Photo Credit: Jim Bauer

Edible and drinkable products are what Wisconsin really excels in. If you’re heading straight home, this state has some seriously tasty cheeses, sausages, and craft beers. You can find locally made food items in every town in Wisconsin because most people here prefer to consume local goods. But the big cities of Milwaukee and Madison are particularly ripe with goodies. The Milwaukee Public Market in the Third Ward is the best one-stop spot for Wisconsin edibles, while just down the street is one of state’s most respected butcher shops, Usinger’s.

Milwaukee has both shopping districts and shopping malls. The Third Ward and East Side are perhaps the most interesting neighborhoods to hunt for uniquely Milwaukee trinkets. The downtown Grand Avenue Mall is another good place to check out. Madison’s downtown district has plenty of independent shops worth poking around. The capital also has several nice indoor malls like Hilldale Mall and the matching East and West Towne Malls on either side of the city.

Wisconsin is also an excellent destination for antiques hunting. Its smaller towns like Appleton in the Fox Valley have several large venues like the Fox Valley Antique Mall with 165 different vendors inside the massive space. Crescent Moon Antiques & Salvage is also nearby, offering a unique niche of vintage salvage materials and decorative art. The Columbus Antique Mall between Madison and Beaver Dam is the biggest mall of its kind in Wisconsin, with 222 dealers and is open all but three days each year. The Haywood Lakes area is another hot spot for vintage gear thanks to its Northwoods lake culture and lumberjack heritage. The capital Madison also holds its own when it comes to antique and vintage collectables shops.

Click here for Transportation in Wisconsin