A Pastry Tour of the Kringle Capital

Racine, WisconsinThe drive: 1.5 hours Among travelers whose plans center on food, I’m of a particular subset: I map out trips around baked things. And if we’re talking a hyperregional specialty, all the better. (Ask my husband, whom I’ve dragged on tours of the sfogliatelles of Naples, the bagels of Montreal, and all the clangers … Read more

As Pure as Michigan Gets

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, MichiganThe drive: 5.5 hours On a glorious late-summer day a couple of years ago, my wife, Rebecca, and I hiked the modest incline in Sleeping Bear Dunes that leads to Pyramid Point, not far from the town of Glen Arbor. We ascended 1.2 miles through the beech and maple forest … Read more

A Two-Wheel Trip to Milwaukee

chicago to milwaukeeThe bike ride: 10 hours Friendships are based on two things: common interests and complaining. My friend Patryk excels at the latter. For years, he complained that I never invited him on my long-distance cycling trips around the Midwest. When I asked him to ride with my bike team, he complained about that, … Read more