Know before you go

• While the routes are open to all, most are designed for cyclists 16 or older who have at least a few years of bicycling experience. In other words, this isn’t where you should teach little Sally to ride a bike. Stick to local parks for that.
• Not all routes are marked with signs, and route conditions can vary.
• A red line on an individual route map indicates a shared roadway, while a green line indicates an off-road path.

Route this way

• Connects: Milwaukee and Bluff Siding.
• Where they can take you: Milwaukee, La Crosse, Minneapolis, and more via connecting routes.
• Short ride: About four miles of Madison’s Capital City Trail make up parts of USBR 30. Start on the trail at Olbrich Botanical Gardens and ride about three miles to the State Capitol, where you can enjoy one of the countless nearby eateries. Hungry? Try the Wisco-Detroit style pies at Lucille. Need an energy boost? Consult 608today’s coffee shop guide to find a cozy nearby shop.
• Long ride: Make the ~55-mile trip on USBR 30 westbound to Baraboo for a weekend trip. Upon arrival, 608today has the need-to-know info on what to do in Baraboo.

• The Moth Madison StorySLAM | Monday, April 15 | 7:30 p.m. | High Noon Saloon, 701 E. Washington Ave., Madison | $18 | Listen to true stories, or share your own.

• Wedding Show | Tuesday, April 16 | 4:30-8:30 p.m. | Madison Marriott West, 1313 John Q Hammons Dr., Middleton | $10 | Find inspiration from wedding scape designs, fashion trends, unique display ideas, and food and dessert bites.
• Backpacking for Beginners | Tuesday, April 16 | 5-6:30 p.m. | Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St., Madison | $5 | If you’ve ever considered hiking the Ice Age Trail, first learn about the basics of backpacking.

• “Top Chef” Watch Party | Wednesday, April 17 | 7-9 p.m. | Garver Feed Mill, 3241 Garver Green, Madison | Free | Join Lindsay Christians from The Cap Times and Shaina Papach from The Harvey House for a pre-show talk before viewing “Top Chef” with fellow fans.

• Sip and Stroll | Thursday, April 18 | 5-8 p.m. | Downtown Middleton | $40 | Stroll Middleton’s streets while doing some shopping and sipping fine wines at over 20 businesses.
• Polka Party | Thursday, April 18 | 5:30-8 p.m. | History Maker Space, 1 S. Pinckney St., Madison | $5-$15 | Pull out your lederhosen to celebrate 30 years of Wisconsin’s state dance.

• Psychedelic Variety Show | Friday, April 19 | 7-9:30 p.m. | Bartell Theatre, 113 Mifflin St., Madison | $10 | Join the Madison Psychedelic Society for an evening of raw, real, riveting, rip-roaring stories and acts.
• Jessica Kirson | Friday, April 19 | 8 p.m. | The Barrymore Theatre, 2090 Atwood Ave., Madison | $60-$250 | Laugh along with this comedian known for her presence in the New York City comedy scene.

• If you want to reduce the amount of garbage you send to the landfill, a solution is near. Thanks to a $400,000 grant from the USDA, Dane County is partnering with Purple Cow Organics to start creating compostable waste collection sites, potentially located at the city’s drop-off locations. (WKOW)

• UW-Madison’s new building has a new name. The coming $260 million, 343,000-sqft School of Computer, Data, and Information Science building is now Morgridge Hall. This is in honor of John and Tashia Morgridge, graduates who donated $140 million to the project. (Badger Herald)

• Vel Phillips will be honored with a statue on the State Capitol grounds, recognizing her groundbreaking achievements in politics. The sculpture, commissioned by artist Radcliffe Bailey, will be unveiled in June. This marks a historic milestone for Wisconsin as the first Black leader to be honored on Capitol grounds. (Madison 365)

• Have you herd? The Marshall Thundering Herd will play the Badgers football team for the first time in 20 years in 2028. The season opener for both teams will take place at Camp Randall on Saturday, Sept. 2. (Sports Illustrated)

• A home we featured in our Hot Homes series is hot enough to be featured on HGTV. “My Lottery Dream Home” aired its “Gold Lady of Lake Mendota” episode last Friday.

• Music to our ears — the Sylvee is giving away a pair of tickets to see Morgan Wade on Friday, Nov. 22 via an Instagram giveaway. Just double-tap the post and tag a friend (like us, @608today) by Thursday, April 18 for a chance to win.

• Let’s be honest — when you’re feeling under the weather, the last thing you want to do is leave the house and sit in a crowded waiting room. Enter: SSM Health Express Virtual Care, offering Madisonians fast, convenient, and affordable care with online treatments. Learn more + feel better faster.*

Mural Project

Rain barrels