BudgetTravel

At the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum, I can't resist buying a yellow "Squeeze me" T-shirt. Shawnda, feeling ornery, puts her ketchup-loving friend Justine on the museum's mailing list. Based on a visitors bureau brochure, I book a room at Deer Valley Lodge. If we return to Mount Horeb, though, we'll stay at the cute Village Inn Motel ("Just a little bedder").

We drive back to Black Earth for dinner at David W. Heiney's and then hurry to the big game. As soon as we pay the $3 admission, the dark clouds open up. The band runs for cover beneath an overhang, and we sprint to the car, drenched but laughing hysterically. (Alas, Wisconsin Heights lost 22–13.)

WISCONSIN'S WINDING WAYS We sent a photographer to get a taste of Wisconsin's food, people, and outdoor attractions, as witnessed on this fun road trip. • Launch the slide show

Lodging

Village Inn Motel 701 Springdale St., Mount Horeb, 608/437-3350, littlebedder.com, from $43

Food

David W. Heiney's 1221 Mills St., Black Earth, 608/767-2501, heineysdining.com, fish fry $12

Activities

Forevertron Hwy. 12 (park at Delaney's Surplus), North Freedom

Taliesin 5607 County Rd. C, Spring Green, 608/588-7900, taliesinpreservation.org

Mustard Museum 100 W. Main St., Mount Horeb, 800/438-6878, mustardmuseum.com

DAY 4
Sjölinds Chocolate House is a bakery as well as a chocolate shop; the Thompson family serves excellent coffee, quiches, and Swedish morning buns with lingonberry jam. I fall in love with the place.

We typically avoid cities, with their traffic and limited parking, but we want to say hi to John and Dorothy Priske, who sell their beef at the Dane County Farmers' Market in Madison. The market, which has a wonderful location around the state capitol building, may be even more of a yuppie-fest than the market I go to in New York City—one stand touts its mint as being "great for mojitos."

Everything I know about Limburger cheese I learned from Warner Brothers cartoons—it stinks. I've come to admire a strong cheese, however, and I wonder if Limburger is so different from a nice Époisses. Monroe is the place to find out: The sole remaining U.S. producer of Limburger is a co-op in town, and you can try it at Baumgartner's Cheese Store & Tavern.

At a communal table, we sit next to eight ex-Monrovians having a reunion. Limburger is similar to a typical French cheese, but while a little on a cracker is one thing, a big bite of it in a sandwich made with soft rye bread is overpowering. (The traditional raw onion would add texture, but at no small cost.) Shawnda and I wish we could try it with a baguette and an apple.

Baum­gartner's sells shirts with a drawing of a waiter bearing a reeking Limburger sandwich; the text says "Pull my finger." I may be a schlemiel, but I learned long ago to decline that particular request.

Food

Sjölinds Chocolate House 219 E. Main St., Mount Horeb, 608/437-0233, quiche $4

Baumgartner's 1023 16th Ave., Monroe, 608/325-6157, sandwich $3

Shopping

Dane County Farmers' Market Madison, 608/455-1999, dcfm.org

Finding your way

Shawnda and I met up at Chicago's Midway airport, but Milwaukee would be easier. The Illinois turnpike gives little warning when a toll is coming, and at least one stop requires that you have change on hand. In Wisconsin, many county roads have letters for names, and we were never able to make sense of them, even with a map.

Want to write a Road Trip?

This year is Budget Travel's 10th anniversary, and to celebrate we're devoting our next issue to articles that were written and shot by our readers. We'll also announce a new contest to write a Road Trip. If you've ever thought you could write a good one, look for it!