Madison Lessons: Wisconsin Cheese Rules and Politics Is All About Real Estate

Madison's capitol building.

We visited Wisconsin to experience Madison winter travel in all its snowy glory, complete with outdoor winter activities.  But most visitors to Madison wait until the snow has melted to experience Madison’s attractions.  In the midst of all our outdoor winter fun, we had a chance to visit some of Madison’s highlights that can be visited year-round and sample some great food and drinks.  We also confirmed Wisconsin makes some of the best cheese in America, sang some Poupon U songs at the mustard museum, and learned an interesting motivation for winning elections.

Snowy Winter Travel Packing Tips



I've sunk into six inches of snow, but I'm warm and dry.

Living in San Diego, I get cold when the thermometer hits 64 degrees.  So packing for our recent winter travels to Madison, Wisconsin posed a bit of a packing conundrum.  Luckily I had some items appropriate for winter, like boots and down jackets, purchased on or for other vacations in cold locations.  But as I said, I get cold in 64 degrees, so those previous “cold” locations were in the 40s and 50s, not in the single digits and negatives.  I also wanted to make sure we were able to thoroughly enjoy our outdoor winter activities, so I needed to get it right so we wouldn’t be miserable.  Happily, with advice from people in the know, I purchased and packed items that ended up being key to our comfort. 

It sounds like such a little thing, but the most important purchase I made for our winter travels were wool socks.  I had previously visited the snow in the mountains in Los Angeles and even though I was wearing my very warm boots, my feet still felt like they were going to freeze off.  Since we were planning outdoor activities of snowshoeing and ice skating, it was imperative that I keep my feet warm.  My friend's mother suggested Wigwam socks and one thing I know is moms are always right, so out I went and purchased four pairs of Wigwam Merino Wool Comfort Hiker Socks for both Romeo and me.  I also bought foot warmers, but between my boots and the socks, the foot warmers were never needed.

Traveling to the Winter Wonderland of Madison, Wisconsin

Enjoying our winter travel destination of Madison, Wisconsin.

I encountered an interesting phenomenon while planning our winter travels to Madison, Wisconsin.  If someone had never been to Wisconsin, they asked, “Why in the world are you going there, and in the winter of all times?”  But if they knew of or had been to Madison, there was no question about why we chose Madison.  Because to know Madison is to love Madison. 

If you have been following along with this blog, then you know why we chose Madison, Wisconsin as a 2014 travel destination.  We were to meet my friend Steve, a displaced native Wisconsinite, and his wife Stephanie in person for the very first time.  I also wanted to take this opportunity, as a born and bred San Diegan, to experience a real winter.