Giraffes, Sidecars and Open Bars in Racine, Wisconsin

{Date of Visit: July 3-8, 2014}

Family!
One major reason we were drawn to this fulltime lifestyle is that we both have family spread across the country. As a matter of fact, neither of us have any family members living in Vacaville, California (where we originated) nor can we actually call it our 'hometown'. It just so happened we both found work in Vacaville and decided to live where we worked. Granted, for both of us, it's the place we've lived the longest but still...it's not like we went to high school there or actually grew roots.

Clark with two of his brothers, Chris and Craig.
And so that's how the Mutiny found it's way to Racine, Wisconsin for 4th of July...to visit family. Clark's niece, Katie, had planned her wedding for a beautiful summer Saturday at the Racine Zoo where she and her fiance met. Luckily for us, we were able to "camp" at a cousin's house which was right where all of the before and after wedding festivities took place.

You know what this means??? Open Bar!!!
And an open bar means a yoga pose, in a dress, with a giraffe.
It must have been 20 years since I've played croquet...and it's still fun!
I have to admit, it was one of the coolest events I've ever attended. Most of the guests spent several nights either tent camping, RV camping or finding a spot in one of two family farm houses made available to all. Most of our meals were shared and we spent every evening hanging out in the large yard on a rural road.

Two of Clark's cousins leading the charge.
One thing Wisconsonites know how to do is maximize their summers. As soon as the last snow storm passes and the first daffodils nod their heads, the open-air bars open. If you never got off of the main roads in places like Racine or Milwaukee you'd miss a whole lot of awesomeness. Every afternoon we'd caravan into one town or another, travel through what appeared to be a rundown, abandoned part of town and pass through an alley only to end up at the coolest bars and breweries in the country (okay, at least from what I've seen).

Round one...
Round two!!
Over-size Jenga!!
At The Iron Horse for snacks...and round three!
At THE Harley-Davidson Museum.
As always, it was good times hanging with the family. It just so happens that Racine was where Clark and I got engaged (we were there in 2010 for his brother's 60th birthday) so we went back to our old stomping grounds to relive the moment.

The Friki Tiki Bar...so romantic!


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