Visitor Information
Contact the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, 201 W. Washington Ave., P.O. Box 8690, Madison, WI 53708 (tel. 800/432-TRIP; www.travelwisconsin.com), for the state's official travel guide and state road map. There are 10 Welcome Centers throughout the state, though not all are staffed or open year-round. All centers offer the requisite travel brochures and maps; the center in Kenosha has free WiFi access as well.
Getting There
By Plane -- Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport (tel. 414/747-5300; www.mitchellairport.com) has a new "Cellular Parking Lot," which simply means they kindly allow you 30 minutes of free parking if you're waiting for a phone call from an arriving passenger. The Dane Regional Airport in Madison (tel. 608/246-3380; www.msnairport.com) officially opened its $65-million "Prairie Style" renovation, which doubled the size of the airport. There is also the Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay (tel. 920/498-4800; www.co.brown.wi.us/airport).
By Train -- Amtrak's Hiawatha line (tel. 800/872-7245; www.amtrak.com) runs from Chicago to Milwaukee, making stops in Sturtevant and the General Mitchell International Airport. The Empire Builder line runs from Chicago to Seattle, making stops in Milwaukee, Columbus, Portage, Wisconsin Dells, Tomah, and La Crosse.
By Car -- None of the interstate highways in Wisconsin run all the way north to Lake Superior or Michigan. From north to south, pick up Route 53, which begins on the shore of Lake Superior and runs south through Eau Claire. On the east side of the state, Route 141 enters from Michigan around Niagara, heads through Green Bay where it becomes 41, and then continues south, east of Milwaukee, exiting into Illinois. I-39 runs from Wausau through Seven Points, Madison, and exits the state after passing through Beloit into Illinois. From southeast to west, I-94 enters from Illinois, and runs through Milwaukee, jutting west through Madison, and then continues northwest through Histon, Eau Claire, Menomonie, and out into Minnesota. I-90 also picks up from Illinois and runs northwest through Janesville, Madison, and exits the state into Minnesota just after passing through La Crosse.
Special Events
The Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival in Little Chute (tel. 920/788-7390; www.littlechutewi.org/calendar_events/cheesefest.html) started on a dare, when the mayor of Rome, New York, declared that his state was the best site for a national cheese museum (seriously). The good cheese-producing folks of Wisconsin didn't take kindly to this, and so the challenge of "Who's got the best cheese?" became this annual 3-day festival in June.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
