Day 27 – Prairie du Chien to Madison, Wisconsin

Cycling long distances is always easier when the wind is behind you. It certainly was today and, despite the continuing extreme heat, I enjoyed a smooth ride across half the state of Wisconsin with little fuss. I left behind the Mississippi River and turned due east along the Wisconsin River valley. This is another substantial waterway; broad but much shallower and a great place to kayak, from what I saw around me on the roofs of passing cars and in the water. The river was full of sandbars and lined with many an attractive looking beach to spend a hot afternoon. But I had more than 100 miles to cover, so there was no time for that today.

The morning took me along another “scenic byway” (state route 60) which was delightfully quiet for the first couple of hours. I paused for breakfast in the first town of substance, Boscobel, and stumbled upon a wonderful piece of Americana. From the outside it looked just like any other A&W fast food restaurant and drive-through on the edge of a small town. But inside, when I approached the serving counter, I was told to choose a table and phone in my order. Every table had a menu and an old telephone which connected you directly to the kitchen. I could see the people I was speaking to; but it was fun to go along with a unique experience that has somehow been preserved despite the passage of time. Sure enough, my order arrived in a few minutes. My young waitress was very shy and she said a couple of the phones had broken and there was talk of removing them. I told her that I really hoped that doesn’t happen. There was also an old jukebox in the restaurant. It was churning out country music, which is very popular and has been the choice of many an establishment. It’s not really my cup of tea; but I prefer it to a lot of the modern rubbish you hear elsewhere. It certainly went with my present surroundings.

Direct line

The roads got longer and straighter and eventually, after the sleepy, small town of Muscoda, my route merged with the larger national route 14, and more traffic began to appear. But it was never unpleasant and I had a wide shoulder to use. I expected more hills than I got today. They never came. Wisconsin gives the impression of being a state that produces a lot of fruit, vegetables and cheese, and it is sold by the roadside in large farm markets that also have a lot of children’s play equipment. But none of them seemed to have a cafe, like you feel sure they would at home, or I would have stopped. You just can’t pass up an opportunity to take on fluid.

My late lunch stop was a trip down memory lane, too. I think it was once a drive-in restaurant but the canopy out front now housed picnic tables. I sat inside where there was AC and entered a world from the era of Elvis. The soundtrack was Blues Brothers meets the Commitments and the whole place was full of character and nostalgia. I had a huge salad and an even bigger root beer float, which set me up perfectly for an afternoon of riding straight towards the state capital, Madison. I cycled right in to the heart of the city, which is dominated by the University of Wisconsin. I really liked what I saw; but there is more to explore in the morning. The state Capitol building stands on a strip of land in the centre of town between two large lakes. I got a view this evening across the water. It is definitely worth a return trip.

Madison

Tomorrow’s slightly shorter ride takes me from Madison across to the larger city of Milwaukee, on the shores of Lake Michigan. I’m looking forward to that. I don’t know any of these places. It will be another hot day; but hopefully the weather will break on Wednesday. Either way, reaching the Great Lakes, when I get there, feels like a big deal in the context of this journey.