Having grown up in Madison, I've always bled Bucky Badger Red, so when I get the opportunity to go home for a game, whether it' s football, basketball, volleyball or hockey, I just can't pass it up.
Although I was away at a wedding for the victory over Ohio State on Saturday, but I was there Oct. 9 for Wisconsin's homecoming game vs. Minnesota. Anyone that keeps up with college football knows the tradition between these two rivals includes passing the ceremonial axe to the winning team. If you know that much you probably also know that Wisconsin has pummeled the Gophers six straight wins in a row to keep the giant axe.
This year, minus the unseasonably warm weather, wasn't any different, making it seven wins over Minnesota.
The seven of us began our morning with a choice of a Bloody Mary or a whiskey and Coke for the trek down the bike path to Camp Randall. It' s easier than trying to drive down and pay $20 for parking just to risk getting your car thrown up on or dented, plus leaves you without the option to make a dumb decision like drinking and driving. So we opted for a little pre-game speed walking / drinking.
A breakfast of champions at this point in the day consisted of cheese curds (of course), "W" shaped sugar cookies and a handful of baby carrots. Tailgating is what it is and, let' s face it, it's not known for its low carb, low fat items. That plus more bloodies and chasers and, by game time, we were in "good shape." And by "good shape" I mean we were buzzing but still made the smart move to stay clear of the four story beer bongs after witnessing the after-effects it had on the students around us.
The game was great, the band played all the favorites, the student section did Jump Around and, of course, the Badgers won.
After the game the usual meeting spot is The Stadium Bar. Less than a block from Camp Randall, it's packed before and after every game and the
warm weather was perfect for a little outdoor drinking in the huge outside complex. The porta-potties weren't ideal, but when are they ever? Moving on!
Across the tracks at Lucky's we wandered into an impromptu Flip Cup game. I'm rusty, to say the least, having been out of college for five years now and, after annoying my team with my "slow and steady wins the race" attitude, I thought it better to sit at the bar and make new friends. But there just isn't time.
Something about this crowded, rowdy atmosphere has most people feeling like they have to keep moving and after that much sun and "fun" it's a good idea 'cause otherwise you'll fall asleep.
The Whiskey River Saloon, complete with a mechanical bull is a relatively new spot that replaced The Pub on State Street. We stopped in just long enough to see a bunch of female coeds thrown from the bull and for one of our friends to be the only guy to take on the challenge.
Though this was my first stop into the Saloon I have a feeling the bull ring will solidify its place on pub crawls and bachelorette parties for years to come. The rest of the group and I weren't in the mood to embarrass ourselves with a bull riding wardrobe malfunction, or trip to the urgent care with a broken nose. So off we went to find food.
At this point it's been such a long day that my group and I were under the impression it was much later than it really was. Though the sun had just set, we figured it had to be 9 or 10 p.m. In reality it was about 7:30. Upon entrance to the Memorial Union. I remembered that not only are they still open but that they serve Babcock Hall ice cream here. This is the ice cream of my childhood and it is amazing.
Made at the UW Dairy Plant, this is the epitome of real, local Wisconsin dairy at its best and although I don't usually include ice cream in my diet, today was a great day to make an exception.
I' m fairly certain I walked away from the Terrace with ice cream all over my face like a 4-year-old. Yes, it's that good. If you have the chance to go, my top three recommendations would be:
- Orange Custard Chocolate Chip
- Mint Fudge Marble
- Union Utopia
Enjoy!
Of course, with a belly full of ice cream, what' s the next logical step but to head to Wando's on University Avenue. The traditional, "I haven' t had enough
to drink today" choice at Wando's is, of course, the fishbowl. In case you are unfamiliar, a fishbowl is a mixture of no name alcohol and some Kool-Aid filler in a variety of flavors put into a medium-sized plastic fishbowl with 20 straws inside. Perfect, since there were now six of us.
Fishbowl brain freeze in full force, it' s time to go. Last, but not least, we cabbed it to the cozy Village Bar on the near west side for one more and then walked home. The air was still warm and the walk was the perfect end to our long day adventure.
Alissa grew up on the near west side of Madison and had childhood dreams of being a veterinarian. Instead she moved to Milwaukee to attend college and attained a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from UW-Milwaukee. Previously an advertising copywriter and a marketing specialist, Alissa always preferred the writing aspect of her career.
An animal lover, a shoe lover and a white wine lover, she now resides on the much beloved East Side of Milwaukee in what she describes as an ancient apartment building full of character, but lacking sufficient electrical outlets and the convenience of an elevator.
To some she comes across as a shy wall flower, to those that know her much better she is a social butterfly, usually overdressed and wearing inappropriately uncomfortable shoes for nearly every occasion. Either way you choose to see her, Alissa has a strong desire to bring awareness to the social issues in our city while maintaining a sense of humor about herself and surroundings.
