Friday, November 14, 2014

A Farewell to Tango Wisconsin

I have officially moved to Wheeling, West Virginia, and have already made three trips to Pittsburgh for tango. I had better put down some thoughts on my stay in wonderful Wisconsin before it fades from my drafty memory, so here goes.
Wisconsin was very good for me in so many ways. It was here that I finally incorporated a healthy diet into the lifestyle of a telecom switch technician where nine to five can be an a.m. or p.m. shift. It was very difficult to resist all the delicious doughnuts that are available on almost every corner in this vast state but I did.
Madison is the capital city and it is THE place to go. It consistently ranks as the number one best city in the United States. If you come here bring your tango shoes and stay awhile. I would have stayed forever if I could.
Dancing tango at the Cardinal Bar, my favorite tango spot, will be something I remember forever. I had so many great tango encounters here that I couldn’t stop myself from coming back every week. I think I came to Madison every weekend that I was in Wisconsin, a period of eleven months.
Most of the people I met in Madison were from Wisconsin. If I had to choose one word to describe them it would be WARM. Cheeseheads, as they are affectionately known nationwide, are easy to spend time with, be it ten minutes of a tanda dancing tango or a year working on a cellular network contract.
If you’re looking for a place to stay, put a $50 bid on Priceline for a room in the Middleton section of town. Half of the time you will get a room at the Marriott or something just as nice. Go to the Hubbard Diner and Bakery, http://www.hubbardavenuediner.com/, while you’re there for a uniquely Madison dining experience at a reasonable price. Make sure you read the t-shirts worn by the staff, they'll crack you up.
There are lots of weekend tango events and lots of weekday tango instruction available but only one place to go to find out where and when: http://www.madisontango.org/.  They’re on Facebook, too, under the name Madison Tango Society.
If you’re looking for a wild tango scene, you will not find it here. The ladies are all very respectable midwestern gals but they are almost all quite willing to dance with any leader. That is why this is probably one of the fastest growing tango communities in America. In the short time that I was here, two new tango communities sprung up in Viroqua and LaCrosse.
Also, the University of Wisconsin is an institution of world renown. I have met many tango dancers here who were visiting the university from Germany, Italy, Kazahkstan and many, many more countries.
If I ever get the chance to come back here, I will not hesitate. If you get a chance to come, don’t miss it. You will not regret it. Wisconsin is cold in the winter time but my memory of it will always be a warm place in my heart.


For more wanderings of the Kayak Hombre, check out his two books:








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