Yesterday after work I went to down town Madison for some exploring. I heard that State street is nice and went to find out. it was a cold but blue sky day. Madison is a state capital and as such, it has a state government building similar to the Congress house in Washington, but much more impressive since it is the only such building the the area and you can see it clearly from 10 minutes away in Google maps navigation time. I parked nearby and went for a walk. first I headed for the lake, Madison is situated between 2 lakes, both now frozen, a large group were throwing football, baseballs and other things around and I approached the lake with caution, but didn't go in., even though they said it was safe. I returned to the capital building and stated walking on State street. though there is space for cars and lanes, cars are not allowed on this street, it is full of stores and loaded with restaurants all outdoors, unlike most big cities so its unique here and its fun to walk even with the chill. I am well dressed with my terrorist ski mask on and trying to avoid banks and government institute, but its not easy to avoid them when you walk around the capital building.I spot a stand up comedy club and decide to check it out, but that building also has a bank, so i take my mask off and go in. some guy is appearing tonight, and I don't know his name or care, I sign up on the waiting list, since 3 shows tonight are fully booked, but they say I should have room. I get out and resume my terrorist posture and keep going. a cute store has hand puppet of various animals including a red dragon, I am tempted but the dragon doesn't have a nasty face, who cares about a cute Dragon? not me , and I keep going. a mural in a store catches my eye and I find myself next to a local Ice cream store right across from a national chain ice cream store. well this must be a sign and i head in to the local store and try 2 flavors i never never tired before, but both are mix of regular things. Heaps of love and Halley comet. I ask on the meaning of the name but the clerk doesn't know, she recognises an accent and I inquire about Madison. she is surprised cause she just returned from Israel in a birthright trip and asked people for directions there. and i am surprised to find big Jewish community in frozen Wisconsin. this store other than good ice cream (try the Hally's comment, not the heaps of love) has an amazing Murial on the entire wall with an amazing level of details which contains every creature, monster and freak you can ever think of on a single drawing. each creatures is capture in amazing details including extra teeth, eyes, fangs, arms, tentacles, wings, tails and miscellaneous. I enjoy my ice cream watching this amazing work of ark worthy of the Louvre. the cute thing about this painting is that all the freaks and beast enjoy ice cream! including while they are fighting each other street fighter style, you can see an ice cream cone flung away. expect photos soon.
Madison is a Capitol city and college town and has a mix of fancy restaurant and low end student eateries and as i head down the street I move from the government area to the student area and finish at University of Wisconsin . a big building from the late 1800 i think hold the library and archive. I go in and watch some pictures of various state official who are worth more than the ice cream photos but are so boring to watch and i quickly leave the archives. As I head out , a bright white moving object catches my yes as I stare at the frozen lake and see a sail moving!, how can that be, so I walk to the lake which ha people on it. I am not afraid of doing risky things as long as I am at least second, the Ice makes cracking sounds as i walk but every one is out here, some walk across the lake, one guy jogs!, 2 guys are playing ice hockey on the lake, some ice fish, some just hang around but i am focused on the sail. It is called Ice Boarding. similar to wind surfing, a wind surfing sail is connected to a wooden box (think coffin without the cover) where someone seats and large ice skates are connected below and this vessel sails the icy lake, how cool is that? these are privately owned and the guy tells me that If I come tomorrow he will give me a ride. I watch in wonder as they ride fast across the lake, but its late and the comedy show will starts soon. the cold is making me hungry and I stop in a cosy place called cosy. its a pizza chain i never heard about and I enjoy a Barbecue Pizza , then head for the show. the place is packed but they find me a chair on a table with 5 other people who are a group. I paid 10$ and i think they gave my money to the people in the group. not sure about that, but it very nice of them to do so, the only problem is that this table is right in front and this chair is right under the microphone, and sitting in front of a comedian is not something I do. I usually stay in the back where its safe, but beggars cant be choosers. this show is one of the best I have seen in a long while. the good thing about it that it was clean, no swears. which means they focus on the material. the comedian is making fun of Wisconsin and i learn a few things from the jokes. Wisconsinites like to drink and a lot of it, but also to go to bed early. well this show begins at 5:30! the main act is an actor T J Miller. I recognised his face from a couple of OK or minus movies but didn't know he was a comic. I am laughing all the time but cautious of being asked a question. He doesn't do that. the show ends and I go back to the hotel at around 7:30 just like a good Wisconsinite. I have Finance homework to do, which I manage to finish by midnight after heavy TV interruptions.
On Sunday morning a.k.a today I went to discover the near by areas. I started with the cave of the mounds , this cave has stalagmites and stalactites. the skies are blue again , picture perfect day, still cold though, but better then rain. I have seen better caves but this one is not bad, the tour takes about an hour including a movie. the cave is much warmer than the outside and some nice views appear from time to time. I leave the cave without purchasing anything at the gift store. and continue going. My map is not that good and these county roads are not posted well. Road F takes me north and i pass the large flowing Wisconsin river and start looking for lunch. Its Sunday so few places are closed. I skip all the junk places and start to leave town which is the last before Devils lake Park which was my next destination, then i see it. FOOD in a nice big sign. not what food it is, just the word food. I see it as a sign and walk in. Its a family type restaurant and i order a steak which i don't usually eat but yesterday i had a few hours by the TV and a steak commercial affected me. the NY strip come in a plate full of juices and its done well. before i leave the place i ask where I can find cheese, since this is the cheese state. i tell the clerk i could see any and was surprised by that (especially since the comedian refereed to cheese being an issue taken too seriously by the locals) the girl looked surprised and says , well there is one there, one in the beginning of town, one... and i just missed them all. feeling like a stupid tourist I head north and still cant see a cheese store. soon i make to devils lake, which may be where they said when hell freezes over. the problems is my shoes, snickers are not good for hiking, though the area looks nice and the skies are still blue today, i pass on the hike and keep going , now in the general direction of Madison. I pass by Baraboo and did you know that the town of west Baraboo is smaller then the town of Baraboo? shocking I know. well in this town I see the museum of the circus and I Wonder they, well this was the birth town of the Ringling brothers. i wish i knew that before, just stumbled on the place and took a little tour of the tiny downtown which looks interesting but mostly closed. I am surprised to find a Prom shop, a whole store dedicated to Prom dresses in a small town! I have no idea how they survive, but they do. I leave Baraboo and get on the high way and 20 minutes later I see another sign. CHEESE. well this is a sign and I stop by a place with a huge cow statue and a large mouse statue climbing the sign. I sample some of the cheeses, some good , some not but they have one cheese which is chocolate cheese!!! they say it is similar to fudge and i have to try, its good, real good and I take 3 blocks of cheese, pepper jack, a mix of 4 cheese sub blocs and this incredible chocolate cheese, ten recharge myself with frozen custard and continue back to Madison to the ice boarding lake but the guy is not there, the vessel is , but i am not a thief and i head back to the hotel to complete a quiz in finance. 25 questions in 60 minutes proves difficult and i am kind of happy with my 76%, could have been much worse, since i guessed 3 questions from lack of time (and i even had the TV closed at the time).
tomorrow its back to work and in the evening i may visit Madison to see it at night, not sure yet but this nice solo weekend is a more than adequate to mark Wisconsin as a visited state. I may be here again next month and still lots more to see.
cheers
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