Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In2013,thecityreallygotonthebandwagonwith
B-cycles
(
www.madison.bcycle.com
,
$5/90 min.). Dozens of bike rental kiosks are scattered throughout the downtown and offer
a grand way to easily explore the city.
Any cycling trail in the city is also open to hikers. The UW Arboretum has the most bu-
colic trails, some of them quite superb for an urban area.
Golf
Madison has four public courses, of which
Yahara Hills
(6701 E. Broadway, 608/
838-3126) is the least crowded.
Odana Hills
(4635 Odana Rd., 608/266-4724) can be
so crowded at times it's like Disney World. The city's website (
www.cityofmadison.com/
parks/golf
)
has information about all four.
An outstanding course is the University of Wisconsin golf center,
University Ridge
Golf Course
(9002 CR PD, 608/845-7700,
www.universityridge.com
)
, a championship
par-72 course with the tightest slingshot fairways you'll find in town.
Canoeing and Water Sports
Canoeing magazines also rave about the city. This comes as little surprise, since the city
boasts four lakes, the larger two of which—
Lake Mendota
and
Lake Monona
—are con-
nected by the
Yahara River,
a superb ribbony urban stream passing through locks and a
series of smaller lakes. The Yahara connects to the Rock River, which itself flows through
southern Wisconsin. Factoring in tributaries of the Rock leading westward to the Ol' Miss,
technically, you could paddle all the way to the Big Easy.
Downtown, the UW Memorial Union rents canoes and kayaks.
Wingra Boats
(824
Knickerbocker St., 608/233-5332,
www.wingraboats.com
)
rents boats, canoes, kayaks and
sailboats, and also gives lessons; find them at Vilas Park next to the Henry Vilas Zoo.
The UW is what draws the sports nuts to Madison. The university is NCAA Division 1A
in all sports, and the cardinal red-garbed citizenry is gaga over the Badgers. Camp Randall
Stadium on a football Saturday is an experience you'll not soon forget. If the opponent is
a Big 10 foe, forget about a ticket, but for early-season games, an occasional ticket may be
available. Ditto with the perennial Western Collegiate Hockey Association champion—and
six-time national champion—Badgers, whoplayattheKohlCenter(oneofthebesthockey
facilities in the United States); the fans here may be more rabid than the football legions.
