There’s nothing like summer in Wisconsin. It’s our reward for enduring the cold, dark days of winter and slushy, rainy days of spring. So, with Memorial Day just around the corner, here are my top recommendations for the best events around the state this summer. But remember: Always check for schedule changes before heading to events. For more ideas about summer getaways...

The Traveling Shepherd’s Best Wisconsin Towns poll is perfectly timed for those who want a close-to-home trip instead of a wallet-busting holiday. In our survey, nearly 3,000 people voted for favorites in 20 categories of Wisconsin towns. Now those recommendations can be your inspiration for summer day trips, weekends away or full-blown vacations. These are Wisconsin places you can afford to visit—even if gas prices reach the dreaded $4 a gallon. Here are the winners, close runners-up and tips on what else to look for when you get there.

In a state packed from top to bottom with great vacation destinations, there are several that rank with the finest in the region, if not the entire country. Surprisingly, many Wisconsin travelers don’t make the trip to these must-visit places. Door County and the Lake Geneva area fall into that group, as does...

In January the Traveling Shepherd invited readers to submit nominations for their favorite towns. Our definition of a “town” stated that the community had to be listed on the Official Wisconsin Highway Map published and distributed free by the Association of Wisconsin Tourism Attractions (AWTA)...

Here’s a great getaway idea: Buy a 20-year-old $400 Volkswagen with 98,000 miles on eBay from a guy in England, get a good friend to fly with you to pick it up and then drive it through France and Spain, ferry to Morocco and drive through Mauritania and Senegal to Gambia. Then donate the car to a charity.

Back in February, we were standing on the dock of the Madeline Island Ferry Line looking out at the frozen bay that separates, and now connects, the summer tourist mecca of Bayfield with the historic Ojibwe settlement and trading post, LaPointe on Madeline Island.

Happy New Year! Once again, it’s time to vote. In 2007 thousands of people voted in the Traveling Shepherd’s search for the “Wonders of Wisconsin” and selected winners in 21 categories. (You can find the complete list at www.wondersofwisconsin.com.)

Need something to look forward to in 2008? Start planning your next trip with these suggestions. Wisconsin Destinations Point Beach State Forest: This beautiful, 6-mile, sandy and serene beach on Lake Michigan just north of Manitowoc-Two Rivers allows you to soak up the sun and listen to the waves.

Sure, it feels like traveling to another country, but you can leave the passport at home, because you can get in and out of Madison without it. “The Athens of the Midwest,” as locals would once tell you, or “64 square miles surrounded by reality,” as former Gov. Lee Sherman Dreyfus observed, is well known and certainly is a trip. Even better, you can experience a good slice of Mad City at very low cost.

It’s never the wrong time to stock up on books with Wisconsin connections, but the holiday season is the perfect time to give the gift of good reading—especially when it involves travel tips, murder mysteries, golf, coffeehouse lore or being kind to wild birds.