Day 32

Madison is a fun town.  If it is not tourist central for Wisconsin, I'd like to know what is.

Midwest cities like Madison have a rich history.  Madison was a major staging and training area for the Civil War.  The University of Wisconsin's football stadium is located at Camp Randall. More than 70,000 of Wisconsin's Union troops and more than one-half million of their families and friends passed through the arch on the right before the soldiers headed off to war.

I love Big Ten schools.  The students and the alumni are really supportive.  The stadium at Wisconsin is incredible.  These stadiums are not new, but were built for a big capacity years ago.

Callene and I were able to walk into the stadium without escort.  I don't think this is normal, but nobody stopped us.  We were able to snap a few pictures before we were asked to leave.  I guess we really stood out as tourists.  I think Callene really gave it away by her affinity for the tackling dummies.

We pretty well ate our way through town as well.  Madison has great restaurants that specialize in midwest beef, pork, cheese, beer, and sausages.  We tried them all.  I have 7 days of riding before my next rest break.  It is going to take all of them to get Madison out of my system.

We did as much tourist stuff as we could in town.  This town bleeds red for the Badgers, except when it bleeds green and cheesehead for the Packers.  I imagine this place is nuts on game day.


We also got to experience the gamut of weather in Madison, too.  Western Washington is pretty passive when it comes to weather.  Not here..it rained, then got hot and humid, then hailed, then we got thunder and lightening, then cleared up again.  I'm glad it wasn't a riding day.

P.S.  The clearing didn't last long.  Callene and I were headed out for ice cream but found out we are under a tornado alert.  There are 2 confirmed tornados south of us and another just north of Madison.  I'm glad the Big Riders are not in tents tonight.  My wife says I really know how to show a girl a good time.

.