Try<BR>cambridgewi.com<BR><BR>Also has links to other nearby towns.

Thanks for the web site info. And the employment stats are good news. Anything else we may need to know?

If it were me, I'd get a map and also start looking at the little towns near the Mississippi within 1-2 hours of the Twin Cities.

Dodgeville might be a good choice, Lands End is located in Dodgeville, it employs 4,000 people, population of the city is just over 4,000. It would be close to Madison, Milwaukee & a longer drive to Chicago.<BR>It's got that Midwest feel you are looking for.

Susan2,<BR><BR>FYI, Lands End was just sold to Sears, and many in the Dodgeville area are fearing the worst in terms of a depressed economy if LE pulls up and leaves. Let's hope that doesn't happen, though.<BR><BR>

The Chigago Trib business section had an article about Dodgeville residents concern about the Sears deal, "looks" like things will remain the same, but you never know. The article was very interesting, Land's Ends treats their employees very very good!

Sorry to sound like an idiot but is Land's End a store?

It's the number #1 "specialty" catalog in the US. They sell casual clothes for men & women & also a few home items, it's like LL Bean, just not as expensive & not quite as good. Their customer service reps are so friendly, happy people! Sears bought Land's End for close to $2 billion to have the rights to start selling Land's Ends clothes in their stores, the catalog division is suppose to remain the same.

Yay Wisconsin!

And the small towns within spitting distance of Dodgeville also merit consideration. Also, the landscape in that part of Wisconsin starts getting pretty scenic - very rolling (tho no mountains, of course, except for Wildcat). Friends from Portland OR have had a home just w. of D'ville for years - she says it reminds her of 'home'.

x - that is intresting. I am from Portland and I love the scenery here but the city is getting so big and congested. Thanks for the idea.

So my husband and I are trying to plan a driving tour of our prospective areas of Wisconsin. We haven't finalized our "go see" list yet but I was wondering if we planned this trip in October what would the weather be like, road condition wise? Would August be a better time to go? We figure we would like to get a taste of the cold but may not yet be up to driving in the snow.<BR><BR>Thanks again!

October is a beautiful month in Wisconsin, because of the fall colors!<BR>But some days can be cool & rainy & others just absolutely perfect...sunny w/ highs in the 70's or low 80's. Snow of concern won't happen at this time of the year. August is also beautiful, but can be hot & humid, but everything is so lush & green.

While snow is POSSIBLE in October, it would not be common to have accumulating snow that would stay for long at that time. That generally doesn't happen until the second half of November in the north and if you're talking about Madison, etc., you'll be more likely to enjoy some wonderful fall weather and colorful, changing leaves. August is generally very warm weather and a great time for county fairs and corn on the cob.

You've gotten spot-on info about the weather, so I don't need to add more on that. However, I hope you'll give us a trip report after you return. I for one am anxious to hear what you saw/did and how you liked it.<BR><BR>Good luck!

Well, I will belabor the timing question just a bit more: If you live in Portland, you may not be all that wild about heat and August in Wisconsin will run a good chance of temps in the 80s and even 90s, and considerable humidity. Roads/hotels, etc will also be somewhat busier because it's high season for tourists. October is a gorgeous month with the turning leaves and much more moderate temps (the layering suggestion is an excellent one, however - do plan on it as you could run into some chilly evenings). There are leaf-peepers in October, too, of course but that's more confined to Door County and the Kettle Moraine (and has anyone mentioned the Kettle Moraine state forest? Northwest and southwest of Milwaukee and another good place for you to check out).

If you've chosen the Madison area, you've chosen a lovely spot. we live in the Madison city limits...2 blocks from middleton and are in the middle of a huge woods, I have fox, turkey and other varmits in my yard daily. I have world class bookstores 5 min away and teach in one of the nation's best elem schools.<BR>Cost of living is ++ but so is quality. We have friends that live in Fort A (great folk acts at a bar there) and Monroe, (super cheese and great bike trail nearby). My best friend works for the Chamber of C. et me know how I can help. By the way, Oct is woolies to shorts. But who likes predictable. Let me know the kind of town you want and maybe I can suggest...or your profession.

Once again, I can't thank you all enough for the help and advice. <BR><BR>I will be sure to give a report when we get back. First we have to decide when we are going to go. :)<BR><BR>August seemed good because I just want to go now and October sounds so far away! I am not too worried about the heat then. It gets hot here too and very humid. Do houses and apartments generally come with air conditioning? That may seem like a weird question, depending on your answer, but no place here has air conditioning so that would be good to know. <BR><BR>October sounds beautiful and it is our anniversary then so that is probably when we will go. Maybe me can compromise and visit in September...<BR><BR>Mama K- I may take you up on that offer.<BR><BR>We are still finalizing our list of prospective places to live in Wisconsin. As always, suggestions are welcome. When we have the list I will let you all know and see what you think. <BR><BR>Thanks again!<BR>May

I've lived in or near 4 of the towns you listed. You'll love Wisconsin if you like hot, muggy summers, and horribly COLD winters, LOTS of mosquitoes, poison oak, and drinking tons of alcohol. Just to make it more interesting, they also have tornadoes, cottonmouths, and insanely drunken snowmobilers! Fall isn't bad...

I've lived in or near 4 of the towns you listed. You'll love Wisconsin if you like hot, muggy summers, and horribly COLD winters, LOTS of mosquitoes, poison oak, and drinking tons of alcohol. Just to make it more interesting, they also have tornadoes, cottonmouths, and insanely drunken snowmobilers! Fall isn't bad... I moved away 2 days after high school graduation (30 years ago), and haven't missed it once!