Most of Wisconsin’s landscape was formed some 10,000 years ago by a great glacier that left in its wake 15,000 lakes, 12,624 rivers and streams, pristine prairies, and some of America's finest examples of glacial topography. Today this means endless opportunities for hiking, bicycling, canoeing, bird-watching, snowmobiling, skiing, and ice fishing.
Door County (a limestone peninsula with more than 200 miles of shoreline) and Kettle Moraine (a swath of glacial deposit that runs 100 miles from north to south) are two of the best areas to appreciate fall foliage. Wisconsin Dells’ glacially sculpted cliffs along the Wisconsin River, paired with some of the country’s best indoor and outdoor water parks, are the state's prime tourist attraction.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin's largest city, is a city of neighborhoods. Milwaukee's zoo and museum are among the best in the country, and there are top-notch art centers and galleries. From spring to late summer, a constant stream of lakefront festivals celebrates immigrant heritage with lively entertainment and, of course, Wisconsin's famous cheeses and beers.
Madison, the state's capital, is a bustling college town that has unique boutique shopping, ethnic dining, and the continental United States’ only authentic Thai pavilion at Olbrich Botanical Gardens.
