Several people on the road trip warned us that Madison was a “very liberal place” and we were not sure what to expect. Upon arrival we discovered a quaint university town with a number of independent retailers, cafes and restaurants lined up between the Capitol and UW Madison. The city is smartly planned around its university with plenty of pedestrian-friendly streets that provide a local feel – something unfortunately rare in too many American cities. Madison also prides itself on its local architectural heritage (Frank Lloyd Wright remains a strong tourism asset for Wisconsin) and food specialties to be experienced in places such as Lazy Jane’s (pictured above), Barriques and The Old Fashioned, a local institution for fried cheese curds and micro-brewed beers.