MADISON, WI

Pictures are here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=109899&id=672758511

I received a ride from a good man named Daniel. He was from Minneapolis and was on his way to visit his son in Madison. He offered me a ride all the way into Madison (appx 120 miles); I had already walked 6 miles just to get out of La Crosse and then another 3 down the hwy when he picked me up. I initially asked to be dropped off at Coon Valley which was still 10 miles away. He offered me a bottle of milk tea, which I accepted, and then Coon Valley came and went due to our conversation. We talked about life, luck, politics, socialism, society, and our youth (he hitchhiked across the US on several occasions). It was an enlightening conversation.

The next drop off point I requested was any town near "The House on the Rock."

http://www.thehouseontherock.com/
This would prove more difficult than I had expected. The house itself is 9 miles out of the way of anything. This includes food and lodging. So, he then recommended I simply go into Madison and he would drop me off in downtown. I would then figure it out from there.

Once in town, I thanked Daniel for his kindness and the tea and I was off to discover Madison. I was instantly greeted by the Capitol building and took time to look on my GPS to see where I was. Madison is laid out similar to the US Capitol. I perpendicular square that works it's way outward on spokes which are the streets. It was very easy to get disoriented. Add to this the confusing intersections and numerous sidestreets. I found my way to The Madison Hostel and dropped my gear. http://www.madisonhostel.org/ I then cleaned up, took another sight seeing tour and then it was time for dinner. I had seen a local brew pub, The Great Dane, on my walk and gave it a try. http://www.greatdanepub.com/ They had alright fish and chips, but excellent India Pale Ale. I had my fill and it was time to call it a nite.

Prior to my leaving, I took note of the people around me, watched them and their antics, and had to confirm my suspicions with my bartenders, Johnny and Katie, and also a nice local guy, Mike. They stated the dynamic of Madison was based on food and drink and has a changing demographic due to the short lived tenancy of professionals in the area, could be termed transitory occupation. Anyway, this all appears to create an aloofness and pretense of a majority of the people in town.

I decide I don't care much for Madison; I don't care much for most of the large towns/cities I have visited. They all end of costing me a lot of money. I much prefer the small towns and have made a point to plan my trip and stop every 10-12 miles at the towns in between. Up to this point, I have been following highways, but WI isn't laid out quite like that. I hope it is a good decision and makes for a pleasant walk. I am tired of all the traffic on the main roads.

Here is my planned route:
Madison
Oregon
Stoughton
Edgerton
Janesville
Beloit
Rockford, IL

This route will take me 6 days and still leaves Chicago 85 miles away.

Madison, thanks for the experience.