SEJ's 19th Annual Conference: About Madison

 

The Chazen is one of the country’s leading university art museums, with a permanent collection of 16,000 works dating from 2300 B. C. to present day. Admission is free and the museum is open daily except Monday.

 

Featuring restored prairies, forest and wetlands of pre-settlement Wisconsin, the 1,260-acre arboretum also houses flowering trees, shrubs and a world-famous lilac collection. Stop in to see the McKay Visitor Center, featuring an orientation theater, bookstore, library, art gallery and more, before beginning your exploration. The historic arboretum is the site of SEJ’s Sunday morning program, including an author’s breakfast, tours of the prairie and wetlands with leading researchers, and a panel session on Leopold’s Legacy.

 

This 2.5-acre site of a historic Victorian home once served as a residence for university deans and has been called UW-Madison’s largest outdoor classroom. The 22 magnificent gardens represent gardening styles from around the world. Primarily used as a teaching tool in horticulture, botany, entomology and plant pathology, the gardens are also popular among visitors who stroll the grounds and gardeners who come to ooh and aah.

 

The path is a favorite route to and from campus for walkers and bicyclists. Picnic Point, rated “one of the best places to kiss” by a Florida newspaper, is not just a romantic spot, but a haven for people looking for a quiet getaway. A narrow, heavily wooded finger of land that juts out about a mile into Lake Mendota, Picnic Point is easily accessible via a wide dirt path, and offers views of the campus and the state Capitol. The path runs 1.6 miles along Lake Mendota, from the Memorial Union west to the entrance of Picnic Point.

 

With its reconstructed dinosaurs, huge mastodon skeleton, colorful mineral samples, a six-foot-diameter rotating globe and a walk-through model of a Wisconsin limestone cave, the GeologyMuseum has long been a favorite of both kids and adults. Open daily weekdays and Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

 

Located on Lake Mendota, this classic Italian Renaissance building has been considered the heart and soul of campus since it opened in 1928. Students, faculty, visitors, and guests converge here to eat, meet or just relax. A highlight is the terrace overlooking Lake Mendota.

 

This market on the capitol square is a Saturday and Wednesday tradition. The country’s largest producer-only market, some 150 vendors attend on Saturdays. Literally right out the hotel doors, the famed market will be part of SEJ’s Saturday morning combination panel and tour on Farmer’s Markets and CSAs.

 

Designed by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli, the museum features modern and contemporary art and a rooftop sculpture garden.

 

Sixteen acres of outdoor gardens and a year-round tropical conservatory demonstrate the result of sustainable gardening practices. Homeowners can see what they can do in their own backyard to reduce chemicals and save water. Midwest-hardy, sustainable Rose Garden and the only Thai Pavilion in the continental U.S. Travel Green Wisconsin certified. Sustainable gardening exhibit in the lobby, carnivorous plant exhibit in the Conservatory.

 

Located on the capitol square, the museum is a treasure trove of information about the state's rich history.

 

A tour is the best way to appreciate this gem, but if time is short, a walkthrough is a must. The grounds have been the site of political demonstrations, picnics and concerts.

 

The Veterans Museum’s exhibits highlight events from the Civil War to the present. Check out the replica of a Sopwith Camel, a Huey helicopter and a piece of the Berlin Wall.

 

 

Lucky you – the capitol square and State Street are home to affordable ethnic eateries (count ‘em, two Nepalese restaurants) and posh, upscale restaurants with talented chefs at the helm. The following list is by no means inclusive. Most recommended here will give you a true Madison experience and set you back $15-$25 for dinner. Pricier places are noted. Visit thedailypage.com for an exhaustive rundown of the city’s restaurants. Many of the choices below will be offered as part of SEJ’s Beat Dinners on Friday, October 9. Check the website beginning in September for options, and sign-up on-site for the dinner of your choice.

 

Stews and curries from East Africa, with many vegetarian items.

 

Italian, Greek and French food in a sparkling bistro.

 

Elegantly spiced dishes from the top of the world – Nepal and the Himalayas. 

 

Better known for the beer (some 280 imported varieties) than the German food, but with oompah music, who cares?  

 

Inventive, upscale food made with mostly local and seasonal organic ingredients. More expensive than others listed.

 

Seasonal menu, carefully prepared and presented. Take the gleaming brass self-service elevator to the basement to find the restaurant, or follow your nose. More expensive than others listed.

 

The use of local and seasonal ingredients have earned L’Etoile national snaps. More expensive than others listed.

 

Hand-held pies filled with hearty meats and veggies. This is a ‘to-go’ restaurant, so take your feast to the capitol lawn.

 

Celebrate Wisconsin tavern food and drinks in a bustling, funky space.

 

All-you-can-eat grilled meats carved tableside by gauchos, includes a bountiful salad bar. More expensive than others listed.

 

No, a brat is not an ill-behaving child, but a tasty German bratwurst. Sports bar atmosphere in a campus classic.   

 

Fresh Thai and Lao dishes in a down-home atmosphere – the building used to be a Laundromat.

 

Love the nightlife? Love to boogie? Two Madison nightspots grabbed top-100 honors in Food & Wine magazine's "Cocktails 2009" guide – the only Wisconsin clubs to make the guide: Maduro, 117 E. Main St., and Natt Spil, 211 King St. According to F&W, Maduro’s Ipanema cocktail and Natt Spil’s Creole Napoleon are standouts. 

 

You’d better return home with some tasty Wisconsin cheese.

 

 Local artisan cheeses, imports and go-withs from around the world. They’ll ship for you, too.

 

Cheeses and local delicacies to carry home, or have them ship it for you. In business since the 1930s.