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U.S. 14: Madison
Leaving the U.S. 12/14 Bypass around the south side of Madison, Wisconsin behind, you'll quickly come to the end of four-lane pavement on U.S. 14 just west of the bypass. |
If westbound traffic leaving Madison is light you'll enjoy a short, eight-mile jaunt through the southwestern Wisconsin countryside as U.S. 14 takes a northwesterly trek to the village of Cross Plains.
The village population is around 3,000, but is one of the fastest growing areas of Wisconsin. Back in the mid-1800s, Cross Plains actually was three different villages. In addition to Cross Plains, Christina and Foxville were established along a railroad to the north and a stage road to the south. By 1920, all three villages incorporated into Cross Plains.
Only one of its kind
Continuing on a northwesterly course along U.S. 14, you'll roll into the uniquely named Black Earth about two miles later. It's the only town named Black Earth in the United States, and the claim is that it's the only one in the world.
Black Earth is the home to the The Shoe Box, which has its own claim: "The Midwest's Largest Shoe Store." With more than 200,000 pairs of shoes in stock, they probably get few arguments about that.
Can't miss the store, either. It's on the southeast corner of U.S. 14 at the Black Earth stop light.
Another two miles west, just before Wisconsin 78 veers north away from U.S. 14, is Rookies, a restaurant and sports bar ... with a wiffle ball park out the back door. The wiffle ball field is available to rent for parties; it's free to customers at other times.
So, here's a new twist on stretching your legs during your two-lane travel: Stop for a cold one and loosen up those limbs by shagging some wiffle fly balls. Play responsibly, though.
After Rookies, follow the curve on U.S. 14 to the west and you'll arrive at Mazomanie, a small town of about 1,500 residents and the gateway to the Wisconsin River Valley.
Some 30 buildings in the community are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including The Old Feed Mill, a which now offers a fabulous dining experience in a cozy historical setting.
Tucked away off the highway
We were fortunate enough to pick up a brochure for the restaurant while at another nearby attraction. If not for that, we would have driven through Mazomanie without ever knowing the restaurant was there.
The Old Feed Mill is at 114 Cramer St., a couple blocks north of U.S. 14 on the east side of town. The stone and timber structure dates back to 1857 and served the community for many years before closing.
The mill was restored in the early 1990s and the award-winning restaurant opened in 1995. Today, the mill also houses the Millstone Mercantile, a shop featuring hand-made quilts, linens, works by local artists and other gifts.
The experience we had at the Mill was outstanding. We were the first customers for dinner so we had the spacious and rustic dining room to ourselves for a short time. Soon, though, the surrounding tables with mismatched chairs began to fill up.
I was forced to eat Artichoke Fritters as our appetizer, and, despite not being a fan of artichoke hearts, I didn't need much urging to polish off my share of the battered and fried fritters with Ranch Dressing.
Susan also raved about the silky smooth Cream of Asparagus soup she had rather than a salad.
Not able to get enough artichokes, Susan chose the Chicken Florentine, a huge breast stuffed with artichokes, spinach and provolone, while I had the Atlantic Cod Dijon, loins topped with a delightful combination of crab meat and Dijon butter.
The service here was quick and friendly, too--our waiter even sat down with us for a few moments to answer some of my questions about the Mill, which has a full bar, by the way, for those of you who like a glass of wine or cocktail with dinner. (Try the Prairie Fume--pronounced fu-may--a crisp and fruity white wine from Wollersheim Winery in nearby Prairie Du Sac. We'll be stocking up the next time we visit Wisconsin.)
After eating out every day for a week, the overall dining experience we had at The Old Feed Mill was our favorite. Hands down.
The Mill, once called by a reviewer "The Best of Country Cuisine" for its specialties of roast chicken and post roast, is open seven days during the summer, but hours are reduced during winter months. Check before you go.
After our highly recommended stop at The Old Feed Mill, return to U.S. 14 to resume your journey.
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