Get motivated by coming to Congdan Park!…read more I like to do some running as part of my physical fitness routine. Delavan streets (like any streets and sidewalks) are brutal on the knees and difficult to enjoy when having to keep a watch out for passing traffic. Congdan Park has become a savior to my fitness. The park is mostly comprised of a pond for fishing with a surrounding .9 mile trail. There are gardens with picnic tables and a water fountain on the west side, which is beautiful in the summer. The trail is relatively quiet, so I haven't had trouble taking laps around the pond, and it's really quite lovely to rest up afterwards in the gardens. One drawback is that the park is right next to highway 43, but if you're going to try and make an area more beautiful why green around the pavement? It's a lovely area that wont be lost on its visitors.

Lake Geneva has an ordinance in place for all its privately-owned lake-front properties that…read moreessentially states, while pier access may be private, the lake front must be accessible to the public. It doesn't say that this access must be easy or hospitable, just accessible. I've been to my in-law's place on the lake several times but this 4th of July weekend was our first attempt at taking this lake front route back along the south shore from downtown. However difficult for a few stretches, it was thoroughly enjoyable and totally worth it (I ended up taking that walk two more times over the weekend). Most of the homes are PALATIAL...most of them are simply summer vacation homes for the families who own them and a clear example of what my husband and I like to refer to as "fuck-you-money" (as opposed to "fuck-your-mother-money", the likes of which I doubt I have ever seen actual expressions of up close). The "Expect a Miracle" house stands out among them all. I call it the "Expect a Miracle" house 'cause that's the marquis on the front and back fences of the estate (much like the "Graceland" marquis on the fence of Elvis' home). While the walking paths (where there are any at all) behind many of the houses are in various states of maintenance, the one behind this house is a deliberate "Welcome!" to all people who pass this way. It is a white-fenced path with inspirational quotes expertly painted along the rails and runners. The landscaping is deliberately designed for the pleasure of passers-by, there is beautiful and peaceful music piped in to the path area, and even a case that houses a signing book for visitors to share their sentiments of the house and the brief time they spent passing it. The path itself is paved with natural brick and well maintained. Where the terrain is uneven, small level bridges have been built to make the walk more accommodating. It stands out not for its beauty (though it is) and not for its size (it's palatial), but for the extraordinary sentiment it conveys which seems to say "We have been extremely fortunate in our lives, but we have achieved this with purpose and grace. Come, linger...share our fortune with us, and let us share with you some of the tenets by which we have lived to help us get here". I don't know the people who own this house. I don't know what they do. I don't know how they achieved their success. But what I DO know is how I felt walking past their home for the first time, reading the fence, hearing the lovely music, enjoying their landscaping and flowers and the hushed sounds of the waves lapping on the shore behind me as I faced the house. It was beautiful, and generous and peaceful and gracious...like a giant hug for the soul. It literally brought me to tears. And then I laughed out loud when, just a few yards further, passing the Wrigley mansion (now known as "Stone Manor") - whose lake front "path" is a sloped, muddy line as treacherously close to the drop to the lake (and as far away from the house) as possible - seemed to scream the sentiment "fuck you, peasant!" The disparity between the two experiences was downright comical.

I agree with the other review about many of the homes being amazing and palatial. This place…read morecertainly doesn't disappoint. What is so amazing about it is the calm feeling you get, the book of thoughts open for anyone to add to or browse. The path has its moments as you walk down it where it could be improved. While it is required, the quality of what is required was left off so it would seem. These people clearly appreciate what the path is for, what is about and how they can positively influence another's life. The quote's placed on the fence railings are amazing and well chosen. Each of them impart some kind of though or knolwedge to a person that would appreciate it. The messages are hand painted on the railings and clearly took time. The gardening and landscaping is first class and is evidence of the love and care that went into this place. Absolutely worth walking down the path, even if you have to work through a very uneven dirt path before it LOL.

Monroe Cheese Days, how to describe it for someone who's never been? It's a festival celebrating…read moreMonroe's claim to fame: cheese. More specifically, locally made cheese and limburger cheese. Local beer is a big part of it too, but that's not the star of the show (and for good reason because Minhas brews are less than good). There's live music, most of which is fantastic (pro tip: check out the beer tent down by Minhas, that's where you'll find some great music, especially later in the afternoon and evening). There are some fun Swiss cultural experiences to be had from the stage on the South side of the Square thanks to the Alphorn players, yodelers, and accordion players. As for food, the cheese curds are stupid good. Yes the line is long, and yes you should do it anyway. I only wish they'd offer an additional ticket where you have the option to pay an extra $.50-$1 to pair funky cheese sauces and aioli dips with your curds. These curds certainly don't need sauces, but it'd add to the whole foodie experience. A few notes for first-timers: -Get the cheese curds. You can't possibly participate in a Cheese Days celebration without eating these cheese curds. I promise they're the best you've ever had. -There are two beer areas: one surrounding the square, a second at the beer tent. The beer used to be restricted to beer tents only, now you can wander each respective area. -Music at the Beer tent is a must. -The beer stand on the square offers different brews than that at the Beer Tent down by Minhas, so try something from both areas. Don't expect to love the Minhas beer though. -Check out the hospitality tent ahead of time for events you want to participate in. They're free. I recommend the cheese and beer pairing class. It's lead by a Master Cheesemaker.

Should be called Minhas and cheese days. I came up from Madison, the drive was pretty! The…read morefestival was large and hard to miss. It was much larger than expected. I walked in to grilled cheese, cheese curds, cream puffs, and beer. I heard the cheese puffs was where the party was at but I decided to go with the grilled cheese from one of the tents. It was way boring. For a cheese fest, I was expecting something that had a little bit of personality but it was just blah. The cheese tent was ok. You had to fight the crowd to get any cheese and yeah, there was a good variety but you can almost get the same variety from a good cheese shop, such as my fave, Ehlenbach's. You do not even have to fight crowds there. The one saving grace was Minhas and their bandstand. Their beer was cheaper, there was a big band playing that actually made me want to boogie and the people watching was prime. I think I would go again but I would have to for sure rethink the plan. I did at one point refer to this as the Disneyland of cheese, long lines for about 10 seconds of glory.

Bill Fucking Murray really did step actually here. It happened in Groundhog Day, a classic movie…read more Look for that place where he stepped in a puddle. Just a plaque, not much to look at. This is just a silly tourist attraction if you can call it that. Cool thing to put your foot where his foot was in that movie. It took place in Punxsutawney. The obvious difference is the movie was filmed in Woodstock. Producers liked the feel of this town more than the actual location. There's not much else about the actual plaque, but maybe take a look around for where the puddle is, and if it rained then you can also step in it and talk about it being a doozy like the movie scene. Cool for fans. If interested in more stuff, there's also a mural a few blocks from here. This is what it's best known for, and there's an annual festival celebrating it with the town's own groundhog, Willie.

In this life, I've met Bill Murray twice…read more Once briefly after his 2008 skydive stint at the Air & Water show a few years back where he stopped for only one person on his escape route from the madness, and it just so happened to be me. We locked eyes, shook hands and I died a little inside before he was rushed off from the quickly-forming crowd and I followed, love-struck behind. The second time was a bit more intimate... and I have photographic evidence to prove it (https://s3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com/photo/-yADiZ7CwAMUl7PwrTapGQ/l.jpg). We were up in the club (a comedy club) and thanks to the one and only Carol J, I got to be the one and only 'civilian' amongst a buncha company stooges (newscasters and radio show hosts) to attend. We got to talk, take photos, brush up against each other, sweat profusely in excitement (okay, that was mostly me), etc. It was a grand ole day... and then about 10 paces outside the comedy club I stepped in the biggest pile of dog doo to ever land on a Chicago city street. And actually, in hindsight I can't even confirm that it was dog doo it was so huge. For all I know it was an urban bear or something, but it was absolutely huge. You win some, you lose some. This slice of cinematic history marks the Bill's (technically, Phil Connors') last step before he takes a short dip in a deep puddle off the curb after practically jumping out of his skin to get away from Neddy Ned Ryerson and his humbly aggressive attempts to pitch a life insurance policy on Phil's way to the annual Gobbler's Knob Punxsatawny Phil Groundhog Day ceremony. And while this historical marker located on the Groundhog Day Walking Tour (http://www.yelp.com/biz/groundhog-day-walking-tour-woodstock#hrid:nNx7lJ9Qgy5pAopxB4YIYw) isn't quite the real-deal, in person, out-of-body experience that actually meeting the the man, the myth, the legend is, it's a damn fine tribute for anyone who wants to walk where BM once, twice, thrice and beyond did... just beware of that puddle (1:44 - 1:46 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6NsVUHwQc8). It's a doooooozy!

Michael Feldman's Whad' Ya Know is an entertaining 2-hour live radio broadcast that takes place at…read moreMonona Terrace many Saturday mornings throughout the year. With free donuts, $5 tickets for students and seniors, and $10 tickets for adults, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more fun way to spend your Saturday mornings. Each show features interesting guests ranging from authors to ukulele virtuosos, a talented jazz duo (piano and bass), and LOTS of audience participation and interaction (so if you've ever wanted to hear your voice on nationally-syndicated radio, this is your chance).

First order of business: this live show is A) no longer located at Monona Terrace, and B) no longer…read morebroadcast on NPR. After 30 years, the nationally-syndicated show was, sadly enough, cancelled by NPR. The good news is the show has been revived as a podcast once per month, on a Saturday from 12PM - 2:00 PM at High Noon saloon. Nice symmetry there. I've followed and attended Whad'Ya Know many times over the past 30 years. I love that it is uniquely local, live and very original, in the vein of "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me," and "Prairie Home Companion," it's a mix of quiz show, musical guests, cultural guests like actors or writers, and all produced in a semi-scripted and quasi-improvisational format. Whad' Ya Know is the most improvisational with lots of audience interaction. If you are in the audience, you could end up on the quiz show portion of the program if not just interviewed by Michael as he strolls through the audience making sardonic comments about everything and everyone along the way. In fact this audience involvement is always my favorite-funny and unexpected, and a showcase for Michael's unique brand of humor. And dare I say, funnier than his written jokes, or monologue, at the opening of the show. A lot of "groaners" there sometimes. As for the High Noon venue, I loved being able to sit at a bar, order a Bloody Mary, nibble on slices of "imported" Glass Nickel pizza, and still watch the show. You couldn't do that in the auditorium at Monona Terrace. There are tables for groups and other chairs lined up for an audience members. Tickets for the show are only $10.00. And there is full bar service with two bartenders. So with the more intimate venue, and am smaller audience, there is more opportunity for the interaction and improvisation that makes this a special local event. In a more and more canned and artificial world of entertainment, Whad' Ya Know remains fun, immediate, and original. Great place to bring your out of town visitors.

The best part of the Willy Street Fair is the people watching - pure old school Madison funky vibe…read more It was a lovely September afternoon that was perfect for a festival and it brought out the crowds. Many great food options (should have tried the apple pieces with caramel and bacon bits - next time!) and good music and street performers. Most of the other vendors were of little interest. I was surprised that it was only a few blocks long - I expected bigger. A fun time for sure.

Just a mere half a block from my house, Willy Street Fair is something I will look forward to for…read moreyears to come! Two days of sheer shenanigans. Expect costumes, great music, beer, delicious local food, amazing local artists, and an all around good time. This event is the epitome of what makes Willy Street unique!

Located only about a mile away from Anderson Japanese Gardens, The Rockmen Guardians are a very…read moreunique but hard to find set of sculptures. Locations on different websites are a bit misleading, some directing you far away from the actual sculptures which are southwest of the Nicholas Conservatory along the Rick Rive Rec Bike Path. It's not too far from the Boys & Girls Club of Rockford, and you can park somewhat close to them but will still need to walk a bit. This is worth the adventure of discovering the spot though, as I'm not sure anything similar exists nearby. For me, as a big video game fan, these really gave me the feeling of being surrounded by giant stone warriors - except that you can take a picture with them. With the river in the background, you can get lots of beautiful pictures with them as a quartet, though you also want some closeups to get some of the finer details. Throughout the armor, there's definitely a mix of different colors and textures and these stand with a variety of different interesting poses. Overall worth a stop if you're in the Rockford area, but also worth a special trip to visit Rockford for other fun tourist opportunities as well, particularly during the warmer weather months.

The Rockmen Guardians statues is a fun thing to stop and see if you're in Rockford. Located along…read morethe Rock River, these statues are on the side of the Rock River Recreation Path. If you're going by car, the nearest street address is that of the Rockford Boys and Girls Club (1040 N 2nd St #1). Once you get there these 10 foot statues are impressive to see. This is a great photo opportunity. I highly recommend The Rockmen Guardians!

The nicest thoroughfare in the area. This is a great and often scenic place to sit and relax or…read morejust pass through. There is typically art on display so it is usually a fairly interesting route or destination. Overall, a nice place to enjoy your beverages and snacks from home (or wherever else) and appreciate artwork in the outdoors.

The heart of the city. Better and less crowded than the Bean…read more This fecal fountain is a fun little photo op when you're in the city, and it's right down the street from Kasama, making them an unlikely but excellent pair.

Exactly what you'd expect: a statue that looks like poop. There was also a super friendly outdoor…read moreorange cat nearby named Mister that made my entire day. He was so cute and so worth the visit to the Shit Fountain. It's also near Kasama, so you can definitely make a trip out of this or take a quick detour if you're in the area.

Milverine is back! The local "Super Hero" threw out the first pitch at a recent Brewer Game…read more Way to go Brewers for bringing back this Milwaukee Legend!

This is HECKA OVERDUE!!! Okay, so the other night I was on my way walking to a friend's house and…read moreI see someone walking towards me just as I'm breaking out a smoke . I quickly put the smoke away coz I'm polite and assume most people don't like it when I smoke around them. I take a double look, I'm all like, OMG!! Pure SHOCK and JOY!! It's him!! I go up to him and ask, very shyly, "Milverine?? Are ya, Milverine?" He said yes. I told him I had seen the video on Vice and had seen him on the news (not really even sure if I was in Wisconsin when I first saw him in the media). I told him I was still kinda new to Wisconsin and that I'm a contemporary Vagabond. He was more than happy to tell me about the history of Milwaukee. The whole experience was really REALLY COOL!! He is 110% intelligent, respectful, and true to keeping it real. Most people out there nowadays do not want to do any kind of research, and unfortunately, fall for all kinds of nonsense when that all could have been avoided had they just done at least a little bit of research on their part. I enjoyed learning about the history of Milwaukee as well as the sound advice he shared with me. One of the best things about meeting and chatting with Milverine is he reminded me of the simple fact that it's always worth the while of doing a lil bit of research when you hear something, anything and especially before making an important discussion that'll have an impact on your life. I have nothing but mad respect for the man. If Milverine is reading this, I just want to say, Many Thanks!!