The Weekender's Guide to Madison, Wisconsin 🧀

Hey earth muffins! Wow, this feels so weird – I haven’t posted on a Monday in quite some time… But I am super excited to share this travel guide with you all today! 😁 I recently spent some time in Madison, WI and would recommend visiting this city to everyone! There was so much to do; I definitely did not get to see as much of it as I wanted… But here are the things that I would recommend!

What To Do
1. Walk around the University of Wisconsin campus: As a Michigan grad I shouldn’t be supporting a rival school, but their campus was absolutely gorgeous! There were so many unique buildings to look at including Bascom Hall (which sits on top of a super pretty hill!).

2. Listen to music at the Terrace of the Memorial Union: The city of Madison is located between two different lakes, making this terrace the perfect place to eat, listen to local musicians, swim, watch the sunset, and have a great time!
3. Climb to the observation decks of the Capitol Building: The Capitol is free and open to the public, and you are able to climb all the way up to the interior AND exterior observation decks. These are some great views of the city!

The view from the interior viewing platform

A view of the city (and solar panels!!) from the exterior deck

4. Hit up the farmer’s market: While it is extremely crowded, there are a ton of awesome stalls selling everything from succulents to jewelry! Hot tip: Make sure you walk counterclockwise around the Capitol 👍
5. Go to a cheese barn: While not in the city, it is basically mandatory that you find some Wisconsin cheese curds! I went to two cheese stores that were about 20-25 minutes from downtown: Mousehouse Cheesehaus and Ehlenbach’s Cheese Chalet.

What to Eat
1. The Nitty Gritty: This bar is the place to go – especially if it is your birthday! They give you a free balloon and beer mug with unlimited drinks (alcholic or non-alcholic)… Plus, they sing to you! 🎉 The burgers are super tasty, and it is located right downtown.
2. Essen Haus Restaurant: AMAZING German food! If you want a fun time with friends, you can split a 2 liter beer boot while listening to live music…

The Strawberry Salad with a side of spinach spätzle

3. Barriques: I stayed outside of the city in a hotel in Middleton, so I ate lunch at this adorable cafe.☕ The food was super delicious and affordable – definitely a good brunch stop!

My delicious cranberry almond scone!

Where to Stay
1. Airbnbs: There are so many cute apartments on Airbnb to choose from! This allows you to stay close to downtown/campus, which ensures that you don’t miss any of the sites 😀
2. Downtown Madison hotels: While there aren’t many choices (I think there are around 4 hotels downtown), the rates for the hotels are pretty comparable to any Airbnb.
3. Middleton hotels: As I mentioned before, I stayed in Middleton instead of downtown. The Staybridge Suites was a nice hotel, and I thoroughly enjoyed the free breakfast. Middleton is an adorable little town that even has a free trolley that takes you around the city!