I’ll be honest; it took me a while to embrace the state of Wisconsin. Can you blame me? I moved to the Dairy State from sun-kissed shores of Hawaii to attend school. I eventually settled in the northeast portion of the state when I accepted a job there and later made it my “home” when I married a Wisconsin native.
Whereas, I have blogged about Wisconsin’s many natural attributes I realize I’ve only scratched the surface. My current home state has a ton to offer visitors (many of whom come in droves during the fall and winter to watch their respective home teams take on the legendary Green Bay Packers at historic Lambeau Field). As such I’ve decided to make a more concerted effort to spotlight some of the outstanding attractions that make Wisconsin a viable vacation destination.
MADISON, WISCONSIN
Madison is home to the State Capitol and about 223,000 residents. In 1996 Money magazine named Madison the “best place to live in the United States.” I lived in there for four years while I attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison. (Go Badgers!) It is an experience I will never forget and if I could sum up my take of the capital city in one word it would be: green.
The city straddles an isthmus between two gorgeous lakes and, yes, it happens to be hosting the North American conference of the International Ecotourism Society this year, but there’s much more to Madison’s high green quotient than most visitors will ever know from just spending a weekend there.
For example, did you know that Madison was the first city in the nation to implement a curbside recycling program? And, here’s something else most out-of-towners are unaware of… you can even go green when you hail a cab. Badger Cab Co. offers shared rides in a fleet taxis powered by natural gas. And if you choose to dine in at your hotel, consider ordering take-out from Glass Nickel Pizza. Your meal will arrive in a car that runs on fryer grease—the same stuff the restaurant uses to cook its french fries—how’s that for recycling?
Cyclists swarm Madison and take their two-wheelers on the city’s nearly 200 miles of bike paths. One of them takes you to one of Madtown’s most popular seasonal attractions– the Dane County Farmers’ Market, hailed as the country’s best by Eating Well magazine. Every Saturday from mid-April through early November, tourists and locals gather at Madison’s Capitol Square for one of the country’s oldest and largest farmers’ markets. It’s one of the only farmers’ markets in the nation where you can get fresh grass-fed, dry-aged steaks and burgers. The $5 wildflower bouquets also go fast, as does the fresh goat cheese and a Wisconsin specialty: fresh cheese curds (squeaky, thumb-size blobs of cheddar cheese). The farmers’ market prides itself on the requirement that all products must be grown or made in Wisconsin.
For more information on places worth visiting in Wisconsin click on the following:
State Natural Areas–An Adventure in Nature
Washington Island–A Floating Gem
Wisconsin: Family Friendly Parks
Visiting the Madison Children’s Museum
Camping: A “Devil” Of A Good Time
Don’t Hold The Mustard At This Summer Festival
Visiting the Home of the Hamburger
Summerfest–“The World’s Largest Music Festival”
The Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival (Not Just For Cheeseheads)