Madison for the Fourth - July 2-4, 2011

Memorial Union Terrace

I know this post is very late, but at long last, here are some pictures from our July 4th weekend, spent in Madison, where we got to meet up with blog contributors (Jaime, plus Richie) and blog readers alike. As you can see, our Fourth was much more Orange, Yellow and Green than Red, White and Blue. I cannot think of a better place to spend the day than at the Terrace with a brat and a Rathskellar Ale. We showed up bright and early (10am) and watched the people slowly fill up all the Terrace Chairs.


Allen Centennial Gardens

We also made an excursion to my favorite garden and got to take in the riot of colors in full bloom. This year the garden's theme seems to be about the color wheel and they had many examples, both in the form of flowers and brightly painted benches and chairs.



Self Portrait in the Garden

We had great weather and a fantastic time exploring our favorite campus haunts, being introduced to new places, meeting up with friends, and eating and drinking our way through our beloved city.


Our Wisconsin Stash

We did not return home empty handed from our little adventure. While in Madison we visited the Old Sugar Distillery and picked up some Madison-distilled Cane & Abe Rum and Americanaki Ouzo (buy two bottles and get a T-shirt for $5...see Nick above). These are both delightful spirits and the distillery is a great place to pop into for an afternoon cocktail crafted from the liquors made on site. We also snagged some of Nick's favorite Matacabras beer made by Dave's BrewFarm, in Wilson Wisconsin. And, despite the rather hefty price tag, I could not leave Wisconsin without some Bittercube Bitters in Cherry-Bark Vanilla, created in Milwaukee and Madison (with strong Minneapolis ties!) and used in the best Old Fashioneds I've ever had at The Old Fashioned on the square.