Three Days in Wisconsin

The weather in Wisconsin is often less than optimal during our April visits. This year, we got a little of everything: sunny and warm (80!) Saturday, rainy and cool Sunday, and snowy and cold when we awoke Monday!

Leaving our house at 3:30 for a 6:00 a.m. flight turned out to be worth it, as we could make the most of a beautiful day once we landed in Madison at 9:00 a.m. We went straight to the farmers market on the Capitol grounds -- the first of the year and one of my favorite things to do in Wisconsin. 

We merged with the one-way foot traffic encircling the Capitol and passed booths selling herbs, soaps, jewelry, maple syrup, flowers, cheese, and, of course, cheese curds.

When we went into the Capitol for a bathroom break, we followed a tour group into the governor's office. After his spiel, the guide invited us to go up to the dome with them. What a treat! We even walked out around the observation deck at the top.

For lunch, we split up, with Emily, Sophia, and me going for coffee and Omar, Don, Omarcito, and Sarah at the empanada stand across the street. The wait at both places was about the same -- 45 minutes. We met up after to enjoy the empanadas -- a first for Don, Sarah, and me.

We got to their house around 1:00 and relaxed for the afternoon. Sophia practiced her violin; the kids ran around in the yard; and Don and I went for a walk to the nearby park. Emily served black-bean quinoa burgers for dinner -- yummy!

Sunday morning, Emily made the most delicious cinnamon rolls I've ever tasted! Omarcito's soccer game was cancelled due to the rain, so we went to check out the Aldo Leopold Nature Center in Monona, a privately run enterprise. We were all underwhelmed, but no one more so than Omarcito, who summed up the experience in one word: BORING!

We went to a Mexican grocery after, and the kids had fun picking out snacks. Next stop was a gift store (Don's favorite!). The kids got a kick out of the various items, from stickers and notebooks to mugs and pillows, with sayings not welcome in polite company. Don and I were not amused.

When we returned to the house, Sarah and Omarcito had a ball making a TikTok video about tasting the "goodies," which included jelly fruits and fried pig skins with meat.

We had wonderful homemade tacos for dinner, with grilled beef, roasted cauliflower, and lentil options. After dinner, "the girls" played "Mall Madness, the Talking Shopping Spree Game" that Rachel and Emily had in the 1990s. Then, it was off to see "Flight of Lights" at the Madison airport.

Monday, we awoke to snow on the ground. Omar went to work, and Sophia and Omarcito went to school, but Emily took the day off. We drove to Devils Lake State Park to hike, but it was so cold and windy, we managed just a couple of short forays from the car.

After dinner, we celebrated Sophia's birthday, always a highlight of our April visits. 15 already!

Tuesday, we had another early flight. Our seats were in the very last row of the plane, without a window. Sarah wasn't pleased. In Detroit, we got off the plane, checked the monitor, and learned we'd be leaving from the same gate where we arrived. Then we found out we had the same seats, on the same plane. Darn!

We were back home by 1:00. First order of business: pick up Abby at Grammy's! It was a quick trip, with wonky weather, but lots of family time, which was the point.