It may seem as if we've just been through summer. (Excuse me while I scrape the melted tar off my shoes.) But no! It has yet to begin, as evidenced by the fact that our annual guide to the season's enjoyment, SummerTimes, appears with this issue. Not only that, we're flippin' Frisbees on the cover of this last issue in May.
Okay, maybe we're flippin' flying discs, Frisbee being the trademark of the Wham-O toy company. But that disc has flown the coop, and everyone knows those "disco volantes" as Frisbees. Terminology and trademarks aside, the USA Ultimate College Championships take place this weekend in Verona from Friday through Monday. There's something different to do on Memorial Day.
And after that, what to do? Well, SummerTimes has many answers. "Welcome to Wisconsin," says Linda Falkenstein. Try the "Cheese & Beer Tour," our answer to the California wine tour. Craft breweries and cheese makers are all over the place, so she lays out a few tours to get you started - not a bad warm-up for the Isthmus Beer & Cheese Fest next Jan. 29.
In "Seeing Trails," contributor Emily Mills addresses mountain bike aficionados. Of course we have no mountains, but Mills identifies plenty of hilly challenges and options. "Nine Wisconsin Pilgrimages" locates some iconic Wisconsin spots, most associated with Wisconsin legends such as Hank Aaron and Bunny Berigan. (And if you don't know who those guys are, you need to take some of these trips.)
We also provide an extensive list of events, from Memorial Day to September. We tell you who's playing at some Wisconsin county fairs and what's going on in summer theater, much of it outside. We have local special events, including some Mallard specials, music events and the lineup at the Memorial Union Terrace. And in case you get bored, we highlight a raft of Madison neighborhood festivals.
There's your whole summer in 32 pages, not counting vacations out of state. But why go anywhere else?
