To start off our new series, we’re going to start with a relatively easy route located near a major metropolitan area: WIS Hwy 19. Located in Dane County north of Madison, at only 59 miles, this route is the perfect road for us to kick off the Sunday Drive Series.
We’ll work our way west to east to simplify things. Highway 19 starts in Mazomanie, a very small town that most probably haven’t heard of, located slightly northwest of Madison. This is really the start (or end, depending on your starting point) of the driftless region. Some of the best views in our state are located in the driftless region, and specifically the terminus of the region is extremely underrated. Mazomanie is home to Carr Valley Cheese and the Midwest Microcar Museum, so at the very least, a stop to stretch your legs and either load up on some cheese or for those auto enthusiasts, a cool little museum to check out.
Upon leaving Mazomanie, my favorite stretch of this highway is next, and is honestly one of the prettier stretches of highway in this entire state, and no, I’m not even remotely exaggerating. The stretch of Hwy. 19 from Mazomanie to the intersection of Hwy. 12 winds through a breathtaking valley surrounded by fields and forests. In fall, the colors are some of the best in the state, and in the late spring and summer, the various shades of green will both surprise and astonish you. As the road twists and turns its way through the valley, you’ll eventually come up on one of the few things I’d say is a must-stop on this route: Indian Lake County Park. This park is worth its own stop, separate from any road trip. With several miles of hiking trails, numerous features to see including several historic sites and natural features, and a small segment of the Ice Age trail, you will not be disappointed in a visit here. In fact I’d go so far as to say this should probably be a state park. I would love for more land to be added to this and an eventual push to add this to the state park system, as it is well deserving. And across the street from this park sites another historic site, with some old farmhouse ruins connected to a wildlife area. Again, this area alone is worth the drive, but added to the road trip, and you’re not going to be lacking on things to do and see.
After a quick connection on Hwy. 12, the next part of our journey takes us into Waunakee and eventually Sun Prairie. Both cities have plenty to do on their own, including three breweries, a winery, plenty of window shopping, and any other big sized city things you can think of, but we’ll save these two regions for a separate post. Some lesser known things to do along this segment include Schumacher Farm Park, the Garden Prairie Farm, and a small portion of the Cherokee Marsh.
Once you travel through these two cities, you’ll eventually weave your way through a few more several small towns, but starting after Sun Prairie, the rest of the trip is great, and equally as good of a segment as our beginning segment. What it lacks in scenic beauty (and it certainly isn’t ugly, but it’s hard to compare visually to the first portion) it makes up for in charm. Expansive views of the countryside, 4 charming small towns with quaint downtowns, and a completely different and equally pretty landscape make this last segment of Hwy. 19 worth a small trip as well. In fact, I’ve taken several day trips on just this tiny portion and I’ve been able to find stuff to do for the entire day without even completing the trip.
The first of these towns you’ll drive through is Marshall, which boasts the Marshall Millpond, Little America for those of you with younger kids, and the origin of the best Mexican food truck I’ve ever had the pleasure of partaking in… Maria’s Mexican Restaurant. No website to link here, no advertising whatsoever, that’s the true sign of a great Mexican restaurant. But I digress. After Marshall you’ll next happen upon Waterloo. Right before the entrance of town sits Trek, yes, the bicycle company, letting you know you’ve arrived. But if you take a quick right before the Trek building, you’ll see a quick stopping point, Dr. J.S. Garman Nature Preserve. A few miles worth of trails surrounded by a cool forest is worth the leg stretching here. A neat gem for a small town. Waterloo also has a couple of cool antique stores for those that like that sort of thing, as well as another quick nature stop off the left side of 19 shortly after leaving Waterloo. You won’t find it on the map, but a few signs mark another nature/wildlife area. No real trails but there is a path that takes you to a branch of the Maunesha River/Stony Brook Creek. If it’s relatively dry out and hasn’t rained the past couple days, you can snap a few good pics here.
Your last two towns along this route include include Hubbleton and Watertown. Hubbleton Brewing Company is a tad off of 19 to the north, but offers great views of the fields and country side and is a perfect spot to quench your thirst if you just wanna sit and enjoy the views for a little longer. Watertown is a decently sized city with plenty of things to do, which makes for a great ending point on this trip.
This route is also littered with numerous dive bars that are must visits for anyone into the dive bar scene. Whippoorwill Bar, The Shed, The Keg, Whispers Roadhouse, The Watering Hole, Riverview Water Tap, just to name a few. Pretty much every town along the way has an antique store or two, and as mentioned above, plenty of nature stops to stretch your legs, get some fresh air, and reconnect with nature. And if I am doing my math right, 5 breweries in totality.
But remember, this is a Sunday drive, and the purpose of the Sunday drive is to not have a real goal, but rather amble along at your own pace, see the countryside, and if something along the way piques your interest, stop and see it. But don’t make an itinerary. Don’t make a plan. Pick a starting point and see where the wind takes you. You’ll enjoy it a lot more, I can promise you that. Life is too short to take the fast way after all.
Life is Too Short to Take the Fast Way 