Downtown Dough: thousands of cookie cutters
Smart cookies. Patrick and Patricia Niles, owners of Downtown Dough in Cedarburg, have a good recipe for separating what they do from other kitchen boutiques, […]
The Maker Movement: DIYers to God and inbetween
The word “maker” applies to everybody from bakers to welders, sculptors to knitters, DIYers to God. They toil or tinker all year, but the holiday […]
Spy-themed SafeHouse opens in Chicago
Two blocks west of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, a red door with understated signage is our introduction to international espionage. Plus lunch. What we step into […]
Alumni Park, Milwaukee zoo babies, APT for 2018
If cold weather and fewer hours of daylight tempt you to stay home, read on. There’s no need to hibernate quite yet. — Open on […]
Take Ten: thrifty shopping
The adage “use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without” is attributed online to the Great Depression, the Amish, pioneers and […]
Is everybody happy? Metrics matter
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 […]
Reader mail: Megabus, Chicago, Door County, postcards
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. — […]
Two cookbooks that tantalize beyond their recipes
Someone occasionally approaches me about writing an endorsement for a new book, and it’s an invitation that I don’t take lightly. I politely decline unless […]
Take Ten: Autumn’s vast bounty
Before the first hard frost come the fruits of farm labor. Wisconsin’s bounty seems especially plentiful this year, thanks to long-lasting, agreeable weather that even […]
Meat this: Most stops rural on Iowa Pork Tenderloin Trail
It’s not yet noon when we pull into Wellsburg, Iowa, curious and hungry for lunch. We wonder why the village, population 700, needs a one-way […]
Wandering Iowa: Villages of Van Buren, covered bridges
“I had to go to France to appreciate Iowa.” The quote belongs to Grant Wood, the Iowa artist whose “American Gothic” pitchfork couple and other […]
Take Twelve: Comedy in Wisconsin
In case you think Wisconsin could show a better sense of humor, I have two words for you: Very funny. No need to factor in […]
ArtPrize puts Grand Rapids, Mich., on the map for wild, wonderful art
Grand Rapids, Michigan’s second-largest city, finds unusual ways to gain attention. It has produced high-quality furniture for more than a century. It is a nationwide […]
De Pere’s 4th generation Union Hotel quietly begins 100th year
Closing time at the Union Hotel’s restaurant is 9 p.m. in downtown De Pere. Decades ago, that was because of the butcher, who worked halfway […]
DMZ: wildlife refuge, tourist attraction, war reminder
Nearly 6,500 miles separate most Wisconsinites from South Korea. Among the exceptions, for now, are around 270 airmen from the 115th Fighter Wing of the […]
The lifelong value of a same time, same place vacation
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 […]
Rural Missouri B&B operates inside Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage
Within the hills and dales of northeast Missouri are far fewer miles of paved roads than rivers and creeks. Signs at one-lane bridges warn of […]
Bay City Chef Shack: fine dining in down-home location
Follow the Mississippi along the Great River Road (Highway 35, in Wisconsin) for no shortage of woods, bluffs, curvy waterfronts and pastoral landscapes. Common are […]
Alto Fair: smallest in Wisconsin, big respect for tradition
In the community center are tables with handicrafts, bakery, veggies – typical fair fare – but one thing seems obvious pretty quickly: Attached to an […]
Take Ten: sky-high Madison views
Plop me near water on a pretty, warm day, and I’m content for hours. When in Madison, that means Memorial Union Terrace, known since 1928 […]