Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
a sleigh ride or while you await a tow truck. A good pair of
boots
is also a necessity; some
people carry a heavy-duty pair in the car at all times, in case of an emergency.
Given the state's somewhat iffy weather, it's paramount to prepare your car for any pos-
sibility by
winterizing your vehicle.
Carry an emergency kit with booster cables, sand or
gravel (in a pinch, try sandpaper strips or kitty litter), flares, candles, matches, a shovel and
scraper, flashlight and extra batteries, blankets (space blankets are excellent), extra heavy
clothing, high-calorie nonperishable food, and anything else you might need if you have to
spendthenightinasnowbank.Icannotemphasizehowimportantitis.MorethanonceI've
stumbled upon out-of-staters stuck in a snowy forest ditch who were woefully unprepared
to spend a winter night in the car.
For these itineraries, you should balance the ideal with the realistic, and remember that
everyone travels at different speeds. Door County and the Wisconsin Dells are the most
famousweekendgetawaysthereare.TheGreatRiverRoadisalsoperfectlylaidoutfortwo
days (overnight in La Crosse).
The Beer City and Beyond
Save this one for a
long
weekend. Driving to Milwaukee from the Chicago area, choose
Kenosha, Racine,
oraboattourof
Lake Geneva
alongtheway.Adrivethroughthe
Kettle
Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit
is a primer on glacial history right near a walk-
through people's history at
Old World Wisconsin.
Arriveandrelax,planningfordaytwo.TheMilwaukee
lakefront
isamust.Tour
Miller
Brewing
or
the
Harley-Davidson Museum
and bop into the unduplicated
Milwaukee
Public Museum
and with time, strike northward for postcard-perfect
Cedarburg.
A Capital Trip
In Madison, architectural gems are where to start. Frank Lloyd Wright's
Monona Terrace
and, a few steps away, the magnificent
State Capitol.
Stroll the pedestrian-friendly State
Street area to the
University of Wisconsin campus.
The
University of Wisconsin Arbor-
etum
has the best urban trails anywhere (or visit the
Olbrich Botanical Gardens.
)
On day two, choose a longish drive northeast to the extraordinary
Horicon Marsh
Wildlife Area
or a combination circus/sweat duo in
Baraboo/Devil's Lake State Park.
