Madison Trip

Tweet this!

Happy Fall! It's finally feeling a bit crispy in the air here in Chicago. In an effort to visit my cousin in Madison before it got too frigidly cold, we headed up there for one night this weekend.

The secret to a good trip? Start your morning with a spin class and a latte. Boom. Simple as that.

When we arrived in Madison, some of us were in need of caffeine, so we headed over to Mother Fool's. I opted for a Lavender and Mint Kombucha (made in Madison!) instead of coffee, and it was delish.

We also scoped out some of the street art in the area. Pictured below are Meep and Obey.

Next, we decided to head over to the terrace downtown for a pitcher of beer.

It was super gorgeous and just the right temperature for a booze infused conversation on a relaxing afternoon. The lake was so shiny and placid that it looked like a monstrous pane of glass.

An hour and two pitchers of beer later, the sky started to darken and it began to mist. Soon thereafter, the sky opened up and we found ourselves sprinting to the car. We finally made it, drenched, and headed over to The Old Fashioned, which is right by the capitol.

After dinner, we headed back to my cousin's to take the dog for a walk. Corgis are a big thing in my family, and my cousin and her boyfriend have a Corgi pup. Cute as a button.



My cousin and her boyfriend had found a special, hidden little public beach next to a private dock, and we spent a few minutes hanging under a tree and watching the water.

Post-dog walking, we went back to the apartment for a home crafted cocktail. My cousin is a gifted mixologist and whipped up some delicious and refreshing cocktails.

Recipe: Middled cucumber and basil mixed with gin, sparkling water, and strawberry puree. Topped with a cucumber slice. Perfection.

With cocktails in hand, we sat down at my cousin's road sign coffee table to play some Euchre. My husband and I got our butts handed to us on Guacamole night, so we were determined to redeem ourselves.

A few rounds later, we decided to head to a bar called Mickey's for a night cap. I rolled out in an old jean jacket of my uncle's, which my cousin had tailored. 

The next morning, we woke up after a short sleep. We had to hit the road in order to be back in town for my husband to watch the Bears game, so we grabbed food at Marigold Kitchen.

I stuffed my face with a breakfast sandwich, minus the sandwich part, and it was perfect. I was impressed that the restaurant had some small portioned breakfasts (which can be hard to find in the Midwest, let's be real) as well as a ton of gluten-free options.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

• What did you do this weekend?
• Have you ever been to Madtown?