Discover inspiration at the UW-Madison Chazen Museum of Art on Wednesday, December 3. Barbara Rottman is working on a morning tour so you will have time to explore the entire museum at your leisure and/or have lunch. There are many food carts on the Library Mall, or you can enjoy the Memorial Union or State Street restaurants. And since we will ride the Metro Bus, there is no driving nor parking to worry about.

Date: Wednesday, December 3

Destination: Chazen Museum

Travel: Meet at the Madison Metro Bus at the Cahill/Caddis Bend bus stop at 10:20

Time: Leave on the 10:24 bus for the 11:00 a.m. tour  (NOTE:THIS IS AN UPDATED START TO THE TOUR TIME.)

Contact: Barbara Rottman, 608-512-8646, barbara.rottman@gmail.com

Travel details:

• We board the Route B Northbound bus at Caddis Bend and Cahill, ride to the East Campus Stop (#10070, and announced by the bus driver). From there it is less than a 2-block walk to the Chazen. The trip takes about 20 minutes.
• The fare is $2.00 each way, or $1.00 with a senior pass. Contact Barbara for information on how to get the senior pass. She has a few blank cards available for you to activate with credit card funds, if you desire. Barbara’s detailed instructions are in the following pdf.
• To return, we board the Route B Southbound bus directly in front of the Chazen and take it back to Cahill, another 20-minute ride.
• Parking is available in the Great Dane and Pick ‘n Save parking lots, or on the street.

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Discover the wonders of the EPIC Medical Records campus, starting with a one-hour presentation, followed by exploration at your own pace. This tour allows you to explore the stunning campus grounds, marvel at the innovative architecture, and take in the unique themed buildings and art installations that make EPIC a true work of art. As you navigate through the campus, you’ll have the freedom to delve into the areas that interest you most, whether it’s the cutting-edge technology shaping the future of healthcare or the creative spaces that foster innovation and collaboration.

Date: Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Time: Meet at 12:30 p.m.
Where: Lower level of the Senior Center
Travel: Carpool from the senior center
Presentation / tour: 1:00 p.m.
Self-guided walking tours: 2:30-5:00
Maximum group size: 35 people  

Contact: Audrey Bath, 608-220-9256

Judy Nackers has volunteered to lead a field trip to Greendale for their Historic & Folk Art Chimney tour. Alongside cobblestone streets and quaint alleyways are many chimneys representing a significant part of the town’s cultural heritage. You’ll learn the stories behind the intricate designs, from early settlers’ folk motifs to the influences of various architectural styles over the centuries. There are over 200 in the village.

• Date: Thursday, June 26
• Where: Carpool from the Senior Center at 8:30 a.m.(departure time)
• Tour: Starts at 10:30 for 1½ hour walking tour
• Cost: The tour is $10, self-pay at the start of the tour
• Lunch: Depends on the group’s preferences, and will be self-pay
• Post-tour option: Shop in their unique boutiques and dine or relax in one of their locally-owned restaurants, coffee shops, cafes, or wine bar. Also, visit the “Our Wisconsin” outlet store. If you don’t want to shop/browse, be sure you have transportation back to Madison via your own vehicle or with others who don’t want to stay for a while after the tour.
• Contact: Judy Nackers (judynackers@gmail.com)

Join us on May 15th for a guided Horicon Marsh boat tour. The excursion will take you through the heart of the country’s largest freshwater cattail marsh. A skilled naturalist will help you spot many birds and other wildlife, including muskrats and turtles.

We’ll carpool from the Senior Center at 9:30 a.m. (about an hour drive) for the 11:00 tour, and return by 4:30 p.m. The cost is $26.36 (including tax); Leslie would like to receive your payment by March 1. There is a 32-person maximum per boat.

Post tour, we will have self-pay lunch (~$10) at the boat landing. After lunch you have several options: (a) Peruse the museum exhibits in the education center (~$6.00); (b) View the free exhibits on the main level: (c) Hike down the trail or view wildlife through the wall windows; (d) Browse the gift shop.

• Date: May 15, 2025
• Time: Carpool from Senior Center at 9:30 a.m., return at 4:30 p.m.
• Tour: 11:00 to noon
• Cost: $26.36 in advance to Leslie. Lunch is self-pay.
• Contact: Leslie Hall 608-217-1699 (slannyannie@yahoo.com); Gail Schauer 815-742-2482 (Gshower123@gmail.com)
• Deadline: March 1, 2025

Discover the wonders of the EPIC Medical Records campus, starting with a one-hour presentation, followed by exploration at your own pace. This tour allows you to explore the stunning campus grounds, marvel at the innovative architecture, and take in the unique themed buildings and art installations that make EPIC a true work of art. As you navigate through the campus, you’ll have the freedom to delve into the areas that interest you most, whether it’s the cutting-edge technology shaping the future of healthcare or the creative spaces that foster innovation and collaboration.

Date: Thursday, September 19, 2024
Time: Meet at 1: 15 p.m.
Where: Main Entrance of the EPIC campus
Travel: Carpool with people interested in the same self-guided follow-up tour, since the end times are variable
Presentation: 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Self-guided tours: 2:30-5:00
Maximum group size: 40 people  

Contact: Audrey Bath, 608-220-9256

More information from Audrey: I’d suggest we drive with people we know that are of like mind to tour with afterward (some may not want to walk).  I recommend taking Hwy 18 to the last Verona exit to Epic campus. Visitor parking is plentiful 

Anderson Japanese Gardens, a non-profit entity near Rockford, Illinois, is a twelve-acre landscape of streams, waterfalls, winding pathways, and koi-filled ponds. Japanese gardens use three key elements: stones for structure, water to represent life-giving force, and plants to provide color throughout the seasons. Secondary elements include pagodas, stone lanterns, water basins, arbors, and bridges. We will take part in a docent-led tour to learn the history and unique qualities of these Japanese gardens.

Date: Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Time: Meeting at 8:15 a.m. for an 8:30 departure
Where: Upper parking lot of the Fitchburg Community Center
Travel: We will carpool for the 1.5-hour drive.
Tour: 10 a.m.–noon
Lunch: 12:00–1:00 (self-pay)
Cost: Bring $12 cash to repay Jo Anne Lindberg for the group entry fee. Self-pay for lunch.Contact: Jo Anne Lindberg openrose@birthlink.com or text and call 847-733-8050  

Deadline: Confirm with Jo Anne no later than April 10 at the April meeting.

Shake Rag Alley

Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts occupies nine buildings within a 2.5-acre oasis of gardens, trees, and rambling paths.Visitors are welcome dawn to dusk to stroll the magical grounds, which feature 20 individual garden beds including a monarch way station, a meandering spring-fed stream, carpets of blue naturalized forget-me-nots, day lilies, wild ginger, daisies and hostas in abundance, large stands of five-foot-tall Ostrich ferns, sedum cascading over rock walls … in sum, a cornucopia of wildly overgrown vegetation that perfectly complements the rustic character of the historic and reproduction buildings, pathways and rock walls.

Tour and presentation by artist-in-residence Janet Vetter, followed by lunch. Tour is free, with each member picking up the cost of her lunch. Shake Rag Alley Art Center, 18 Shake Rag St. Mineral Point, WI 54565

• Monday, March 4, 2024
• Carpooling from the Senior Center at 9:00 (drivers needed)
• RSVP to Lindy Bass (Lindymb@aol.com)

Here is the planning document we reviewed at the January meeting.

Field Trip Ideas

Fall Potluck Picnic and Paddle at Devil’s (Spirit) Lake State Park—North Shore Entrance, Baraboo WI

Thursday, September 14, 2023

Join us at the North Shore of Devil’s Lake State Park to have a potluck picnic and paddle fun! Or join us for just the picnic! The limit for the naturalist guided kayak tours around the lake is 15 participants. Beginners are welcome, but it would be best if people had some paddle experience for maximum enjoyment. The two-hour-long tour includes stopping to hear the naturalist talk about nature and the history of the area. You can choose to paddle, relax, or enjoy a hike.

• When:                                     Thursday, September 14, 2023
• Picnic time:                              3:00–4:30 p.m.
• Paddle set-up, payment          4:30 p.m.
• Naturalist paddle tour:             5:00–7:00 p.m.
• Departure time (from FSC):    Meet in upper lot at 1:15 for 1:30 departure
• Deadline for sign-up:              September 7, 2023
• Register:                                  Jo Anne Lindberg, 847-733-8050, openrose@birthlink.com

What to give her:                    

1. your name, phone number and email
2. whether you will attend the picnic, the paddle or both
3. whether you prefer a single or double kayak
4. if you are bringing your own watercraft
5. whether you can be a driver, and how many people you can take with you

Other details
A state park permit from the DNR is required on every car. A daily permit for seniors is $3 per car, or $13 annually (ending December 31).

Kayak rental is $25 for a single and $45 for a double. Reserve the boat with Jo, and pay her the day of the event at the park. You can also bring your own kayak.

While we won’t go on the lake if there is lightning, bring rain gear if there might be sprinkles.

The limit for the two-hour paddle with the naturalist is 15 people.

If you attend the picnic, but not the paddling, there are other options for you: (a) hiking trails; (b) Nature Center; (c) Ten effigy mounds; (d) kick back and relax

Contact Jo Anne Lindberg, 847-733-8050 or openrose@birthlink.com, if you have questions. We will book as a group.