Janesville, WI

Our final stop in Wisconsin was our friends' hometown of Janesville (the town is also home to Paul Ryan, who our friends went to high school with).

Janesville has had a rough run since its GM plant closed back in 2008, but there is beautiful architecture around downtown (stop by the Lincoln Tallman House), plenty of town parks (our friends suggest Riverside Park and Palmer Park), and is the hub of an impressive trail system for running, cycling, and cross country skiing (the Ice Age Trail). And Bessie the Cow lives there!

After lunch at the Janesville Armory we spent the rest of our day walking through the Rotary Botanical Gardens. There are many styles of gardens throughout the park, including Japanese, English Cottage, French Formal Rose, and Gazebo. There is even a pond to fish out of and a spot where you can sit in Adirondack chairs overlooking the water. A great way to spend the afternoon, for sure.

Thanks, Scott and Kristina, for all your suggestions of what to do in Wisconsin! 

-Amanda