For just about every traveler to Wisconsin, the state’s name is synonymous with beer, brats and cheese. Let’s focus on the beer part, shall we, with a look at anniversaries at two breweries paired with nearby B&Bs.

  [gallery ids="1876,1648,1877"] Just about every city, town and village in Wisconsin has at least one of the following: a historic brewery, a new microbrewery, historic taverns, beer festival, or all of the above. Some major anniversaries this year point to the state’s proud brewing heritage. [caption id="attachment_1889" align="alignleft" width="400"] Dreams of Yesteryear[/caption] In Stevens Point, the Stevens Point Brewery turns 160, making it one of the oldest continuously operating breweries in the country.  It even provided beer to Civil War soldiers and survived prohibition by brewing soda. After your brewery tour, stay at Dreams of Yesteryear located in the historic downtown district. Tip: Each room has a binder-full of stories about the house as researched by a local historian.           The youngster by 10 years, the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company in Chippewa Falls, is the big 1-5-0 this year. To mark their sesquicentennial they’ve  collaborated with Hofbräuhaus Munchen to brew a special anniversary lager. [caption id="attachment_1890" align="alignright" width="300"] Overlooking Lake Wissota from Pleasant View Bed & Breakfast[/caption] Both breweries are using the same recipe with hops from Germany & malt from Wisconsin.  Spend the night at the Pleasant View Bed & Breakfast on the shores of Lake Wissota where you may want to enjoy a Leinie’s as you watch the sun set.           A few more brew favorites: [caption id="attachment_1891" align="alignleft" width="450"] Artha Sustainable Living Center[/caption]

• In Amherst, Central Waters Brewing Co. is known not only for its artisan beer, but for being one of the most environmentally sustainable breweries in the nation. Which makes a stay at the nearby Artha Sustainable Living Center a perfect pairing, given this B&B is a sustainable oasis set on a lush 55-acre plot.

The innkeepers at Canyon Road Inn in Turtle Lake shared their favorite microbrewery finds in the area – Valkyrie Brewing Company in Dallas (Dallas, Wisconsin, that is), a small family owned and operated brewery where the beers are cold fermented and aged to cut back on fusel alcohols (the stuff that gives you headaches); and Barley John’s Brewery in New Richmond, where the spring Maibock has just been released. It’s an especially nice accompaniment to their “Nibbles and Dips” food menu. Hike the wooded trails on the inn’s property so you can enjoy these brews guilt-free.     This is just a sample of the many Wisconsin breweries that have either popped up recently or have been around for generations. They have an impact on their local economy, providing jobs, and many of them use local ingredients, giving other businesses in the community an opportunity to share in the wealth of the craft brewery boom.  All of these breweries attract tourists, especially those who are interested in experiencing the local community.  These breweries offer people a chance to visit the brewery, and get to know the folks who run it.  Incorporating your brewery tour with a WBBA Inn is a great way to immerse yourself into a community, giving yourself a chance to live like a local, eat local cuisine, and drink local beer. As always, all WBBA members are licensed, inspected and insured.  So rest assured, you will get a good night's sleep when you stay at a WBBA B&B, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated the next morning.

Are you ready to Seek the Unique?  

[caption id="attachment_1831" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The photo of The Red Chair that started a phenomenon in 2011[/caption] The Red Chair Travels is coming to Wisconsin!  The WBBA is so excited to part of this phenomenon that started 5 years ago in Cape Cod, MA. Beth Colt is the innkeeper of the Woods Hole Inn on Cape Cod.   She took a picture of this red chair perched out on a frozen pond in Woods Hole in the winter of 2011.  When she posted the photo on Facebook her computer lit up with "likes" and this simple image journeyed all over cyberspace, and landed in the in-box of a California-based photographer, who was inspired to come visit the Woods Hole Inn in the off season.  When she asked to borrow the chair she was surprised; when the fruits of her labor arrived in the mail Beth was in awe. [caption id="attachment_1832" align="alignright" width="300"] Captain Freeman Inn Cape Cod, MA[/caption] The red chair became a symbol, a metaphor for connections made across invisible boundaries. In 2012 Beth contacted other Inns in Cape Cod to see if they would like to "host" the Red Chair for a few days and photograph the chair's visit.  Since then the Red Chair has visited more than 20 states in the U.S., and parts of Canada. For Beth Colt, "the red chair is an invitation to come explore yourself in a quiet and beautiful place.  It is an open seat at the table of relaxation.  It is the beckoning hand of civilization, marking the edge of the wildness of nature.  It is the dialogue between artists and innkeepers, dreamers and shop-girls, lost travelers and those that welcome them into warm beds." We know the Red Chair will feel right at home in Wisconsin and we are excited to see all the different adventures it has along the way.  Listed below is the schedule for the Red Chair Travels in Wisconsin.  Are you ready to Seek the Unique?  Book your stay at one of the participating WBBA B&B's today so you can take part in the Red Chair Travels!