Day 28: Boscobel to Madison

It just does not get any better.  Almost the entire 96 mile ride was on quiet backcountry roads through lovely rolling countryside with numerous picturesque farms.  The weather was perfect with blue skys, cool temperatures, and light NW winds - yes, we had a tailwind for the first time since somewhere in Wyoming. With Trek Bicycle and Trek Travel both headquartered in Madison, the routing benefited from a lot of local knowledge - and it was fabulous.   However, it did include the steepest climb of the trip - a 15% grade that got me out of the saddle and my heart rate above 150. Fortunately, it was relatively short

The final few miles into Madison were along the shores of Lake Mendota through some beautiful neighborhoods.  We pedaled by the state capital building as we neared our destination at the Hilton on Lake Monona - downtown Madison sits directly between the two lakes. My room has a nice view out over the lake.

Upon arrival I took a walk around the capital building and down State Street, near the University of Wisconsin, in search of the best milkshake in town.  I found the shake and also had the opportunity to get a feel for the area around the campus - the Badger's home game was in-progress so the crowds on State Street were not too crazy.  While I enjoyed experiencing the "vib" of the area, I didn't enjoy being approached by panhandlers every few minutes nor seeing the hundred's of homeless/street people camped out around and on the steps of almost every state office building.   I guess I'm just getting old. but the two "very liberal" towns we have visited on this trip ( Portland OR and Madison WI ) that are rated high in the "best places to live" rankings just don't work for me - give me a Walla Walla, Missoula, or Sioux Falls any day.

This evening we had a casual dinner at the home of John and Tania Burke, owners of Trek Bicycle and Trek Travel respectively.  We arrived in their backyard to a beautiful sunset over Lake Mendota.

The Burke's home is a lovely, comfortable, hundred-year-old cedar shake structure which would fit nicely on the New England coast.  I had good conversations with both John and Tania and found them to be nice, down-to-earth midwestern people.  Not surprisingly, they are both avid cyclists who commute long distances by bike to their respective workplaces whenever weather permits. It was a nice evening which kept me up past my curfew time - but tomorrow's a rest day so "what the heck".

Steve