Trip 23 -- Getting Closer

A calm day on Lake Monona. 8/17/24 dwm photo

I didn't expect to ride this weekend, but when the opportunity presented itself I took advantage.

Rain was forecast Saturday afternoon. The morning was humid but temperatures were cool making it a comfortable day to ride.

I headed out just before nine planning to ride around Lake Monona. It's one of my go-to-rides. It has great scenery. The streets and trails are bike-friendly and it's an easy way to get some miles. 

The ride started like many others, taking the Military Ridge trail toward Madison. The Cannonball Path veers off that trail on a former rail-bed heading downtown.

The trail ends at Fish Hatchery Road, where I rode a few blocks before following the Wingra Trail toward Olin Park where the Capital City State Trail heads north around the lake.

The Yahara River flowing from Lake Monona. 8/17/24 dwm

 There's been a major construction project on Dempsey Road forcing the Lake Loop path to other surface streets for months. I saw a lot of new pavement, so hopefully the project is close to completion.

 The ride through Madison and Monona neighborhoods is interesting as you ride past elegant lake-side homes that date back more than a century. 

 The last time I rode this route, I noticed a historic marker in front of a home in Monona, this time I checked it out.

The William Schultz House. 8/17/24 dwm photo

According to the marker, William Schultz built his farm house in the heart of 6-1/2 acres in 1908 where he had a 'truck farm.' 

He was famous for strawberries, and sold milk and eggs to nearby cottages. The description indicates the area was rural, dotted with farms and places to escape the city.

The Schultz house still has a stately tree out front, but their acreage grew homes where dozens of families live. 

This house is only a few miles from another reminder of those early days - the Monona Bait and Ice Cream Shop and an auto repair garage are still in business. 

Homes are still growing, as owners tear down old structures, replacing them with modern marvels. The nearby lake makes it a nice place to live.

From the Schultz place, I rode south, re-joining the Capital City trail where the Lake Loop turned north to the isthmus. I finished by adding the five-mile spur from the trail to McFarland's McDaniel Park, then across Fitchburg and Madison to Verona. 

Trip 23 added 45 miles to the books, leaving me 55 away from 1,000. Keep on riding!