Food Traveler Magazine Summer 2017 | Page 144

Wisconsin cheese curds midwes The Midwest is full of rich history and cul- ture. There’s much more to this region than agriculture and nature parks – which are definitely worth a visit! If you’re thinking about heading to the Midwest- ern area, stop in Kansas for some true cowboy history. The Old Cowtown Mu- seum, located in Wichita, houses tons of artifacts and educational pieces that tell the story of the cattle “kingdom” that reigned before the aviation period. The museum actually recreated an old cattle town, similar to the ones that were thriving in the 1800s. In the area’s prime, there were more than 1 million longhorns being herded into the Chisholm Trail rail- heads. The cattle farm demonstrates what a working farm would have been like in those days. Guides will go through the daily routines of the cowboys and the farmers, and will show you around the chicken coops, garden, and pasture. The entire town will make you feel as though you’re walking through that ac- tual period in history, and many of the historic structures are original buildings. You will notice a jail, a law office, a gen- eral store, several historic houses, a mor- tuary, a saloon, a church, a bank, a blacksmith, and more. The Old Cow- town Museum is definitely worth the trip if you’re wanting to learn more about the overall timeline of the cattle business and the early history of cowboys in gen- eral. For the food lover, Madison, Wisconsin is one of the best places to visit. Most foodies have places like NYC, Chicago, or San Francisco at the top of their must- eat-here bucket lists. However, Madison, a city with a population of less than 300,000 people, is giving all of these big cities a run for their foodie money. In recent years, Madison has been raved about across the board, when it comes to chef-owned restuarants, farm-to-table experiences, and the craft beer scene.