Napping on the Capital Lawn

 We tried to pack in as much fun as we possibly  could in our 24 hour trip to Madison.  Friday night we rolled into town in a heavy storm.  We found our room about 7 miles out from the capital and cleaned up to go down town to one of our favorite spots on the capital square, the Old Fashion for a bite to eat.

Susie's drink of choice, what else an Old Fashion.  I went with a pint of  Hopalicious out of Madison.  We ended up with the best seat in the house in the front window.  We enjoyed  a batch of fried cheese curds and a great burger and summer sausage sandwich.

Up early for the farmers market. The Dane County Farmers Market has been around for nearly 40 years and today boasts over 150 vendors on site nearly every Saturday,  However, there is a seasonal rotation of nearly 300 vendors who have signed up for space along the square.  There is a smaller farmer's market on Wednesday's, but the one on Saturday also features street musicians, a craft and arts area down State Street, and the grounds of the State Capitol are reserved for non-profit, political or public information booths. 

The great thing about getting to market early is the crowd is small and you can maneuver your way from booth to booth, see everything and actually talk to the vendors.

Susie at the flower factory booth. 

 We learned years ago not to purchase things like pumpkins and squash until the very end of your trip to the market.  

 Graze for coffee and pastries and then an urban hike and shopping on state street before returning back to Graze for lunch.

 If you’re a frequent visitor of Madison, WI — or just a serious eater who happens to breeze through town every few years — you already know about Graze and  L’Etoile. For decades, it has been the biggest culinary game in town, the restaurant to which Beard wins accrue, the premier place to drop $200 to celebrate your anniversary or new degree. The Old Fashioned. As a tavern, it competes for a different demographic, but like L’Etoile, it draws big downtown crowds by making local ingredients irresistible.

 We didn't drop $200 but we did have a great lunch and a couple of beers before heading over to the capital lawn for a post lunch snooze in the shade of the maple trees.


Then back to Graze for the third time for Magic Coffee and then on the road again to New Glarus to the spotted cow brewery.