Do you ever feel like you should know Madison better? After all, it's barely 80 miles away and is a great town. Sadly, it seems that unless you're a college student, there's not much interaction between Wisconsin's biggest and coolest cities.
Two new books from Madison-based Jones Books can help you explore the city on the lakes with ease and fascination.
"Madison: The Guide" ($13.95, paperback) by Gwen Evans is, as the title suggests, a companion to a wide range of things to do and see and experience in Mad City.
Evans starts with attractions like the State Capitol Building, the farmers' market and Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, before exploring Madison for kids, the arts, the literary scene, shopping, sports and day trips to places like Baraboo and Spring Green.
The second half of the illustrated guide focuses on Madison's restaurants, coffee shops, night life and hotels, offering detailed information on dozens of eateries and accommodations with tips on the best places and the best events for visitors.
Interesting sidebar articles offer advice on cheap but fun dates and on the great commercial-free radio in the state capitol.
"Like the city itself, this guide has information for everyone, from young children and families to those with more life experience," writes Evans -- accurately -- in the introduction. "Whether you're looking for a place to eat, that perfect gift, activities to keep the kids happy or suggestions for daying on a dime, you'll find information to help you within these pages."
Taking a different path is "Madison Walks" ($15.95, paperback), by Harriet Brown and Jamie Young.
Rather than detailing the best of Madison item by item, Brown and Young have wrapped Madison's delights into 18 themed strolls through various parts of town, offering walkers and hikers and wanderers the basics required for pleasant exploration of Mad Town.
"Only when I walk do I feel I've experienced a place fully," writes Brown, "feeling the tall grass against my bare legs, breathing in the powerful scent of chamomile, tripping over boulders, exploring the side routes. It's all part of being there - not just getting to a destination but being present every step of the way, literally and metaphorically."
From State Street in the heart of the city, to Governor's Island to The Arboretum, Owen Park, Orton Park and Olbrich Gardens, Brown and Young can lead you around Madison, allowing you to discover new places and re-discover familiar ones.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
