Day three found us awaking, thankfully, to sunny skies. Tom wiped down the bike, I finished packing our saddlebags, and after a winning continental breakfast of Trix cereal, biscuit, gravy, and about a gallon of coffee, we were off and running…all the way across the street to The Sauk Prairie H-D dealership. While there, we started chatting with a couple of the staff and found that there was a great alternative route that was more rider-friendly. So, a bit later, we started off with our dealer dot, a poker chip, and a scrap piece of paper with our route to Madison. If you’re ever in the area, be sure to stop at their dealership…BEST ONE ON OUR TRIP SO FAR!
The trip down to Madison was a smooth one with minimal traffic. Once we arrived in the city area, the traffic got a big more hectic, but still manageable. We followed the route the nice ladies at the H-D dealership have us and also followed our noses to the capital building. Before we knew it, were had arrived at the Best Western at Park Inn Capital. Our “valet parking” didn’t quite happen for obvious reasons, so Tom was led to a spot close to the door, but out of the path of traffic. We checked in, and then we started down toward the lake to get our bearings in Madison.
We checked into our hotel room, and, arriving on the 8th floor at our suite, we opened the curtains to our bedroom to find a window full of copula…beautiful! Looking forward to the challenge of getting some good night shots.
One spot we for sure wanted to take a look at was the Lake Monona where the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center is located. It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Of course, it was a controversial build, but that’s pretty much the norm for any FLLW project. You just kind of have to look beyond it and recognize it for its aesthetic genius. We found out later that the interior has tours, so that’s on the agenda for some afternoon before we leave town.
We took off following the waterfront and found that we were getting hungry, so we started foraging for food, at first to no avail. Many of the restaurants tend to not open until 5 in the evening. We decided to start uphill away from the waterfront, and eventually found a place at a five-point intersection where we figured the people watching would be at a premium. We had a “feast” of nachos and a beer, oddly, at a very pretentious outdoor café. Nachos and beer—pretentiousness…that just didn’t seem right at all. But the presentation was a hoot! J
After our lunch, we started back toward the center of the city and then started back down State Street, the Kirkwood of B-town. Lots of places to eat, shop, and just enjoy humanity in general. That, of course, built up an appetite, so we journeyed closer to the hotel and found an Irish pub nearby. With a cold Guinness from the tap and some shared bread pudding made with fresh blueberries with a side of ice cream, we were well fortified to get back to the hotel and take a nap J. After that little respite, we got a call from #1 son who told us he, cousin Scott, G’ma and G’pa had arrived and were in the lobby. We went down to greet them and, while down there, several more of the extended family arrived. After a good deal of hugs and handshakes, we took Kurt up to the room to unload his stuff, and then we walked across the street to the first informal family gathering at an outside bar. We bought a beer and settled in for some catching up. (Now I’m beginning to understand the significance of Wisconsin being well associated with…beer.) There must be a bazillion microbreweries around here. The biggest challenge is finding one that’s not hoppy to no end…we does love that wheat.
After a bit, appetites hit again, so we broke ranks and headed back down State Street to find supper. We ended up at a place called Hawk’s and were able once again to people watch while eating. After a walk back to the hotel, we met in the family party room and played a quick game of “catch up” on our lives. Then we had a beer, some snacks, some chit chat, and when we’d run out of steam for the day, we called it a night. Tomorrow will be a new day with new tours, new eating opportunities, and new adventures. There will also be a few more Beumers to welcome once they get out of the Minneapolis storms and down to sunny Madison.
Photo stream: http://picasaweb.google.com/weisman.asai/DayThreeWisconsinTrip?authkey=Gv1sRgCNrrjbOF7aGyygE&feat=directlink
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