45. Wisconsin

Month: June 2018

Location: Madison

When I first mapped out the various states into zones, I had labeled “Zone 1: Driving Distance”.  This included places such as all the neighboring states of Illinois, and even places such as Ohio and Michigan.  After 44 visits, I was yet to drive anywhere, having taken the train once and flown everywhere else.  When it came to Wisconsin, I debated taking a train to Milwaukee, and spending a night there.  But then everyone told me how great Madison was and the only way to get there was by car.  So, with just a few states left, I would finally be driving to a State.

I got up early on a Saturday morning – well, early by my standards – and walked to “Enterprise” to pick up my car at 8 am.  There was lady in front of me and I heard her mention that she was headed to Wisconsin as well.  She then proceeded to regale them her reasons for going there and got into other details of her life, which all of us could have done without.  Perhaps impressed by my patience, or because they realized that I too was going to Wisconsin - but without the story - they upgraded me to a “SUV”, and with a built-in “GPS”.  With the address entered, I set of on a journey that would take approximately 2 hours.

The always present 'Capitol'

As far as drives go, expressways in Illinois make “New Jersey Turnpike” look like a “National Park”.  So, the route to Madison wasn’t exactly making me stop to take pictures.  Plus, most of the drive in Wisconsin was through roads under construction, meaning lower speed limits.  But I finally made it and the first view of Madison is the ‘Capitol’.  As I would soon discover, this building was literally the center of the city, with all streets radiating out like spokes.  It was positioned at 45 degrees to the normal and located on a narrow strip of land between 2 lakes. There were circular streets around the building where all the restaurants and bars were located, making this the place to be at in the evening.

Busy Saturday on the streets

There was some traffic getting into the downtown and after a few turns, I found myself entering the garage of ‘The Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club’.  The lobby was buzzing and the lady at the reception mentioned that there was some “Marathon” being run the next day.  I dropped off my things and set off to get some brunch.  As soon as I emerged from the hotel, just around the corner was the imposing ‘Capitol’ which truly dominates the skyline.  The narrow streets around it were crowded and it was a beautiful day to be outside.  I walked to ‘Bassett Street Brunch Club’, which turned out to be a bright, popular spot.  There were people waiting for a table and it would have been a 30-minute wait for me, unless I could snag a spot at the bar.  That was full as well, and I saw a lady with a bag on a stool.  I assumed her companion was in the washroom, but later I learned that she was just too lazy to bend down for her bag and so took up 2 seats on a whim.  Well, shame on me for not asking.  After 10 or so minutes, I found a spot and after some terrible coffee but decent food, I set off for the afternoon.

Great view from the art museum

It was a busy time with the narrow streets crowded as I got closer towards the city center.  I was going to ‘Madison Museum of Contemporary Art’, a very modern looking glass building at the corner of a 6-street intersection.  It was a 3-floor building with some nice galleries, but for me the most impressive part was the edge of the building that was almost triangular like a ship’s “bow”.  With the building having a glass exterior, one could get a nice view of the busy streets below.  One of the more interesting rooms had some colorful boards and strings on the floor with a painting of a sidewalk at the end.  Visitors were encouraged to place the paraphernalia in any pattern that they chose in front of the painting.  Either that or the room needed cleaning!  I guess the marketing worked since a family with kids was playing with the stuff in there.

Inside the 'Wisconsin Historical Museum'

Nearby was ‘Wisconsin Historical Museum’ and the walk there took me past street side vendors operating through tents and people enjoying this fine Saturday afternoon.  The museum was across the ‘Capitol’ and a relatively simple building when compared to the one I was coming from.  It was a multi-floor museum celebrating Wisconsin’s heritage.  This included exhibits on the food industry – of course – archaeological history, political history and its emergence from once being a “frontier” into an industrial age.  There were some models of early automobiles – always a popular ploy with kids – and overall it was a decent museum.  Plus, it had good views of the ‘Capitol’, though I suspect it was hard to avoid that in any building in this area.

View from the "Observation Deck"

There was 2 pm tour of the ‘Capitol’ that I wanted to attend, and I arrived with 20 minutes to spare.  The place was crowded and the person at the desk told me that there were some other tour groups, including one in French!  Well, I wasn’t going on that one, so I asked if there was anything to do while I waited.  The gentleman told me that I could take the elevator up to the “Observation Deck”.  Well, that would do just fine.  There was one flight of stairs after exiting the elevator and while it was not all the way to the top of the dome, it was high enough.  With water bodies on either side and long stretches of road on the other sides, it was a very decent view.  I walked around the “360 degree” viewing terrace and even tried to figure out where my next stop of the afternoon was located!

And inside the 'Capitol'

I came down just before the start of the tour and tried to locate the right group.  There were several people who would be joining me, and our guide told us to stay close to him.  As with other similar buildings that I have visited over the last few years, this one was extremely ornate, with it's design, materials and art.  Also, like my tours in other cities, this one covered the history of the building and took us to some of the meeting rooms as well as the main chambers of the “House” and the “Senate”.  Looking at some of the interiors, it is amazing to think that this is a functioning government building and not just some preserved historic display.  It got crowded in places where we ran into the other tour groups, but that did not take away from this tour, which was quite good.

Starting at the  'Avenue Club'

The tour ended just before 3 pm and I wasn’t planning on any other stops for the afternoon, well not any “tourist attractions” in any case.  I saw a charming coffee shop nearby and stopped to get some water, sitting by the window and watching people go about their business around the ‘Capitol’.  Then I set off on one of the long roads leading away from here, for a mile walk to my first bar of the evening.  There wasn’t much to see on the way, other than some sort of festival in a park.  There were some residential buildings and small cafes, but it was mostly a busy road with 2-way traffic.  After what seemed like a long time, I finally reached ‘Avenue Club and the Bubble Up Bar’.  At first glance of the dining room, I felt that the name sounded way fancier than the interior.  But there was another, cozier room, with a long bar, which I was sure would be quite popular at night.  Presently however, there was just another group besides me.

'Gib's' located inside a house

I like places that on the menu, show the picture of the actual glass which carries the drink, and this was one of them.  I must admit that sometimes it influences what I get.  I picked a drink which sounded good and while it was, there were several places on my list for this evening and so after a few sips, I left.  My next destination was about half a mile away and it took me through some desolate places, but eventually put me on a street which had several “artisanal” shops.  It was a complete contrast to where I had come from, as was the bar.  I had to look twice, but ‘Gib’s’, the place that I was going to, was located inside a house.  I have been to several restaurants in a house, but this was just a bar.  As I entered it felt as if I was walking through someone’s living room.  The bar counter itself had no seating arrangement, just a place behind which the bartender made the drinks, and which you then took to a couch or something.  I got a drink called “Boozy Cola” and sat by the window looking at this interesting setting, which was more like a coffee shop than a craft cocktail bar.

Seat next to the "microgreens" in 'Forequarter'

I stayed for a bit and the called a ride for my next destination, which was bit further away than I was prepared to walk.  On a street which looked residential, was a place called ‘Robin Room’. It described itself as a “neighborhood bar” and an “emporium of fine potables”.  The menu was small but included cocktails, which besides being their own creation, also elevated classic drinks.  I was the only person there and after a while, set off for the next spot which was just down the street.  It was called “Forequarter” – perhaps because it was located on “708 ¼ E. Johnson Street”.  Unlike the earlier place, this was also a restaurant and apparently a good one at that.  They even had “microgreens” growing in boxes next to me, and which chefs used in their dishes.  I ordered an interestingly titled drink called “I said Brandy” and it was quite good.  The staff here was very friendly, and I had a good time discussing my travel with them.  I apologized to the bartender that I would not be finishing my drink since I had several other places to visit and she gave me her thoughts on some of them.  So far this evening, this had been my favorite stop.

Lovely evening in downtown Madison

I was going back towards the main part of downtown – read, near the “Capitol square” – and very soon the sight of the building was upon me.  On one of the narrow streets was ‘Merchant Madison’, which looked like a sparsely populated “sports bar” and which made mediocre drinks.  Not finishing the cocktail was not a problem here.  Nearby was another place called ‘Graft’ and this one was a busy restaurant with a bright décor.  The bar area was quite good, and I was lucky to get a seat.  With all the food around me, I ordered a snack and what turned out to be a good drink, “Elder Fashioned”.  I enjoyed my time here, and based on the noise level, so did the other folks around me.

Another great view of the 'Capitol'

It was a beautiful evening when I walked towards ‘Cask & Ale’, which was located on the busy “State Street”, with all its shops.  This one looked like a tiny “dive bar”, with a focus on Whiskey.  Well, that suited me fine and I sat there amongst other locals, who have probably spilled a lot of drinks on the bar over the years.  My final stop before dinner was supposed to be a place called ‘Heritage Tavern’, but as I walked past it, a sign said that they were closed for a “Private Event”, though nothing much was happening inside.

But this one was better

Since I had time, I went to the nearby ‘AC Hotel’, on the 10^th floor of which, was ‘Eno Vino Downtown’.  It was nice bar and I had a spectacular view of the dome of the ‘Capitol’ behind several amber colored bottles.  It wasn’t a bad way to wait for my dinner reservation.  That was in a restaurant called ‘L’Etoile’.  It was a “fine dining” restaurant and for being in a small market, they acquitted themselves very well.  I enjoyed my time there, including chatting with the staff.  At the end I asked for directions to my hotel and walked back around the beautifully lit ‘Capitol’.  Despite my busy evening, I hadn’t had enough, so I stopped at the hotel bar called ‘The Bar’ for a nightcap before finally calling it a day.

The beautiful 'Olbrich Botanical Gardens'

The marathon was over by the time I went to the lobby for check-out, and the place was busy, with some of the participants now posing for pictures.  I was going to ‘Olbrich Botanical Gardens’ and even though I had a car, I wanted to avoid having to find parking in downtown later in the day.  So, I left it at the hotel and took a ride to the gardens.  And I am glad that I did so, because despite the location of the gardens on the map, the entrance was at the very end and it took longer than I expected to get there.  It was a beautiful day for a stroll and this place was as good as any of the other gardens that I have visited.  Besides the lawns, the paths, the ponds and the inevitable waterfall, there was a pavilion that seemed to have been inspired by east Asia.  It was a nice way to spend the morning and now I was ready for some brunch.

The campus of the 'University of Wisconsin'

I took a car back to downtown and on one of the streets near the ‘Capitol’ was a place called ‘Marigold Kitchen’.  It looked to be quite popular with the locals and after devouring a breakfast sandwich, I was ready for the afternoon.  I was going to ‘Chazen Museum of Art’ and I decided to walk the mile to the place.  Besides being the capital of the state, Madison is a famous “college town”, being the home of ‘University of Wisconsin’.  The museum was on the campus of the university and as I got closer, I could see the students going about their Sunday chores as well as the typical campus “take-out” food places.  I reached the museum which was deceptively larger than appeared from the outside.  The galleries were big and there were a lot of them.  Plus, the museum extended to an adjoining wing, with a fantastic view of the walkaway lined with University buildings and leading up to the lake.

Ice Cream by the lake

I enjoyed my time in here and the final thing on my agenda for this visit was to see more of the campus.  It was a warm afternoon and all the students had decided that the lake was the place to be.  People were in the water, on the boats, or just soaking in the sun on the deck.  There was a “Student Union” and I entered in to see a food court and immediately spotted a line at the ice cream counter.  It seemed like a perfect day for that and armed with a scoop, I went outside on the ‘Memorial Union Terrace’ and found a table and chair to enjoy the view and of course my ice cream.  However, it was quite hot and after a while I sought refuge inside the building.  There was more to it than just the food area and I found one large hall where there was a big crowd watching a “World Cup Soccer” game between Poland and Columbia.  There were supporters on both sides, meaning the decibel level inside the room fluctuated depending on the flow of the game.  It had been a long time since I had experienced something like this and I had forgotten how much fun it is to watch sports in such a setting.

Sunday by the water

I stayed in there and watched the game for a while and then continued my exploration of the campus, which took me up a hill, with a central lawn and buildings on either side.  It was your typical college campus and with all the students either watching the game or by the lake, it was quite empty.  It was nice view of the campus from up there and I wondered if students could laze on that lawn.  I walked through the campus a bit more and then decided to head back.  I was planning to call a ride and the challenge was to find a spot that I could enter on my phone.  I returned back to the ‘Memorial Union Terrace’ and was soon picked up and on my way to the hotel.  I retrieved my bag and my car from the garage and left for my ride back to Chicago, driving past the imposing ‘Capitol’ for the last time. 

Final look at the campus

With the traffic, it took me as much time to get to the outskirts of Chicago as to get into the city.  But that was a small inconvenience in what had been a very charming trip.  It was almost like a tale of 2 cities, with last night being an exploration of the “night life” and today showcasing Madison as a premier “college town”.  I was glad to have taken this drive and not settling for the easy train trip to Milwaukee.  Plus, it allowed me to justify the label of “Driving Distance”.