1. Historic Public Square, Cooksville/Town of Porter

Hwy 59 and N. Church Street, Cookswille, WI

Like a scene from a postcard of a snow covered, New England village, Cooksville's Historic Public Square is a trip back in time and worth a visit even if you don't plan to burn calories. Created in 1846 by Massachusetts' transplant, Dr. John Porter after his purchase of the lands from prominent Senator Daniel Webster. Dr. Porter had named his land purchase, he subdivided into 14 blocks the "Village of Waucoma" after locally named creek (current day Bad Fish creek.)

Developing around the same time and bordering the Village of Waucoma (Porter) was the town of Cooksville, founded by brothers John and Daniel Cook in the early 1840s. And true to the history of many, small towns across Wisconsin the U.S. post office played a role in the final naming of the town. The post office originally established in 1849 resided in Cooksville until 1903 served both towns. 

At over 175 years old, Cooksville's Historic Public Square is one of the oldest parks in Wisconsin! Modeled after New England, "village greens' Cooksville's Historic Public Square gives visitors a glimpse of early town settlements with delightful views of the town's 160+ year old homes nestled on snowy, wooded lots to the .south along Rock Street (Hwy. 59) and west along Webster Street. While, the eastern edge of the square you cross the quiet, Quincy Street. and get close up with the town's historic Schoolhouse now home to the Cooksville Community Center,

According to Cooksville's National Park Service application for historic designation, "The public square is entirely open on the south half but on the north side is covered with a grove of oak trees. At the northernmost side, the heavy, undisturbed undergrowth around these trees completely obscures the street on the north side of the square—a portion of Dane Street—quite effectively isolating the two houses in that block." 

  2. The Milton House, Milton

18 S Janesville St, Milton, WI 53563

Yes, you can step onto the hallowed grounds of our state's history. The Milton House, a hotel and one of the best preserved and remaining vestiges of the Underground Railroad which ran right through downtown Milton thanks in part to its' abolitionist, founder Joseph Goodrich. Equally impressive is the most prominent element of the old stagecoach hotel, the hexagonal, shaped structure dating back more than 175 years. Like Dr. Porter in Cooksville, Goodrich was an East-coaster with a vision of building a new community from the ground up in the sparsely populated, rural "territory" of Wisconsin. Ironically, Goodrich set about to establish his town of Milton (1841), abolitionist rooted and strict Baptist doctrine on U.S. government land essentially, forcibly taken away from the local populations of Sauk, or Ho-Chunk. In 1998 the Milton House Museum was designated a National Historic Landmark.

Not only can you traverse around the Milton House property and hotel in solitude but if you're really ambitious the Ice Age trail is nearby which connects Milton to Janesville.

  3. The Beckman Mill, Beloit

  4. Airport Park, Janesville

 5. Leonard Leota Lake Park, Evansville

5 Antes Drive - Evansville, WI 53536     

In the heart of downtown Evansville, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Leonard Leota Park is a quirky, fairyland or fancier, miniature golf-esque collection of small canals, and bridges with wooded overlook of Leota Lake. The lake itself is 40-acres and may offer hiking opportunities and a popular fishing spot as well.

Lastly, good news the park is now open the season so you will still have even more room to spread out in and explore.You'll notice a number of fisherman's pickup trucks parked along Andres St just off Madison Street as they use the Leonord Leota Park's main entrance (closed) to bring their fishing gear in. This is a great access point to park and unload your gear from. Or you can go one block west to Grace Street where other trucks are parked and access the park from the top of the wooded hill on the west side.

Have fun and stay safe!

2598-1700 Moorland Rd, Madison, WI 53713

The old birding truism is some the best place to view birds is the sewerage district. Sunrise or sunset the MMSD is a destination for Madison area birders. No need to make a long trek to the Horicon Marsh the region's waterfowl are quite content to be here and raise families. Sandhill cranes, green herons, kingfishers, great blue herons, wood ducks and migrating shore birds are just a short drive away. Throw away the stigma and preconceived notions of a sewer treatment plant this place is a bird sanctuary.  In 1994 the MMSD decommissioned a series of storage lagoons and in three years  1999 - 2001) created this 140 acre, wildlife and 3 mile hiking paradise. One of the park;s highlights is a meandering boardwalk which terminates with a platform obervation area.

7. Saint Mary of the Oaks Chapel & Matz Farm Ruins

(Pictured above is the St. Mary of the Oaks Chapel, Matz farm Ruins, Indian Lake of Dane County)

8313 WI HWY 19, Cross Plains, WI

This idyllic, hilly setting feels more like a movie set in the rolling countryside of Ireland, and not a county park in Cross Plains. The trip to the park itself along HWY 19 is a meandering countryside at the foot of wooded hills. Our last destination is actually two parks: Indian Lake County Park and Halfway Prairie Wildlife Area separated by HWY 19. Former 791 acre park the 2nd largest in Dane County and home to the diminutive Saint Mary of the Oaks Chapel perched precariously atop a wooded ridge overlooking Indian Lake. The lake provides ample kayaking or canoeing opportunities no permit required. The chapel is the payoff for climbing over 200 wooden plank stairs as it winds its' way up edge of the steep ridge.  The latter destination is an unexpected gem would be a doppelganger for an Irish countryside, replete with a stone ruin of the Matz Farm which greets you at the entrance to the 127 acre Halfway Prairie Wildlife Area.