“The poetry of earth is never dead.” – John Keats
I found Madison, Wisconsin to be a complete surprise. Expecting to be surrounded by corn fields in your typically blue-collar city, I was happily mistaken.
Though walking around the houses are old and worn and the air has that distinct old home smell. You know the smell. It’s musty, kind of clings to your clothes and brings to mind a home that hasn’t been lived in for years.
The houses themselves are crammed together, each vying for their own piece of lakefront, making yard space a premium. So much so that people have covered what little they have in plants, from flower to vegetables. You will not find a single blade of grass anywhere on their property.
That’s where the parks come in. The city is filled with parks. Beautiful expanses of grass, some, or I should say most, surrounding one of the many lakes in the area.
I can see why Madison was rated by Fitbit as the fittest city in the nation in 2016, and top six in subsequent years. This city is so accessible. There are over 200 miles of bike lanes, newly added electric bikes for rent, and wide sidewalks with very little traffic.
Everywhere you look people are running, biking, playing frisbee, waterskiing, or just relaxing in the sun. And it’s obvious they love it there. There are free libraries in every neighborhood, open acceptance of all races and the LGBTQ community and I even saw someone pick up trash that was not their own and put it in a trash can.
Oh, and did I mention that most of the major parks are completely free. Now that’s how you encourage everyone to get outside!
I have said this before you all know that I am not exactly a huge fan of cities. They make me feel out of place and overwhelmed. I prefer the cool, quiet of the woods. But this city was an outdoor lover’s oasis.
If you are looking for a few suggestions on what to do in the area, here are my top 5 picks to get you started.
Bike around the lake
Rent a bike and take the 12-mile bike path that circles the entirety of Lake Monona. Either bike at your own pace or sign up for the Clean Lakes Alliance “Loop the Lakes Bike Ride.”
This event takes place in June (so we just missed it but definitely check it out for next year). This biking event includes multiple fun stops along the way, like Pizza and Brews, Root beer, and finishes with a beachside party.
Other places to take the bike include the UW-Madison Arboretum’s loop or the college campus itself, or head to one of the nearby state forests for some mountain biking. If you are a hardcore mountain biker, be sure to check out Blue Mound State Park, ranked the best mountain biking trail in Wisconsin in both 2007 and 2008.
Visit Olbrich Botanical Gardens
Free to visit, with donation boxes everywhere, Olbrich Botanical Gardens is located alongside Lake Monona. This 16-acres of landscape is a nice walk about if you are in the area.
It definitely wasn’t what I expected, having been to places like Butchart Botanical Gardens in Victoria, BC. But it was a nice, quiet walk about, in a less formally constructed garden. Yes, there were still some nice water features, statues, and buildings but the gardens weren’t really gardens in the traditional sense.
I expected to walk through well-maintained rose gardens, and the like, with labels and divided sections. This garden was wilder, like the caretakers just decided to let things do as they will. With some areas somewhat choked out by weeds.
It is still, however, a nice way to spend an afternoon.
Visit the University Arboretum and Zoo
If I had of known in advance, I would have gone here over Olbrich. On my last day in Madison, I wandered over to check out the zoo and arboretum. Stopping for some beers and lunch at a brewery, I got sucked in to chatting with other patrons.
Needless to say, the zoo was closed when I arrived. But it is also free to visit and is home to over 650 animals, including 155 species. Part of the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Henry Villas Zoo works in collaboration with other zoos in conservation efforts around the world, as well as education at home.
After the zoo, make sure to check out the Arboretum and I would recommend walking. I started to take a trail off the main road loop, before the visitors’ center, and came face to face with a deer and 4 turkeys.
As people were whizzing by on their bikes or going for their evening runs, I sat at a little lookoff watching the wildlife forage. It was heaven.
There is also an 8-mile hiking loop that takes you into the cool, damp woods, along a smaller lake. Disappearing from the sounds of the city completely you feel like you have stepped into a whole other world.
Kayak on the lake
With so many lakes around, there are lots of options for water sports. And the citizens of Madison take full advantage of this. Rent a kayak, paddleboard, or wave-runner or if you have your own boat, do a little water-skiing or take the sailboat for a spin.
There is no shortage of options available to you. Head to Brittingham Boats, on Lake Monona, or Marshall Boats on Lake Mendota. Pricing at both Brittingham and Marshall (owned by the same people) includes $16/hour for the first hour, then $10 an hour after for a stand-up paddle board or $15/hour for the first hour and $10 an hour after for a kayak. For the full price list check out their website.
Take in the local festivals
Finally, one of my favorite things about this city. The summer festivals. These aren’t like rock concerts or major, expensive concerts but free weekly concerts in the capital surrounded by food trucks. The entire city comes out to watch these concerts, no matter their musical tastes.
One evening, when I headed out for dinner from my hotel, I came to the capitol square and it was jam packed with people. People who had set up their blankets or camp chairs well in advance to get a good seat to an accordion classical music concert!
All around me were picnic baskets and corks popping as people were laughing and drinking wine. All ages and personalities were out as everyone came together to enjoy this event. Even the homeless sat among the rest, enjoying the show.
And when it was all over, everyone cleaned up their stuff and there was not a speck of trash left behind. And this goes on all summer long! So, if you get the chance to take in one of these 2-hour musical events, grab your food truck dinner, a glass of wine, and find any available spot around the area. It was one of the most memorable parts of my time in Madison.
Looking for other cities with great opportunities to rediscover nature or just get outside? Check out my post on Hocking Hills State Park, just outside Columbus, Ohio.
