Um...you guys are the BADGERS.
I imagine this might be more of a problem during UW-Madison's academic year.
A nice little hangover accompanied me as I awoke Saturday morning. That wasn't the only problem I had; I had only one dollar of cash in my wallet, which could be a problem when it came time to get the Blue Trooper out of the parking garage. I searched along the Nicollet Mall, but could not locate one. I tried to exit anyway, as it was already noon. I got to the gate, and sure enough, I didn't have enough cash to make it rise. The attendant called over a manager, who was able to authorize my credit card and get me out. I got down the highway a bit, and wanted some Wendy's. Just one problem - when I got inside, the door didn't seem to have any card logos on it. I promptly exited and continued eastward on I-94. Finally, I found an ATM and a Subway, and we were good. From there, it was pretty much a straight shot to Madison. I got settled in at the DoubleTree near both State Street and the University of Wisconsin campus. For a short spell, I simply relaxed; then I headed toward Capitol Square. Wisconsin's seat of government looks a lot more impressive - and a lot more typical of these types of buildings - than the one in North Dakota. I had dinner at the Great Dane Brewery. While the burger was good, the beer didn't sit so well with me. Normally, the red lagers are palatable, but this one didn't work for some reason. Can't knock the entire brewery, though - I'm sure they've got some good ones in their arsenal.
The prime destination of the night was State Street, the main party drag in Madison. School might have been out of session, but you wouldn't have known it on this night. Plenty of partygoers out and ready to rock. I settled on a place called Monday's - and that proved to be a good choice, as the place soon had a few bachelorette parties stroll in. It wasn't quite to the level as The Big Bang in St. Louis, but it was more than enough to hold my attention. One such pack of ladies was asking for donations of a most particular sort - men's underwear. At first, I strung them along, making them think they weren't going to get mine. But I really was going to give them up all along, and after a few minutes, I did. This pleased them greatly, and I ended up talking with a few of the girls at length. Unfortunately, I hadn't forged enough of a connection; when they rolled out, I wasn't following. I held on for another hour or so, continuing to simple enjoy the scene. At one point, I took out my note pad and scribbled to myself that neither Wisconsin nor its residents should be disrespected again, because they know how to party. That's not all they know how to do - but more on that when I talk about day 27...
Pictures: Day 26 (Madison)