodwork and canvas ceilings were impressive.

We stopped by Santa's workshop. We didn't go in but still managed to get a picture.

A fun girl's night out wasn't complete without a picture with the Christmas tree.

It was definitely a must needed girl's night out. We couldn't have asked for nicer weather. Festive Friday Eves are definitely worth checking out. The holiday spirit is alive and well. I will definitely do it again. Go early, grab food, and then do some shopping and drinking. It is perfect date night, girl's night, or even family night out.