Labor Day Weekend: A tour of the Upper Middle West (Part 3)

Madison
(Saturday, September 1)

Friday night in Madison is a mess. I'm still sick, but feeling obligated to bar hop. Rick drives his car, a manual transmission, and proceeds to get too drunk to drive home. Rachel, the person with whom we are staying, gets completely messed up on whiskey shots. There's some drama about where I will take the passed-out-on-the-street Rick whilst Rachel continues to drink the night away. Eventually it's settled, and we cab it back to Randy's place for a couple hours of sleep.

Next morning, having retrieved Rick's car, we meet Rachel at IHOP for breakfast. I'm feeling much better, but Rick and Rachel understandably need some time to recover. So we spend much of the day Saturday at Rachel's watching Family Guy episodes on DVD. We finally get motivated for dinner around 6. Rachel takes us to a Jamaican restaurant on "Willy St." Because Rachel is dog sitting and we've already kenneled up the pups, we are out for the night. I question wheter we'll have the stamina to make it until bar close with me still recovering from feeling sick and the other two still recovering from the night before.

Its a pretty laid back night really. We bar hop through State street with the crazy college kids after the Wisconsin game. Once we're through there, we head back toward the towny bars to finish out the night. And yes, we do make it until nearly 2, although none of us was rip-roaringly drunk. All in all a pretty fun night out.


Madison to Minneapolis
(Sunday, September 2)

Sunday we're up for breakfast at the Come Back In. It's the taste of Madison on the square this weekend, so we do a quick tour after lunch. Rick and I are ready to get back on the road, and so by 1 we're back at Rachel's packing up the car. Its time for the drive home, back up I-94, through Eau Claire on the way to pick up my car, and onto Minneapolis.

The 5-day 3-state tour is coming to a close. It's been a satisfying road trip despite my feeling under the weather, and the Cyclone loss to Kent State. We survived a bit of drunken drama on Friday night, and salvaged a really great time in Madison, a city I'd like to get to know a little bit better. I've heard Rhianna 1000 times, been in a car for nearly 20 hours, and yet I'm still sad to have this trip end.

I think another road trip is in store for later in September, but the question is where should I go next? I'm thinking the UP of Michigan, and then on into Canada. anyone have any suggestions?