Wonderful Madison, Jewel of Wisconsin!

Okay, so that's the opening line in the chorus of a Lou and Peter Berryman song, but it has a place.

My wife and I are making our annual pilgrimage to WisCon, a Feminist Science Fiction Convention in Madison over Memorial Day Weekend.

I will have a ukulele with me.

Anyone want to get together for a couple of hours?

We'll be there from Thursday Evening to Monday. While Convention activities and long time friends we see rarely take priority (Sayeth my One True Love), I still should have several hours a day available, somewhere.

The convention is downtown, about a block from the Capitol.

Interested? Let me know!

Although the movie protrayed a untrue negative side of Madison....the bridges of madison county...that senerio can happen anywhere...but what is did is put Madison on the map
for the world...it's beauty towns, people, countryside and Bridges.... Yes I would love to visit there too....wow

Make sure to stop at Ancora Coffee on King street while you're there. They have a small batch roastery right there in Madison, and have absolutely the best we've ever had. We sampled beans from all over the country a few years back when we were looking to open a coffee shop. This place was hands down our favorite. (We got to tour the roastery one afternoon - one of our favorite memories).

Anyway, I'm rambling - go have a nice latte and enjoy the place. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Ah, I remember the Anti-war riots of the early 70's. I went to college in Whitewater. On a boring weekend we 5 or 6 would pile into my 59 Chrysler New Yorker and head to Madison to take part in the marches (and score some drugs). The Chrysler had hand painted tulips all over it and the roof was dented from people dancing on it. (It also had no exhaust system so it was quite loud.)
I can still smell the tear gas. Those were the days.

ksiegel said:

My wife and I are making our annual pilgrimage to WisCon, a Feminist Science Fiction Convention in Madison over Memorial Day Weekend.

I will have a ukulele with me.

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You might need some more powerful weapons.

mm stan said:

Although the movie protrayed a untrue negative side of Madison....the bridges of madison county...that senerio can happen anywhere...but what is did is put Madison on the map
for the world...it's beauty towns, people, countryside and Bridges.... Yes I would love to visit there too....wow

Click to expand...

I seem to remember that the movie was supposed to have taken place in someplace like Iowa. For what it's worth, Wikipedia says Madison Wisconsin is in Dane County. You're right that the movie glamorized adultery.

I got into law school at University of Wisconsin at Madison, and came very close to going there instead of going to law school in California. While I was trying to decide in May of that year, we had a big snowstorm in Boston, and a friend of mine from Madison told me that while that much snow was rare for Boston in May, it wasn't all that uncommon for Madison. Hello San Francisco. I'd still like to visit Madison Wisconsin someday. I hear it's a wonderful city that's beautiful year-round.

Yes, Madison is an awesome town in WI -- I have spent a lot of time there. And, yep, that book, The Bridges of Madison County, does take place in Iowa; I am from Iowa and this is one of our big claims to fame.

UncleMoon said:

Make sure to stop at Ancora Coffee on King street while you're there. They have a small batch roastery right there in Madison, and have absolutely the best we've ever had. We sampled beans from all over the country a few years back when we were looking to open a coffee shop. This place was hands down our favorite. (We got to tour the roastery one afternoon - one of our favorite memories).

Anyway, I'm rambling - go have a nice latte and enjoy the place. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Click to expand...

I know where it is, but haven't gotten there while they were open. However, The Sow's Ear, s combination yan shop/coffee shop in Verona uses Ancora coffees, and I had a nice coffee discussion/ tasting session with the barista there last year. Not all the roasts were to my tastes, but many were spectacular.

Jim Hanks said:

You might need some more powerful weapons.

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Well, I'm bringing two drop spindles and some roving, and my wife will have her knitting...

mds725 said:

I seem to remember that the movie was supposed to have taken place in someplace like Iowa. For what it's worth, Wikipedia says Madison Wisconsin is in Dane County. You're right that the movie glamorized adultery.

Click to expand...

Yes, Madison, WI is in Dane County - but I've never seen the film, and probably won't. I rarely watch films. I think "The King's Speech" was the last film I watched.

I got into law school at University of Wisconsin at Madison, and came very close to going there instead of going to law school in California. While I was trying to decide in May of that year, we had a big snowstorm in Boston, and a friend of mine from Madison told me that while that much snow was rare for Boston in May, it wasn't all that uncommon for Madison. Hello San Francisco. I'd still like to visit Madison Wisconsin someday. I hear it's a wonderful city that's beautiful year-round.

Click to expand...

The Berrymans also have a great song called "Pushing The Spring", about getting ready to do gardening before nature is cooperating.. I pointed out to Lou that the growing season in Madison is 5 days earlier/longer than it is in Schenectady, according to the charts.

And while Boston gets some pisser snowstorms, he snow is usually gone relatively soon. We get fewer storms and less snowfall here, but it just stays around, seemingly forever.