October 25, 2011

NYT "Frugal Traveler" comes to Madison.

Concentrates on biking, eating burgers, and drinking Wisconsin beer (including Leinenkugel). Following some rule of frugal traveling, he stays in the outlying town of MacFarland, and then has to bike 10 miles to get back to his room at night — after tanking up with beer. I don't quite get that. He went to some of my favorite places — Olbrich Gardens, Picnic Point, the Capitol building. But he doesn't seem to notice any protesting. In fact, there's nothing about politics at all!

44 comments:

Carol_Herman said...

If the NY Times wanted a "protest" travel "advisory" ... they'd have to send their "biking reporter" to Zoo-(bring your own-cotti) ... and then he'd get free gourmet meals.

I wonder if he rented a bike?

As to "frugal" ... what did this whole "outing" cost the NY Times, when he submitted his receipts?

coketown said...

Frugal Traveler needs to try that couch surfing website. Then he could have stayed in Madison proper for free and bonded with some of the local folk. A friend of mine does that and always has foreigners staying on his couch--mostly Europeans. (They're very dull people. Very educated and very, very dull.)

Carol_Herman said...

As to the motel ten miles away ...

Where do parents from out of town stay with their kids when they come to visit the campus at Madison?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

In fact, there's nothing about politics at all!

Its too expensive..

wv chash used to be king

Clyde said...

Probably nothing about skyscrapers and bridges, either. Lots of those in New York, too. A Madison-sized protest probably looks about like the size of the line to the deli in Manhattan.

Peter V. Bella said...

Politics is not frugal.

Craig said...

My dad grew up in Chippewa. He was the player/manager for the local brewery's baseball team.

traditionalguy said...

NYT's occupation force can't stay 10 miles outside town. They should be sleeping in the people's Rotunda.

What's a matter with these wimps?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

#OWS has $500 grand in the bank.. While one of their brethren is roughing it.. riding a bike?

Evil OWS and their evil bankers..

Lets occupy the occupiers!

ricpic said...

Eating and drinking the way he did after a hearty breakfast in the B & B he was staying at there must have been some emergency moments, to put it mildly. Unless Madison has a liberal number of strategically placed public restrooms. But if not...
That's when saving money by staying ten miles out of town is suddenly not worth it.

Karl said...

I thought that I enjoyed the Spotted Cow until I had my first really good beer.
It comes in cans... from Colorado.
(Not the Banquet Beer. Ugh)

Titus said...

Sorry The Plaza is the best part of Madison.

Everything else kind of sucks.

Chip S. said...

It's unreasonable to expect the guy to notice any of Madison's habitual protesters. He walks past better-dressed homeless people every day in Manhattan without a glance.

Titus said...

Thank God he didn't see or go to any of the gay places.

It is a throwback to the gay movement of the 70's.

The gays in Madison are unfuckable.

A gay bar next to a car dealership, really Madison?

How about having a gay bar right across from Fenway Park baby!

Now that is the 2000's.

edutcher said...

Sounds like he's having fun.

And leaving out the politics may be a big part of it.

Anonymous said...

How to stay in Madison for free:

1) Make your hatred for Scott Walker clear (or just come up with some glib chants/signs that aren't so clear). Hitler references are a plus.

2) Illegally break into the Capitol rotunda (Drums, optional. Body odor, accepted)

3) Go on hunger strike with one of the locals.

You get to stay in a beautiful building, get fawned over by the press, and lose weight all at the same time! Cost, $0 to you. (For the taxpayer...several hundred thousand in damages and much much more for police overtime)

Titus said...

I saw the movie Red State and fucking loved it.

So red neck.

ndspinelli said...

I thought Fenway was a gay ballpark across from a hetero Irish pub.

garage mahal said...

The Frugal Traveler loves Madison, and Titus and wingnuts hate it. Nuff said.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Red State is available in stream mode Netflix..

According to the news I'm probably their last costumer.

Anonymous said...

When I was campaign for the Obama-Biden 2008 victory in Madison, I would have a great veggie burger at the Great Dane pub near the Capitol square. Does it still exist? I may go there to make sure WI again goes to Obama-Biden in 2012. Of course, everywhere there will be a victory for the POTUS. After all, Perry is the nominee. He will win, god willing, the GOP nomination. We are counting on the GOP voters to make sure Perry is your nominee. Then we take him apart, piece by piece in every district, every city, every state. The man is a total loser. It will be a pleasure to make this nitwit look like a fool. Then voters will just flock to us. Q.E.D.

traditionalguy said...

I want to know if the Traveler used frugal buses to get from NYC to the Land of Lakes and Cheeseheads.

They could try riding the path of the Bullet Trains drawn on Obama's pretty pictures at the cost of 10 Billion dollars.

It would be imaginary...exactly what NYT readers love the most.

Penny said...

"NYT "Frugal Traveler" comes to Madison."

Let me guess?

He was fascinated by the biosphere?

Penny said...

And... by the bye?

We're gonna take a sharp right turn here.

Hang onto your hat and...

A. Laugh
B. Lean into that sharp turn, OR
C. Get out of Madison

rcommal said...

Seriously, not snarky: Too many goals (and too many conflicting goals unresolved). Focus, people, focus.

Jason (the commenter) said...

But he doesn't seem to notice any protesting.

Political theater is the cheapest form of entertainment there is. At least is you're from out of town. Major fail at the NYT.

AllenS said...

I tipped over a couple of Indians (Leinies) last night myself.

Anonymous said...

Wow, an NYT article that didn't inappropriately squeeze politics into an otherwise non-political article?

What happening over there?

Toad Trend said...

"And leaving out the politics may be a big part of it."

Great advice for anyone wanting to ensure that they have fun. Include religion in there and you have a recipe for a relaxing vacation/getaway.

peacelovewoodstock said...

"And plus, the Packers game was starting soon."

So "Frugal Treveler" won't touch local politics but has no problem bringing religion into the piece.

KCFleming said...

"And leaving out the politics may be a big part of it."

My son works for a throwaway free paper in MKE, and a local grocer announced they will quit allowing the paper in their store.

Because of the lefty politics, which have been particularly vicious since Walker began his term.

It's a huge number, so they're shocked. My son is not a lefty, and avoids the office discussions until he hears something completely stupid, and chimes in.

Stupid, stupid, stupid editor. Why piss off half of your readers? Doesn't make any sense.

virgil xenophon said...

POGO/

My classic example of needlessly pissing off half one's potential audience is that of trust-fund lefty Julie Louise-Dreyfus (of Seinfeld fame) who is seen in a TV interview saying--I KID YOU NOT!--"I could never date a Republican, I'm too morally centered." LOL!

Anonymous said...

@ America's Politico

"Then we take him apart, piece by piece in every district, every city, every state. "

Sure. You can do that by pointing at your extensive list of accomplishments.

So. How's that unemployment rate lately? Still under 8%?

Bill said...

"I thought that I enjoyed the Spotted Cow until I had my first really good beer.

It comes in cans... from Colorado."

Looks like someone is an Oskar Blues fan. If you live in Wisconsin, there are plenty of vastly superior breweries to New Glarus--Ale Asylum and Tyranena are at the forefront.

To Allen S.: Leine's is a pretty awful brewery...especially their 'original' beer. Might as well drink deer urine.

MadisonMan said...

I want to know if the Traveler used frugal buses to get from NYC to the Land of Lakes and Cheeseheads.

Why don't you read the article? It's all discussed in it. The reason for coming to Madison is also mentioned in the article. Read, people!

It's surprisingly hard to find hotel rooms in Madison if Epic has a conference going on, and Epic almost always has a conference going on.

I usually don't recognize names in the comments section of the Times (people use their real name!), but I see two people I know in it in this article.

Anonymous said...

How so very strange to trumpet what a great place you live in. What if people came and ruined for everyone already there. I have spent untold time in the past telling everyone that asks what a shitty place I live in. A place they would never, ever want to come to in hopes that indeed, they wouldn't. Too many people here already. Stay away and keep your travel articles to yourself. Where we live is ours and we don't want you here unless it is by some form of a serrindepital accident. To paraphrase that great James McMurtry song "You're not from here, you don't live here, you grew up somewhere far away...".

Triangle Man said...

How so very strange to trumpet what a great place you live in.

Not if you want to local housing market to recover before you retire.

Triangle Man said...

Looks like someone is an Oskar Blues fan. If you live in Wisconsin, there are plenty of vastly superior breweries to New Glarus--Ale Asylum and Tyranena are at the forefront.


True, if by "vastly superior" you mean "the ones I like".

Triangle Man said...


So. How's that unemployment rate lately? Still under 8%?


Are we talking about Gov. Walker and Wisconsin's unemployment rate? HIs jobs plan needs more time to work. Those 250,00 positions are forthcoming.

Tim said...

PETER V. BELLA said...

"Politics is not frugal."

No, it is not, but it sure cheapens and degrades the hell out of everything thing it touches.

wv: antio - my anglo aunt and hispanic uncle.

MadisonMan said...

Not if you want to local housing market to recover before you retire.

I know two people trying, fruitlessly, to sell their houses. Given the way the local governmental entities here view houses as piggy banks to raid for funds, I'm not sure why people want to own houses in Wisconsin. I suspect my property taxes will top $10K by 2012.

Tim said...

"Given the way the local governmental entities here view houses as piggy banks to raid for funds, I'm not sure why people want to own houses in Wisconsin. I suspect my property taxes will top $10K by 2012."

"...I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody."

-- Sen. Barack Obama
October 12, 2008

wv: peting - paying property taxes would feel better if peting was involved...

AllenS said...

Bill said...
To Allen S.: Leine's is a pretty awful brewery...especially their 'original' beer. Might as well drink deer urine.

Blaspheme! Around here it's affectionately called squaw piss.

SethKugel said...

Hi everyone. This blog post popped up on my Google alert so thought I would take a sec to respond. As for the original post, I stayed in a bed & breakfast because that's what readers voted I should do, and the only one with availability anywhere near my budget was in McFarland. I drank beer because that's also what readers voted I should do. I limited consumption to be able to bike home safely. I didn't mention politics because, aside from four or five people manning the Occupy operation and some clever graffiti about the governor, there were no politics to see, and no politics mentioned in any of the many conversations I had with Madisonians.

To commenter Coketown, I have used Couchsurfing several times in the past, but was one of the choices, and was voted down.)

To Carol_Herman, most costs are given in the piece (including the cost for renting a bike - people, please try to read the article before commenting). Just add all that up, add about $100 for meals that I didn't give the price for, and you've got what I spent. There's no deception or secret luxury meals here.

I'm easily email-able at seth@sethkugel.com should people have any more questions.