Devil's Lake Sate Park

I've been going to Devil's Lake State Park since I was little, and now I bring my daughter and husband there whenever we are in the area. In the summertime, the water is clean enough for swimming and you can rent rowboats and kayaks to take onto the lake itself.

Even in the winter, the snow-covered landscape is a gorgeous scene.

Just beware that there is a parking fee; it's more expensive if you're from out-of-state. You can opt for a yearly pass or a daily pass.

Definitely worth the visit, even with the parking fees!

Scuttlebutts Restaurant

I've eaten at Scuttlebutt's a few times. The setting is great, just across the street from beautiful Lake Geneva. The food is always decent with a good selection of Scandinavian and American dishes. They also have good veggie burgers and a veggie stir fry dish. This place is right next door to Popeye's and is generally quieter.

Only criticism: if you have a young child, there are no diaper changing facilities.

Dynasty Garden

I enjoy Dynasty Garden when I'm in the mood for a decent Chinese buffet. They have a very large selection, including a lot of vegetarian dishes (recently having added one tofu item).

Only criticism is that the selection hardly ever varies; they seem to have the exact same dishes every single time.

On the bright side, quality is always consistent and even if you're in a hurry, you can get in and out quickly.

Luke, Michelle D, Dds - Plum Grove Dental Assoc Ltd

I was a patient of Dr. Luke's for over 5 years at Plum Grove Dental and only stopped going there because we moved out of town.

Dr. Luke and her staff always take excellent care of their patients, and I also really liked her hygienist, Jolanta. As difficult as it is sometimes to convince ourselves that we should go to the dentist, I never missed my 6 month appointments once I got hooked on Plum Grove Dental.

Children's Medicine PC: Feit Elliot MD

I've had very good experiences taking my daughter to Children's Medicine since moving to the Atlanta area. The doctors are very caring and always ask good questions and are always willing to listen to my concerns. We've never had any problems. They have a separate sick child / well child area so that children who are having a routine checkup are not directly in contact with those who are ill.

My only criticism is that their hours are not good if both parents work full-time jobs (open from 8:30AM - 5PM weekdays and their Saturday hours are only for sick kids - no walk-ins ever).

Children & Teens Medical Ctr

My daughter had nothing but superb care when we lived in the area and took her to Children and Teens. The doctors there had seen her from birth up through 18 months of age and we had nothing but positive experiences. We especially loved Dr. Poulos who was always extremely caring and very happy to answer any questions we had as new parents. I couldn't have picked a better pediatric office for my little one.

Pita Inn

I used to love Pita Inn when I lived in the Chicago area and I still cannot find comparable Middle Eastern food in my new hometown.

The food is delicious and extremely inexpensive. You'd spend more money dining at McDonald's on far less healthy, less tasty food. They also have a wonderful selection of vegetarian dishes.

Not to be missed: their world-class hummus and the falafel sandwiches. How I miss Pita Inn!

Grandma's Finest Learning Center

My daughter really loves going to Grandma's Finest. I was worried about putting her in a daycare program, but this one is wonderful. It's run by a mother and daughter team, and the teachers are magnificent and really love & work with the kids. They take kids as young as 6 weeks old, up through grade school age (they have before and after school programs for school-aged kids).

They also use a program called Higher Reach Education. This is NOT just a glorified babysitting session. They follow a curriculum and the kids learn so much; my daughter is proof! The teacher to child ratio is also very good, not more than 8 kids per teacher. We've had great experiences so far.

Sa-Bai Thong Thai Cuisine

This is one of our favorite restaurants to visit when we go to Madison. I love the dishes made with coconut milk, and the Thai Iced Tea is not to be missed. Service is generally good, but occasionally we've encountered staff who do not speak English very well. Overall though, definitely worth the drive!

Moretti's Ristorante & Pizzeria

We've always enjoyed Moretti's restaurant for it's pizza and relaxing atmosphere. Everything is very casual and the food is always of the highest quality. Staff is friendly and courteous.

The only thing we dislike about the restaurant is that they are one of few in the area that still have a smoking section which is not at all separated from non-smoking. Also, seating can be difficult to come by between 5-7PM on a Friday night. Otherwise, however, it is definitely worth trying.