The third annual CMGC Wine, Cheese, and Beer tour is history.  There were 43 travelers driving 17 MG’s, 2 TR-6’s, a new mini convertible, a Jag and a Cadillac. 

Twenty-two of us dined at JMK Nippon Restaurant Friday, (and) we had another excellent dinner this year.  One of the TR-6 owners was serenaded by us (and in two languages) by the staff for his birthday.  We retired to the lobby of the hotel for our Friday evening parking lot party as the temperature had dropped faster than the sun.
  When I put in my weather request in March, I asked for sun and no rain.  Next year I will add warm.  Saturday morning in Rockford was sunny, but only 37 degrees.  Some of the folks reported heavy frost in the northwest suburbs, so we were lucky.
  We got on the road at 9 AM and headed toward Beloit, WI.  This was the first year we took the scenic road along the Rock River through the city.  They have some beautiful parks along the river.  Even though we got separated a couple of times, we all arrived at our first stop within minutes of each other.  After a short break, we headed for Old World Wisconsin.  The day warmed as we drove and the afternoon was perfect.  Lunch at the octagonal Clausing Barn was most enjoyable.  Saturday was Morgan Horse day at Old World Wisconsin and we got to see these beautiful animals doing the things they did when Wisconsin was being settled.  There was even a three horse team plowing a field.  We met at 4:30 and headed into Whitewater to check in to our hotel and get ready for dinner.
Dinner at Randy’s Fun Hunter Brewery and Restaurant was excellent.  The food and the beer were great.  Back at the hotel we set up for our Saturday parking lot party.  A few hearty souls lasted in the chill until 10 PM.  As we went inside we found the hotel had opened their breakfast room for us so the party continued.

We left Whitewater Sunday morning with perfect weather for the drive to New Glarus.  We lunched at the New Glarus restaurant and hotel.  Once again we cleaned out their supply of home made honey mustard.  We had free time so we re-supplied our Fat Squirrel (among other brews) beer and shopped in the many of the stores in town.  We stayed until 2PM and headed south to our final stop in Monroe.  Some of us stocked up on cheese at Baumgartner’s Cheese.  We said our good byes in Monroe and drove home.  Everyone said they had another wonderful weekend. 
Ann and I are already talking about the fourth Wine, Cheese, and Beer tour in 2008.  We hope you can join us.