My love affair with Wisconsin began as early as 2016 when I made an impulsive decision, three days before the event started, to attend the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine in Minnesota!
It was stupid with hindsight but I made it happen and arrived in Minneapolis with hours to spare to watch the European Team demolished by the Americans. It was brutal and I was truly shocked at the partisan nature of the American golf fans many of whom showed little respect for our team and even less respect for the game of golf.
All that said, the abiding memories were of wonderful Airbnb hosts and even more so my 5 hour drive to O’Hare airport through Minnesota and then Wisconsin, the latter leaving an indelible imprint on my brain for its stunning beauty.
It was of course early Autumn and the foliage all around was simply magical and as Linda and I made our own way down to our next destination of Madison, the journey rekindled my love affair with Wisconsin and brought back memories of 2016, albeit the fall colours are only just beginning to show
We went completely off the beaten track and at times followed the majestic upper Mississippi River eventually crossing an incredible iron bridge into Wisconsin which confirmed Linda’s capture of that final state and the culmination of our “50 in 50” adventure together. Without question, the rolling landscape, the beautiful scenery and the almost deserted roads meant that this particular part of the journey earned it the Gold Medal.
Our destination of Madison, the State Capital, also provided surprises, not least of which was our ability to wander into the magnificent Capitol building and walk around freely without anyone questioning us and our intentions! We did find out though that there is an extensive CCTV system in the Capitol and that two grey haired older people spotted on camera were not considered to be a threat!
The city is a friendly place with nice suburbs and some gorgeous houses. It’s home to some of America’s largest companies but appears relatively quiet compared to other cities. And it’s immaculate wherever you look with little signs of rubbish and beautifully manicured grass and flower borders in every direction. Yes, the love affair has grown.
Time is passing quickly and our return trip draws near so this may well be the penultimate post. We shall see.
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