The Union Hotel
With it being as cold as it is we stayed indoors today. Apart from a trip to the Bay Park mall earlier on, that has been our plan for much of the week.
We watched a ton of kids TV, played games and put countless jigsaw puzzles together. The highlight of Ben’s morning was building a cubby house to hide, play and eat his lunch in. It’s amazing what you can do with very little at your disposal but an imagination that will take you anywhere you want to go.
Today was also our first experience with a major plough. With the recent snow our entire car park here at the apartment needed to be ploughed. Before this just the driveways were cleared but with well over a foot of snow and ice building in the actual parking spaces, getting in and out of the car was proving difficult. We had to move the car out onto the streets as the plough made it’s way up and down, clearing the way for all. Kelly, Ben and I watched like we had bought tickets to see it.
Sunday is Kelly’s birthday so I have been on the lookout for a great place place to take her to begin the celebration. This was done on Wednesday but thanks to not wanting to blow the surprise I can only write about it now. After scouring downtown De Pere for something great I decided on the Union hotel. This bar is fantastic. If you live here and haven’t been, you should go.
The actual building dates back to 1883 but has operated as a hotel and restaurant since 1918. Since then it has remained unchanged. This was the reason I chose it. Kelly is a big fan of the architecture, design and decoration of the early 1900’s so I knew this place would be a hit from the moment I walked in the door.
We had a drink at the bar beforehand and enjoyed the dimly lit atmosphere like we were really back in the day. The staff were so friendly and there were so many people celebrating the season that the night was a hit almost before it had begun.
From the entry, to the bar, to the dining room, to the sitting room with brightly lit Christmas tree it was such a warm wintery night. They even had lamb on the menu so my homesick Aussie girl could delight in a rare, not yet found treat.
After dinner we retired to finish our wine in the bar where we met Dave and his wife. We chatted about the hotel, the history, the Packers and pretty much everything Green Bay and surrounding areas. We had a lovely night. It really was a great start to what should be a very nice weekend.
