Mary Bergin's Blog
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Jan.27.2009
Rare is the destination that offers lodging and dining that are both distinctive and outstanding in quality. Here are six places that were delightful surprises in 2008.
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Most noticeable is the dinnerware, an odd but lovely assortment of colorful, antique styles. It goes well with the mismatched...
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Jan.07.2009
The world is full of wonderful ways to add calories in interesting places. Here are my top six dining experiences of 2008.
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A $10 ticket buys all you can eat at the annual World Championship Chuck Wagon Roundup in Amarillo, Texas, where up to 40 teams cook outdoors over an open fire, using cast...
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Dec.01.2008
Kelly Ryan of Minneapolis and Marilyn Zilic of Madison don’t know each other, but they have something big in common: a penchant for small-group retreats. I enjoy this type of outing, too, but “church,” “bunk beds,” “hiking” and “contemplation” come to mind – not “scrapbooking” or “quilting.”
Kelly...
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Nov.15.2008
A volatile presidential election – with the potential to deepen our differences – is history. Now comes the task of mending and strengthening ourselves as a union of 50 states, but the work is not about making everybody think, look and act alike.
Freedom means diversity, and no event demonstrates...
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Nov.15.2008
“Two women friends and I want to do a weekend getaway in the next few weeks,” the note began. “Our wish list (though we can live without some of it) would be for a B&B or cabin, perhaps hot tub or access to a nearby spa, beautiful spot to walk, yummy restaurants and cool shops to browse.”
The...
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Nov.07.2008
Reader mail is plentiful, especially since “Hungry for Wisconsin” book events have begun. The good people of Wisconsin are full of fabulous ideas about their favorite destinations.
For example:
“You asked for places to see and try,” wrote Pat Tesar of Edgerton, after my recent appearance on...
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Nov.07.2008
When I talked to Bart Smith this autumn, it wasn’t all that long after he had finished a hike that took him at least 15,000 miles around the U.S., including around 1,200 in Wisconsin.
Bart is a photographer who has walked all eight of the National Park Service’s national scenic trails. That...
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Oct.25.2008
Mary Cary is proof that new careers can take hold late in life. She is 87 and has been working at the Wade House in Greenbush for 28 years.
We discovered her helping dozens of children carve pumpkins – and turnips! – this month during an autumn activities day at the former stagecoach inn, which is...
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Oct.22.2008
Foodies know and care that authentic Champagne and Parmesan come from specific parts of France and Italy, respectively. Now the International Culinary Tourism Association is developing a website that will help travelers distinguish cities, states and countries by uniqueness of cuisine.
When your...
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Oct.10.2008
For many of us, a road trip of 600-some miles into South Dakota, the Badlands and the Black Hills is a rite of passage.
It is the most classic of summer vacations, especially for families, who follow typically flat and easy-to-drive I-90 for a taste of the Wild West. They encounter Shady Brady...
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Oct.10.2008
Why spend a night in Florence, unless you’re talking about Italy? Convenience, we decided, was a good enough reason.
But what began as a fast and necessary stop – en route to other adventures in Door County and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula – will be remembered as a charming overnight with more depth...
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Sep.18.2008
Until this month, Mazomanie was best known for being near a sandy, isolated, nude beach along the Wisconsin River. The lazing and bronzing of uninhibited souls dates back to the 1960s, and sometimes canoeists will get an eyeful.
Now Mazo, population 1,500, earns another reputation: It is one of...
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Sep.15.2008
The line between “quaint” and “outdated” can get pretty thin; few know this better than sisters Laurie Stecker and Lisa Sadiq. The proprietors of Siebkens Resort are overseeing an overhaul of the business, which their great-grandparents established in 1916.
What stays and what goes? Some decisions...
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Sep.09.2008
Before George Heartwell’s 2004 election as mayor of Grand Rapids, Mich., he was a preacher for the United Church of Christ. Evangelizing continues, but the focus has shifted.
The mayor is out to paint his city of 200,000 green, as in eco-friendly. That’s a fashionable color and crowded bandwagon...
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Aug.30.2008
Think about war as an extreme intrusion that involves family as much as fight. Upheavals emerge close to home and on faraway battlefields. You and your enemy have this in common, no matter who you are or where you live.
The new Civil War Museum in downtown Kenosha takes war personally. Although no...
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About Mary
Wisconsin, my favorite place on the planet, is what I write about and photograph more than anything else. I am a lifelong newspaper journalist who eased into travel writing in 2002, when my weekly and syndicated "Roads Traveled" column began....
Causes Mary Bergin Supports
First Unitarian Society of Madison
Wisconsin Public Radio
REAP (Research, Education, Action & Policy on) Food Group
HospiceCare Inc...