Safe travels: what to know before you go
I register with the U.S. State Department before international travel to an area whose safety status is unknown to me. The free STEP – Smart […]
Articles by Mary Bergin
Reader mail: supper clubs, Itasca, custard
It’s been months since we dipped into the reader mailbag. Time to sift and winnow. — The Goldmoor Inn, near Galena, Ill., has gained loyal […]
Chicago Detours: Get to know the neighborhoods
One way to get to know a city is through its attractions – the monuments, museums, biggest and best local marks of distinction. We seek […]
Take Twelve: Halloween haunts, carnival to saloon
Time for another ghoulishly good time as the approach of Halloween brings out goblins and gore galore. Haunted houses aren’t the only option for scaring […]
Detroit auto tours: from Model T to modern-day robotics
Henry Ford didn’t invent the automobile, but he gets credit for putting the world on wheels and Detroit on the map as a leader in […]
German-born master chef takes over Black Forest, Three Lakes
As most U.S. teens were just learning to drive, 15-year-old Marcel Biro was a world away, navigating culinary school. The year: 1988. The place: East […]
What’s new: arts venue, football show, red panda cub, more
As weather cools and beaches close, there is little reason to stay home and be bored. Check out these enticements for close-to-home travel. — Pablo […]
Archie’s Waeside in Iowa: citadel of American beef cookery
In a modest residential area – near farmland, railroad tracks and tall grain storage silos – is an almost-full parking lot at 5:30 p.m. on […]
Two Take Tens: for Green Bay Packers fans
We are high above ground and just below the signature “G” that looms 40 feet tall and 60 feet wide. No point in Green Bay […]
Coming soon: Great River Road Trips
My nine-part series about Great River Road Trips is being turned into a mini e-book, and I will point you to details when it’s ready. […]
New books: Great Lakes biking, Chicago fun, Iowa food
On my desk is a growing stack of recently released books, and I crave time to delve into them. The arrival of summer should make […]
New: Geneva Lake app, Shake Rag classes, APT shows
One of the prettiest waterfront walks in Wisconsin is the 21 miles around Geneva Lake, and now a new, free phone app helps explain what […]
Thrill for gearheads: Tesla rental at Mall of America
Summer is an easy season for fun and fantasy, but Minnesota’s Mall of America in Bloomington knows how to trump it up all year. This […]
The American Club turns 100: from immigrant housing to luxury lodging
A better life: That is what Old World immigrants sought when leaving European homelands and taking a treacherous ocean voyage 100 years ago. They arrived […]
Now is the season for open-air dining in rural Wisconsin
About 65 scenic miles separate two Wisconsin restaurants that serve pasta, brick-oven pizza and wine from around the world. The classy Italian menu at both […]
Taliesin ‘learn-by-doing’ philosophy extends to restaurant
The panorama is rarely less than stunning at Riverview Terrace Café, inside the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center near Spring Green. Diners gain wide and […]
Take Twelve: Cool custard stops in Wisconsin
Culver’s, kingpin in the frozen custard world, introduces six new flavors this year. That hasn’t happened since 2012, and all of the Prairie du Sac […]
Sometimes little luxuries make one great memory
One of my favorite names for a specialty shop is Little Luxuries, on State Street in Madison. In the offbeat inventory are fancy hair clips, […]
Kentucky destinations, for horse lovers, extend beyond the Derby
Horse lovers know the arrival of May brings the grace and thrill of high-stakes thoroughbred racing. It all begins with the Kentucky Derby in Louisville […]
Showtime nears: High hopes for new Milwaukee Bucks home
East of the river: That’s where most of downtown Milwaukee’s modern-day growth and revitalization have occurred, but one massive exception is emerging. The $524 million […]