Friday afternoon, we were headed southeast on I-90, midway between La Crosse and Madison, when we passed a tractor trailer parked in a field. “TRUMP” was painted on the side in big, bold letters. But somebody had taken spray paint and covered that up with bigger, bolder letters that spelled “LOSER.”
That was the moment we fell in love with Wisconsin.
Whoops, Platte is Nowhere Near the Interstate
Thursday evening, we said goodbye to our houseguests and hit the road for the first leg of our trip to Wisconsin. Tara had booked us a hotel room in Platte, ostensibly three hours from home, believing it was right off the interstate.
It was not right off the interstate.
Platte, it turns out, was 24 miles south of the interstate—a stretch of two-lane country road we had to navigate after dark, with so many bugs splattering against the windshield it sounded like it was raining. Needless to say, she felt bad. But it was the first night of an exciting adventure, so no big deal!
Friday morning we were up early, just in time to catch a beautiful sunrise.
Platte isn’t much more than a wide spot in the road, but it does have pretty skies. And surprisingly good breakfast sandwiches at the Dakota Food and Fuel gas station/convenient mart. There’s a pro tip if you ever find yourself passing through.
We were back on the interstate by 6:30 a.m. South Dakota and Minnesota flew by in a blur. We crossed the Mississippi River into Wisconsin early Friday afternoon and immediately marveled over the change in scenery. Where the trip had thus far been flat fields and prairies, Wisconsin is much greener and boasts large stands of trees everywhere.
We reached Madison around 3:30 and checked into our hotel. It was quite the swanky place, located just a stone’s throw from the Capital. We definitely splurged, because we wanted to stay in the heart of downtown so we could explore the area on foot. This turned out to be a wise decision given all the walking we did.
After we got settled in, we proceeded on foot to The Old Fashioned, so I could check off three items on my Wisconsin Bucket List: a Friday fish fry, a Brandy Old Fashioned, and fried cheese curds. All are quintessential Wisconsin experiences. And all delivered.
Old Fashioneds are my go-to cocktail, but I’d only ever had them with whiskey. In Wisconsin, they use brandy, and then top it with a “wash”—a splash of soda. You can order it “sweet” (lemon-lime soda, such as Sprite or 7-Up) or “sour” (grapefruit soda like Squirt, or sour mix). I tried both and prefer the sour. I enjoyed the unofficial state cocktail so much, this was the first of many on my trip. I don’t know if I can ever go back to whiskey again.
Don’t even get me started on the incredible fish (I had a combination of walleye, cod, and perch) or those cheese curds. The food on this entire trip was amazing. We just don’t have this kind of culinary scene in Rapid City.
Plan B for Baraboo
Saturday morning, we were up bright and early to hit the Dane County Farmers’ Market. The sheer size and scope of the market floored us. Vendors set up tents along Capital Square, which means they line the sidewalk on all four sides of the Capital (and spill out into the surrounding streets). It took us 40 minutes just to make a single loop. The volume of fresh produce, baked goods, meats, cheeses, jams, and more is mind-boggling. By far the biggest and most impressive farmers market I’ve ever seen.
The Raging Grannies are a troupe of older ladies who were serenading market-goers with protest songs. Madison is super liberal, which was so refreshing! Living in a red state with a governor hell-bent on overturning the will of the people gets real old. You can’t walk more than a couple of blocks in Madison without encountering a pride flag, BLM sign, or peace activist. It filled my liberal heart with joy.
After a breakfast of market goodies on the Capital lawn—bread, strawberries, beef sticks, and cheese curds—we drove north to explore Devil’s Lake State Park. This was a mistake, because it was noon on a Saturday during a holiday weekend. Everybody was exploring Devil’s Lake State Park. Fortunately, if there’s one thing Team MarTar is good at, it’s coming up with plan Bs. Literally, in this case: we decided to check out Baraboo in the Wisconsin Dells, after a quick stop along the Ice Age Trail.
Baraboo is the birthplace of the Ringling Brothers Circus and home to the Circus World Museum. It looked like a fun stop, but we were thirsty, so we ducked into the Driftless Glen Distillery instead for a couple of cocktails and a delicious salad.
While there, we made friends with a couple from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Ended up chatting them up for over an hour. They are very passionate about where they live and filled our heads with stories of life in the Badger State. Sadly, we didn’t even catch their names.
Our next stop was Wollersheim Winery & Distillery in Prairie Du Sac. Built in the 1840s, the place is absolutely beautiful, set on a hillside overlooking the Wisconsin River. There’s even a cave to explore. We did a wine tasting and then tried a cocktail from the distillery. I had no idea Wisconsin even knew how to grow grapes! Suffice it to say, we did not leave empty-handed.
By now, a light rain was falling and it had been a long day, so we drove back to Madison. There, we strolled down State Street, a pedestrian zone chock full of restaurants, bars, and shops—everything from a Target and Raising Cane’s to eateries selling ramen and pizza and dumplings. We grabbed a table at a college bar, ordered up brats (if you don’t eat a brat in Wisconsin, can you say you were even in Wisconsin?), then walked back to our room just in time to catch the setting sun glinting off the Capital.
Oh, Madison. You pretty little thing, you.
So far, it had been a wonderful trip full of adventure and fun…and we still had two full days. I’ll post the next part in a day or two, because this is already getting pretty long—and our drive home practically deserves its own entry thanks to the harrowing storm we encountered in Sioux Falls.
Spoiler alert: we survived. But for a few minutes there, I had my doubts!
What do you think of Wisconsin so far? Ever have a Brandy Old Fashioned? How about a Friday Fish Fry?
Mark My Words 
Aside from the oh so early rising hours, this sounds like a great weekend getaway. A brandy old fashioned? Color me intrigued…
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It’s smoother than a whiskey old fashioned. Goes down a lot easier. I’m not sure that’s a good thing…
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I must try an Old Fashioned and fried cheese curds. They sound yummy. (Plus, I’ll eat and drink just about anything.) Killer sunrise. Wishing you continued happy trails!
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Then you must get yo’self to Wisconsin stat! And bring your appetite.
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Roger that.
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I’ve been in Wisconsin twice but never been to Madison. The state was beautiful although the weather was too extreme for this Washingtonian! Loved the cheese curds and bought a cheese hat to wear for when the Packers are playing. I doubt that I’d like an old fashioned being exclusively an occasional amber ale drinker.
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They were selling those cheesehead hats in a (cheese) store (naturally!) and I briefly debated buying one myself. Then I remembered I’m a Denver Broncos fan and would have no use for the thing, other than as an unusual conversation starter.
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That looks like great fun! I was in Madison years (and years) ago for work but I never really experienced it like you have. That fish fry, fried cheese curds, and old fashioned meal looks so yummy… diet be damned (as well it should be when on vacation). If I ever get there again, I’ll be sure to check out many of the places you visited. Looking forward to further installments.
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Honestly, as much as there was to see and do there, we could have used at least one more day. Especially one that isn’t a national holiday. Hope you’re able to make it back to Madison again!
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Sounds like you’ve taken a shine to my home state! I grew up on Friday fish fries, but not on Brandy Old Fashioneds (my parents were kind of “old fashioned” (get it?) that way, not letting me drink Brandy Old Fashioneds during my formative years). I LOVE cheese curds, in small quantities.
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Wisconsin stole our hearts for sure. As delicious as that plate of fried curds was, it took great restraint not to polish the whole thing off in one sitting! (That restaurant’s cheese curds have been voted best in the state for something like five years running now. It shows.)
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Good. Loving cheese 🧀 is a requirement if your going to spend any time there.
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We may spend some more time there in the future.
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Since we love Costco, we recently saw a listing what Costco offers in the food court around the world, and much to our surprise, there was NO fish and chips at the UK Costco, guess where they did serve it? In France! So I guess you had French food in Wisconsin 😀
That salad looked amazing! I’ve never seen a salad on what looks to be a bed of caramelized pear? Wow!
And is the tunnel part of the winery? It’s news to me that there’s Wisconsin wine. Can’t wait to hear the verdict from the taste-test!
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The husband would find that UK Costco oversight appalling!
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He’s not alone, we did, too 🙂 And for FRANCE to have it of all places. A world gone mad! 🙂
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In more ways than one!
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Need more than one like button for this!
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Yep, caramelized pear. With candied walnuts and goat cheese. It was one helluva good salad!
Yes, the cave is part of the winery. It was built in 1857 and originally used as a home (!) for the owner, then turned into a wine cellar. Pretty cool, huh? The wines we tasted there were pretty good (most of them, anyway).
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I love the idea of having secret passageways. I clearly read too many books that featured them 😀
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I was going to comment on the Ragin Grannies but now I’m distracted by the fact there’s a Costco in France. I’m stunned by this news – for some reason I couldn’t fathom the Costco sized quantities in Europe. Wow, blown away… 🙂
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Yeap! There are Costcos in Denmark, France, Iceland, UK, and Spain 🙂 You knew we’d know that, right?🙃
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I totally knew you’d know that, EW!
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Awesome
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And no, no and no
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Sorry…no and no. Wisconsin looks awesome. I got carried away with the word…😆
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Ha! Thank you for clarifying. I didn’t think you actually had any negative feelings toward Wisconsin, but who knows. Maybe you slipped on a cheese curd one time and have a bad association because of that.
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😉
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So many amazing American States to explore, so many stupid airports to fly into…
Might just start out in a car. Border crossing via vehicle can’t be worse than airports… 🤷♀️
I’ve never had an Old Fashioned. Some chick I read who’s from KC is constantly talking about them. Maybe it’s a mid west thing? I do like brandy… 😉
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I think they’re definitely more popular in the Midwest, though the Old Fashioned is one of the earliest cocktails invented. NOBODY is into them as much as Sconies, though!
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Well, learn a new word every day.
I dare you to look up the singular as an accronym. 🤣
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I’m at work at the moment…thinking that’s not the best idea!
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I think I am most envious of the Farmer’s Market and the cheese curds. Enjoying this vicarious adventure and awaiting more descriptions of the dreaded derecho (Instagram abounds with spoilers).
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My boss asked me what my favorite part of the trip was, and (Trump-Loser trailer aside), I told him the farmers’ market. I’ve just never seen anything like it, and boy, it makes our tiny little one here look like a joke.
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1) I’ve never been to Wisconsin.
2) I’ve never had an Old Fashioned with either brandy or whisky.
3) I love fried fish, but my cholesterol #’s say I shouldn’t.
That farmers market looks fantastic! And all the food! I like how you guys vacation.
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Is there any other way to vacation?
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What do you think of Wisconsin so far? Knew it was liberal which was already a plus. My kids are taking a trip to the UP of MI (as opposed to the mitten of MI) and they could drive back through MN or WI or both, I think, on the return trip. Never been to WI and was just briefly in MN many years ago so after I get over my very long cross-country road trip, after which I never wanted to take another, that part of this part of the country might be the destination for my next shorter road trip.
Ever have a Brandy Old Fashioned? No and never even had a whiskey OF till I got to my kids’ house. Unlike her old lady, my Mini-Me has learned to mix them up herself, including making her own simple syrup. I think she made her first brandy OF earlier this week, but I passed on taste-testing that one. Next time, I guess.
How about a Friday Fish Fry? Not yet but now that I’m living in the Great Lakes Region, I know I will have a lot (new and different) food choices and already know some natives who know all about them. I did purchase some unfried but garlic parmesan flavored cheese curds over the weekend at a local and very small farmers’ market. The vendor also offered smoked cheddar cheese sticks. I guess maybe I’m an honorary or aspiring cheesehead myself.
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The sheer variety of cheese curds boggles the mind. We got some garlic parmesan, too. Or maybe it was garlic dill? I honestly don’t remember. All I know is, they were delicious!
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