Mar 9 2019
When asked to recommend a pretty and close-to-home lakeside vacation spot, Heidel House almost always made my short list. It’s been a personal favorite for decades, regardless of time of year. The 20-acre resort on the northeastern shore of Green Lake, the deepest natural inland lake in Wisconsin, was built as a private estate in(…)
Feb 16 2019
Delays and detours pop up during the navigation of any life, regardless of where you roam. It doesn’t matter whether you travel far or even leave home. Don’t underestimate the value of common sense, empathy and an even temperament. All go a long way toward making progress – or at least building resilience – when(…)
Nov 3 2018
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 Traveler Enrollment Program – automatically transmits pertinent advisories and alerts that mesh with my itinerary. That’s in addition to an online map of the world that shows risky areas for(…)
Oct 27 2018
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 fans because of a reader incentive offered three years ago. I asked for your short essays on behalf of someone who deserves a peaceful getaway and got 50-some replies. The(…)
May 12 2018
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, crazy socks, clever games, artsy reading glasses, unusual toys for kids. It’s a place to pamper yourself or someone you love without selling the farm. When price means everything, the(…)
Apr 21 2018
Time to take a dip into the mailbag. A belated, public “thank you” to those who sent notes about quilt retreats. Two were sent a copy of my book “Sidetracked in the Midwest: A Green Guide for Travelers” (Itchy Cat Press, 2012). The last time I corresponded with Karen Brunsell of Janesville, she was leaving(…)
Feb 17 2018
Hibernating through winter is a good thing unless too much coziness feels like confinement. Thin is the line between peaceful solitude and bleak isolation. One remedy for cabin fever is the sunshine of southward travel, but it may be easier on the budget to break away to Manhattan or Chicago. Deep discounts, easier access and(…)
Oct 28 2017
We love to rank things, especially in the travel biz, but reader beware: Metrics matter, and we don’t like to pick the same winner over and over. Sometimes we aim to surprise or shock. Consider Stoughton, population 12,670 and 20 miles southeast of Madison. WalletHub.com this year declared it one of the nation’s top 20(…)
Oct 21 2017
Readers, it’s time to lighten the mailbag by sharing your travel feedback, ideas, challenges and questions. Keep those email, Facebook and snail-mail notes coming. — “You are a great bus traveler,” writes Jack Handley of Chicago. “I am thinking about taking a bus from Chicago to Indy for a football game this fall. Do you(…)
Aug 19 2017
The older I get, the more I notice two extremes among travelers. One seeks a new destination for every trip and rarely returns to the same locale. The other gravitates to the same spot, year after year, developing a strong and deep connection to one part of this very wide world. Of what value are(…)
Mar 5 2017
When asking for AirBnB stories earlier this winter, I expected tales about money saved and friendly connections made during domestic travel. Two of you took a chance on Airbnb.com during international trips, and I’m rewarding your willingness to engage personally with other cultures. “Sitting on the veranda of The Tree House Lodge, overlooking Long Bay(…)
Jan 21 2017
Visionaries bring out their crystal ball in January and share what they know, think or hope for the new year. That is especially true during years when a new U.S. president begins work, but the whirl of predictions thankfully doesn’t begin and end with politics. As you burrow in for the winter and await vacation,(…)
Jan 7 2017
Midwest Features Syndicate is partnering with the Department of Journalism at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh to help students gain work experience and build a writing portfolio. This week’s author is Jessica Johnson of Roberts, a senior majoring in journalism with an emphasis in writing and editing. She was editor-in-chief of the Advance-Titan, the college(…)
Oct 1 2016
It is rare for me to track down an author to his home, but that happened 14 years ago, to interview a guy in New Auburn about his first book with a major publishing house. Although dozens of unsolicited books made their way to my newsroom desk in Madison, this one seemed extraordinary because of(…)
Sep 24 2016
Readers, thanks for filling the mailbag. Here are excerpts. We have two winners in the challenge to write about your favorite national park experience in 50 words or less. Both will receive National Geographic books about the National Park Service during this NPS centennial year celebration. “While in Yellowstone, a bear reared next to our(…)
May 14 2016
Readers, let’s empty the mailbag! — Fans of polka music sure seem passionate about this style of music. Jim Lueneburg of Menasha says his dad worked six days a week as a barber, then played drums in a polka band at weddings, anniversary parties and other events. “I would go along with him when I(…)
Feb 20 2016
Pizza lovers, you have spoken. Dozens of you have made your allegiances clear, often using more exclamation points that pepperoni on the average slice. Who makes the best pizza in Wisconsin? We sought your opinion in 50 convincing words or less. Ann Schnuck of Pleasant Prairie wins for this entry: “Wells Brothers restaurant in Racine(…)
Jan 9 2016
Prognosticators are plentiful when a new year begins, and so are resolutions. If you intend to travel more or pursue the trip of your dreams in 2016, there is no shortage of experts to offer observations and advice. For me, contemplation begins with a review of my Tweets from the most recent Society of American(…)
Oct 31 2015
Readers, it’s time to lighten the mailbag. Here is a selection of your most recent notes and questions. — Jim and Monica O’Brien of Madison asked for ideas about what to do in Two Rivers. Three unexpected pleasures in this area are: Bernard Schwartz House, a Frank Lloyd Wright design that is based on his(…)
Oct 24 2015
In “The Happiness Hypothesis” (Basic Books, $17), social psychologist Jonathan Haidt notes that the goal of positive psychology is “helping people find happiness and meaning.” My friend Bob Sessions in Iowa made me aware of this 2006 book, and the author acknowledges there is no clear road to happiness in this complicated world of unexpected(…)
Aug 29 2015
Beautiful natural settings, culturally unique attractions and comical snapshots all were in the mix of “Only in Wisconsin” photo entries that you shared with me recently. Yes, we have winners, but these were not easy decisions. Good photography is a mix of skill, awareness, planning and luck. The instructions for this exercise: Submit an image(…)
Mar 14 2015
I sometimes welcome the unexpected in travel because that’s the foundation for fond and lasting memories, even though you might not think so at the time. An overnight at a Buddhist temple north of Busan, South Korea, had us fumbling with chopsticks, in fear of an order to swig a slosh of wasted food, then(…)
Mar 7 2015
Time to lighten the reader mailbag – thanks for taking the time to write with your questions, ideas, critiques and praise about destinations close to home and abroad. — I certainly am not the only one whose Danube River cruise was interrupted by flooding. Kathy Thomas of Pleasant Prairie says her trip was rescheduled from(…)
Zoodles rule for lunch at Good Food Low Carb Cafe, Madison, Wis.
Follow Wisconsin Supper Club Cookbook events online and order books directly from the author for a personalized gift!! Price: $25, plus tax. Shipping included for the continental U.S.
| Inscription? |
It's also fine to snail mail a check to:
Midwest Features Syndicate
P.O. Box 259623
Madison, WI 53725
Pair the book with filmmaker Holly De Ruyter's award-winning supper club documentary! More about the DVD is here.
I am a hard-working freelancer whose writing and photography have appeared in oodles of regional and national publications. Lots of websites too.
For starters, that means the Chicago Tribune and USAToday.com, TravelWisconsin.com and TravelAge West, Group Tour Media and Global Traveler, DK EyeWitness and Rand McNally guides, the Kenosha News, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Experience Wisconsin and The Restaurateur.
I’m proud of all of it and glad to bore you with additional details – just give me a nudge.
Midwest travel, especially lesser-known and rural destinations, is my specialty. So is a curiosity about food, especially quirks in regional cuisines. Add sustainability in travel, as in taking it easy on the Earth.
Wisconsin Supper Club Cookbook is my fifth book and pairs nicely with (hint, hint) the Old Fashioned: The Story of the Wisconsin Supper Club DVD by filmmaker Holly De Ruyter. We team up for presentations that are fundraisers for nonprofits, special supper club meals, culinary history discussions – you name it.
My Eat Smart in Germany book is the 12th in a series of culinary travel guides published by Ginkgo Press. It topped the travel guide category in the 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and earned an honorable mention in Foreword Reviews’ IndieFab Awards.
My previous three books were Itchy Cat Press titles (I wish Caroline and Frank a happy retirement!):
* Sidetracked in the Midwest:
a Green Guide for Travelers
* Hungry for Wisconsin:
a Tasty Guide for Travelers
* Sidetracked in Wisconsin:
a Guide for Thoughtful Travelers
