Mom lived here with her parents and four of her five siblings, including her twin sis, Marilyn. And get this - they used to run through the cemetery to get to Mitchell Park and school and the dump where they went ice skating when it froze over.
We were only in Milwaukee for the afternoon and set out to visit the Milwaukee Art Museum (www.mam.org.) Sadly, it was under renovation so we were only able to see the small'ish exhibition "Van-Gogh to Pollock: Modern Rebels." It was a lovely exhibit to be sure but we missed out on the rest of the great works of art this museum probably holds.
On to Madison!!
We stayed at the Marriott Madison West, which is actually located in Middleton (www.marriott.com) and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Hospitality is the name of the game here, though the concierge lounge was a bit lacking IMHO. Our beds were comfy and the location worked out perfectly. There's a Starbucks across the street, and a sweet little shopping center too (www.greenwayshopping.com) Capital Brewery (www.capital-brewery.com) is super close and super delicious. Great beer samples, but be forewarned - no food here.
We found some great little eateries nearby, however. Yum and Double Yum to The Hubbard Avenue Diner (www.hubbardavenuediner.com) for some comfort food ... ham and potato casserole, homemade soup, and cherry-rhubarb pie for dessert. We also loved Sofra Family Bistro (www.sofrabistro.com) for their Albanian sausage and egg breakfast. And Sprecher's Pub (www.sprecherspub.com) supplied us with some German-style food that warmed our very souls.
This weekend was all about re-visiting Madison AND even more importantly, participating in "Her Madison Half-Marathon Weekend." I haven't been to Madison since I was pregnant with my darling daughter and couldn't remember a thing except for the delicious ice cream! We wandered up and down State Street through the cool and groovy shops, and all around the University of Madison, Wisconsin campus. June was the perfect month to visit - great weather and loads of green foliage.
The State Capitol Building in downtown Madison
One of our favorite stops was a local hang-out called The Old-Fashioned (www.theoldfashioned.com.) Zach says they have great cheese curds, but we didn't try 'em. Maybe next year! Great choice of all-local beer and wonderful home-style cooking. Think beer-cheese soup with a sprinkle of popcorn, grilled triple-cheese sammies, fish & chips with creamy coleslaw, and double crust cherry pie.
This area is surrounded by gorgeous lakes and our short hike took us right out to the
water's edge of Lake Mendota.
We even stopped into a Unitarian Church designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. I know his work is all over Wisconsin, but this is the only one we were able to see. The pipe organ was amazing!
"Her Madison Half-Marathon Weekend" was splendidly organized for a first-time race. We had a great cocktail hour, yoga class, expo, and Sunday morning run. Erin ran the half-marathon, and I did the 5K. There was a hint of rain that morning, but nothing stopped us from crossing the finish line.
Just crossing the finish line was a great experience, but our free beer at Great Dane Brewery (www.greatdanepub.com) was a really nice touch!
We met so many warm, friendly, wonderful women and can't wait to run again next year. And yes... I'm putting it out there to the universe. I'm doing the half-marathon next year. Wish me luck!!
Until our Next Adventure,
:) Deb
