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Here's an attraction that's perfect for families traveling with little tykes. The Madison Children's Museum, located in Madison, Wisconsin, is a place where children can tap into their creative sides with interactive exhibits that are drawn from real-world experiences. Building Boom, for example, gives aspiring city planners the opportunity to create a Utopian metropolis of their own design (I've always thought I'd be good at that), while the Milking Parlor teaches the wee ones some basic farm skills in a tribute to Wisconsin's dairy industry. Dig Into Dinosaurs, meanwhile, centers on a paleontologist's camp and dig site, and young visitors are thrilled by the prospect of being able to "freeze" their shadows against a phosphorescent wall in the Shadow Room. And while the museum might seem like fun and games to its intended audience, it's based on sound science, having been founded in 1980 by a group of early childhood specialists who were looking for a way to help youngsters get excited about learning and exploring the world. This concept is best exemplified in the First Feats exhibit (pictured), with activities that were carefully designed to support the healthy development of children from infancy to the preschool years. Guests at the nearby Sheraton Madison Hotel might want to bring their little ones to this fascinating museum to see what their budding young geniuses can come up with.
Recently in Madison Category
A World of Wonder at the Madison Children's Museum
Tuesday November 11, 2008
Greet the Blooming Butterflies of the Olbrich Botanical Gardens
Wednesday July 30, 2008
The Olbrich Botanical Gardens represent one of the most pleasant natural escapes you can find in Madison, Wisconsin, with sixteen acres of outdoor display gardens, a rose garden, and a Thai pavilion to wander through and take in the serenity. Through August 10, you'll find more than pretty plants and flowers to take your breath away. The Blooming Butterflies exhibit enables visitors to walk amid scores of butterflies, including black striped zebras and bright orange julias, as they emerge from their chrysalises daily. The tropical Bolz Conservatory - an exotic glass pyramid filled with exotic plants and flowers, free-flying birds, and a rushing waterfall - is the setting for this annual renewal of life, in which the butterflies emerge from hatchery boxes to take their first flights amid this fancy indoor rain forest. It's a sight to behold as the air above the plants becomes a tapestry of color and motion. If you stand still enough, a butterfly might just alight upon your shoulder, and that's just got to be good luck. The Olbrich Botanical Gardens are just minutes from the Sheraton Madison Hotel.
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More Saturday's Free Wintertrails Wonderland
Monday January 7, 2008
If you've always wanted to try snowshoeing or cross country skiing but haven't quite gotten around to it yet, here's a great and affordable opportunity. WinterTrails is an annual event designed to introduce people to new winter sports, with venues across the U.S. and Canada offering free snowshoeing and cross country skiing to anyone who feels like giving it a try. This year, Winter Trails 2008 will be held on January 12 at snowy places from coast to coast, with event and anchor sites everywhere from North Carolina to California. Guests at the Sheraton Hartford Hotel, for example, might want to drop by the nearby Winding Trails cross country ski center in Farmington, Connecticut for a trail pass, equipment rental, and lesson in the ways of cross-country skiing. Not far from the Sheraton Mountain Vista, meanwhile, the Frisco Nordic Center in Frisco, Colorado, will be handing out snowshoes and a few pointers to interested parties who want to hit the glistening trails for a scenic snowshoe expedition. Even Devil's Head in Wisconsin, just 25 miles from the Sheraton Madison Hotel, is getting in on the action, with equipment, pointers, and a cup of hot cocoa at the finish. Enjoy winter while it's here, because it will be summer again before you know it. While participation is free, many venues require advance registration, so take a look at the website and make plans to try a new snow sport this winter.
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More Capital Dining on Madison's Capital Square
Monday November 12, 2007
Madison, Wisconsin may be a college town, but that doesn't mean it doesn't offer fine dining. In fact, two of the finest restaurants in the region are right next to each other on the Capital Square, a short drive from the Sheraton Madison.
L'Etoile and Harvest share more than just location; they also share a philosophy of Slow Food — organic, local, seasonal ingredients cooked with care. Their location on the square, with one of the nation's best farmers markets across the street, makes that prospect even easier. At L'Etoile, you'll find intense attention to detail as they present seasonal offerings — which, at this time of year, lean toward the comfort food end of the spectrum, including duck breast with sweet potato-shallot hash and red cabbage-port wine-black pepper jus. Don't miss the Wisconsin artisanal cheese course; this is Wisconsin, after all.
Harvest's chef Justin Carlisle once worked at L'Etoile, so you'll see many similarities but with a more casual demeanor. Named one of the 20 best restaurants in America by Organic Style magazine, Harvest upholds the organic mission with dishes such as roasted duck, seared wild striped bass with Manila clams, and mushroom risotto.
Cruise the Waters of Wisconsin
Thursday September 13, 2007
Wisconsin probably isn't the first place that comes to mind when you think of cruising, but Betty Lou Cruises might just make the capital city of Madison aka "Mad City" one of your new favorite ports of call.
With luxury cruises on both Lake Mendota and Lake Monona - the two lakes that dominate this charming town - you'll see Madison from a whole new perspective. Whether you prefer the daytime champagne brunch cruise, or the evening dinner cruise, cocktail cruise, or moonlight cruise, there's an excursion that will get you in the Madison frame of mind in a hurry. Lake Mendota cruises offer great views of the governor's mansion, the state capital, and the University of Wisconsin campus, while Lake Monona cruises glide past Monona Terrace and several breathtaking natural areas and opulent lake front estates. The yachts ply the fresh Wisconsin waters until October 21, so guests at the Sheraton Madison Hotel can watch the leaves turn color across this picturesque town from the comfort of a floating restaurant and bar. Anchors aweigh!
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