Season 4 Episode 17. My New Best Friend Oscar.

Season 4 Episode 17. My New Best Friend Oscar. 

9/3 Spring Green, WI to Madison, WI. 54 miles. 1,792’ climb.

Leaving town, we rode right by Taliesin so got more views before heading into rolling farmland for the first hour or so. 

Soon we were on Military Ridge State Trail that we’d ride east for 25 miles. Though this trail was unpaved, it was packed earth so smooth and more enjoyable to ride than the crushed limestone trails that are bumpier, and felt in the rear end. As a converted rail trail, any climbs were of an unnoticeable grade.

I’m amazed at how much the state invests in their bike network with tunnels to safely pass under major roads. Wisconsin bike trails are impressive and a very close second to Minnesota’s.

We passed one home that had a swimming hole of sorts and the high diving board caught our eye. As we grew up with high diving boards, that have pretty much all disappeared from public pools, camps etc. due to liability concerns and the childproofing of everything, it was surprising to see. It’s a shame that younger generations don’t know the feeling of combined thrill and fear of walking up that ladder, summoning the courage to walk out to the edge, committing and usually jumping or rarely diving, (with so many eyes upon you), not being the person who walks out to the edge and then decides not to jump and needs to climb down the ladder. Seeing this high board I thought how lucky those kids are who live there.

Mount Horeb was a cute, trailside town where we picnic lunched. A friendly woman approached us to talk and we asked her what should we see in town? Her reply was “go to Madison!” So we did.

We have mixed feelings about trails. We love not thinking about vehicles, it makes for easy navigation, the grade (slope) is almost always easy with any climbs very gradual, and on hot days it’s cooler with some shade. But if the entire trip was trails, we’d not do it. We need a balance.

I’ve been loving the barns in WI.

We’d both been to Madison in the miserable winter cold of February, and I’d experienced UW campus on the shore of Lake Mendota in July. We were both amazed by the scene. It was a beautiful sunny day, warm temperature, classes only start in a day so it was a college beach vibe on the lake and campus was buzzing with youthful energy. 

This is college?!

You cannot visit Madison in the summer and not visit the Daily Scoop which features Babcock ice cream. A chemist Stephen Babcock arrived in Madison in 1887, made discoveries that changed the dairy business and by 1920, Wisconsin was known as America’s Dairyland.

Riding up State Street to the Capitol.

*     *     *

9/4 Madison, WI to Waukesha, WI.  64 miles. 1,105’ climb.

Leaving Madison, my artsy side caught a reflection of the Capitol in this building.

We followed the Lake Loop around Lake Monona as we rode in a wonderful residential area northeast out of Madison.

Madison, sitting between Lakes Mendota and Monona, is one of only 2 major US cities built on an isthmus; Seattle is the other. 

Another great trail - on the Glacial Dumlin State Trail for about 40 miles, most of the day.

Typical trailhead with services.

Loving WI farms, barns and silos.

Midday snack stop on a long boardwalk between two lakes.

I guess winter use by snowmobiles helps justify the expense of building and maintaining this incredible trail network.

Though the rails have been removed, agribusiness built around them remains.

One of the many wooden bridges. The wood is so weather beaten that I’m sure if walking barefoot, we’d be full of splinters. We give thanks daily for our Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires enduring these surfaces.

The less glamorous side of things - gas station lunch, standing eating a bowl of Cheerios and milk alongside some wiper fluid.

Waukesha is a charming city about 20 miles west of Milwaukee and part of the Milwaukee region. Though we knew nothing at all about the city until arriving nor chose it for its charm. We were coming thrilled to be visiting and staying with Barb and Gene, who I mentioned back when we went to Lake Itasca in MN as they had launched their kayak there when they paddled down the Mississippi some years ago. 

Technically this was a WarmShowers stay, but in fact it was like staying with old friends. We’d hosted them in 2022 on their east coast ride and despite us arriving to their home sweaty, smelly, and covered in trail dust, we were greeted with warm hugs. 

We relaxed in their beautiful garden, and enjoyed a wonderful dinner - I think it’s a compliment when I eat thirds, yum that lasagna was delish. And more valuably, we enjoyed meaningful conversation. 

Now that I’d seen the headwaters of the Mississippi and pedaled along side the river for some days, I had even more admiration for their accomplishment and so many questions of them. I’ll be re-reading Barb’s memoir “Paddle for a Purpose”, and Heather will be reading it for the first time. Hmmm- could that be season 5?

Admiring the tandem kayak they built themselves.

*     *     *

9/5 Waukesha, WI to Kenosha, WI. 57 miles. 849’ climb.

Barb and Gene prepared a breakfast feast for us including Gene’s speciality of an omelet that is finished in the broiler. 

They rode with us for a few hours, telling us about Waukesha’s history as a spring waters resort that people came to for healing.

They led us to various guitars around town that pay homage to Les Paul, a native son, a pioneer in the development of the electric guitar.

Noah’s Ark guitar with animals.

Fox River.

Gene pointed out a sod farm on the bike path beyond town. I’d never thought of sod being planted and harvested like a crop.

And rolled like giant hay bales.

Barb and Gene were surprised I’d not had any Wisconsin frozen custard. (I’d had frozen custard before but none in WI.) So Gene gave me an education on how in his youth, he and friends would cruise Milwaukee’s streets in a triangle between the 3 landmark frozen custard stands: Gilles (since 1938!), Leon’s and Oscar’s. 

Luckily an Oscar’s location was on our route southeast and would be open before we left the Milwaukee area.

I may have been wasting my time with soft serve and milkshakes. Frozen custard could be a reason to move here. It’s also higher in fat and calories than ice cream because of the egg yolks and heavy cream used. I’m not sure even with being on a statin, I’d survive living here.

From the Pacific, we’d crossed the Columbia, Missouri, and Mississippi Rivers to end up on the shore of Lake Michigan. It was staggering to think about this.

As we enjoyed a wonderful dinner in Kenosha, our final night in Wisconsin, we reflected back on how great it was cycling here and how midwestern we feel at heart. 

PS: The new bike saddle bought back in Red Wing, MN is doing fine :)

Copyright Mark Segal 2024.