Canoeing Wisconsin: Land of 15,000+ lakes

The state of Minnesota is known as "the land of 10,000 lakes." Meanwhile, Wisconsin counts over 15,000 lakes.* The city of Madison is built on an isthmus between lakes Monona and Mendota. With that much water, its obvious that canoeing is one of the most popular activities around. For my little city-slicker kids, Brittingham Boats offers the perfect opportunity to get out on a lake safely and easily. They offer rentals of kayaks, canoes and paddle boats at reasonable prices for long hours daily (7am-8pm). They cater to beginners to long-time lake lovers. Serene had a fantastic time and worked hard to paddle around. Alex preferred to just hang out in the boat and enjoy the ride. The calm, gentle water and warm sun made for a wonderful outing.

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*SPECIAL NOTE FOR THE Minnesota/Wisconsin Readers:  No one seems to be able to count all the lakes in the two dates with any consistency. The best description I found goes like this: It turns out that the two states have different definitions of a lake. Minnesota's count includes only those that are all over ten acres and named. Wisconsin counts them even without a name and has no size limit. Wisconsin only has about 6,000 named lakes, even including those under ten acres. If Minnesota counted all lakes down to four acres without names, it is likely there would be over 20,000. Wisconsin may claim more, but by any consistent measure, Minnesota has more lakes. Also more lake area, not counting the great lakes that form state borders. Minnesota has about 2.6 million acres of lakes compared to one million for Wisconsin. Counting great lakes, Wisconsin jumps to 7.1 million acres, from large portions of Lakes Superior and Michigan.

Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, WI

Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, WI is named for a little boy born in the early 1900s who died of complications from diabetes. His parents donated the property and developed a zoo for the community to enjoy. In a visionary move, the Vilas family stipulated it must always remain free. Today, it is home to an impressive collection of animals including the state animal -- the badger, alongside giraffe, tapirs, rhinos, elephants, seals, bears, tigers and my favorite, the Galapagos tortoises. The zoo is situated in the beautiful Vilas city park very near downtown with a large children's play yard, a miniature train offering rides and a beautiful carousel. We seem to stop at the zoo every summer, and we always find something new to explore.

Cheesehead Pride! Yet again....

Madison, WI is Capital of Wisconsin.

Ceiling of Wisconsin State Capitol Building.

The Wisconsin state animal -- the badger.

Though I am officially a Cheesehead. I didn't grow up in Madison, WI. (I'm as much of a tourist in this city as any other Los Angelino who finds herself lost in the Midwest every summer visiting family.) I've come to love the city though -- especially in the summer. The capital of the state, its capitol building is impressive and can rival our nations capitol in DC any day. Tasty restaurants and nice shopping line State Street, running through the center of down town. UW-Madison is one of the finest schools in the country. In the winter, several feet of snow falls and in the summer, the fireflies light up the evening sky.

For more interesting facts about Madision, check out the link at: http://www.madisonwi.com/madison/facts/

Madison Children's Museum is better than brats..

PARADE Magazine featured Madison, Wisconsin's Bratfest (the world's largest) as one of the best summer food stops of 2011 where in just one weekend 209,376 brats were eaten by thousands of cheeseheads, breaking the world record in 4 days, 41 hours and from 1 tent. The State of Wisconsin Capitol Building is a magestic structure situated between Lakes Monona and Mendota. It's dome reaches over 200 feet, just inches shorter than our nation's capitol. But neither the brats or the bronze statue topping the state's capitol building can surpass the city's museum designed just for its smallest residents. Just blocks from the capitol, the Madison Children's Museum is one of the best places for kids to both learn and play in the State of Wisconsin. The museum features a giant hamster wheel, life-size tinker toys, dozens of hands-on art studio opportunities, rooftop gardens with live animals, giant boxing gloves that require maneuvering with hand controls, gear-driven water fountains, building blocks, science experiments, a global village, robotics, and dozens of other exhibits and interactive activities that engage children & adults of all ages. Alex and his older cousin wore themselves out on the hamster wheel. (I am eager to install one in my own home.) After more than three hours of running, building, drawing, climbing -- and learning(!) -- Alex still hadn't had enough of this special kids museum. Coining themselves a "Possible-opolis" is an inventive city dedicated to discovery learning and creative play. All moms should add this to the must-see list next time you've got a few hours for fun in Wisconsin.