Short term stay in Winter (Madison: Walmart, cellular, paid)

[oogamous]

@ MBW

The University hasn't suggested any transportation, but they did mention that they are trying to locate nearby accommodation close to a bus route. They also mentioned that they shall keep on trying to look for convenient locations - so I am waiting to see if they suggest any more options for accommodation.

I shall be contacting the madindians forum too to look for any potential transportation assistance from them.

Couple of more questions:

To minimize travelling with bulky luggage all the way from India - I am planning to do the buying of the warm coats/jackets/sweaters/hat/boots and gloves for me and my wife from the US.
Now my travel route will be:
India to Chicago Flight - Van Gelder Bus at Chicago Airport to the Madison Memorial Union drop off - Call either union cabs/badger cabs - Travel Straight to my Apartment in Madison.

I also understand that Chicago too is pretty cold at that time - So my Question is this --> Will the Chicago Airport have Shops within the airport premises where I could buy the warm clothes on my way? Or is it Stupid to land in Chicago unprepared for the cold and travel with warm clothes from India itself?

And If I do have the option to buy the clothes from Chicago - Any Particular type of clothes to be given preference? e.g.: Fur/leather/thermal/particular brand/company? I wouldn't want to spend on the wrong type of good looking winter wear which would be useless in the madison weather.

Thanks again to all you lovely people on this forum :-)

[ranger17]

for clothing, everyone on this forum who has spent winters in WI likely has their own preferences for what to wear, what works best for them, and tied to how bad the season is...
While yes you both will need some winter gear, December normally isnt the coldest month in winter.
My first suggestion would be to expect it to be colder when you land in US then what you may likely be used to regardless of actual temp. Ohare has shops, at minimum you could pick up a decent sweatshirt and hat/gloves if needed, so you at least can get yourself to Madison. Once in town, cab over to one of the malls or possibly one of the sporting goods chains (ie Dicks, Dunhams, etc) to do some shopping for what you'll want for those 3 months. "Columbia" is one of the more prominent brands of winter wear though there are plenty of others out there to choose from.
Most will suggest going with layers, which for your short period there would make more sense then spending large $$ on some hi end bulky coat that may only be needed a few times.

[cfbs2691]

Cashmere is wonderful in cold weather. I buy cashmere sweaters, scarves, and gloves/mittens.
Wools is good too, but itchy, where cashmere isn't. Leather coats are great for fighting the wind.
The bottom line in dressing for cold weather is layers layers layers.
Example:
Start with a fitted shirt (t shirts work good), then long sleeve turtleneck, cashmere sweater on top, long wool coat, scarf, hat and wool gloves. Don't forget warm boots & socks.
(This would be for when it's really cold and allows you to remove layers if you're too warm.)

It's hard to predict what weather you'll experience when you land in Chicago. You could watch the forecast to see what they're predicting before you leave?
If you can fit it in your travel schedule, Chicago would be a GREAT place to clothes shop before you get to Madison.

[Megan1967]

I think it would be impractical to plan on buying your winter clothing at O'Hare. You are going to be dead tired and all they have is tourist apparel anyhow. Buy at least one good winter outfit for the trip here and go out shopping for the rest the next day in Madison.

I personally prefer down for my coats, but a good wool coat is good as well, especially for dress occasions. Come dressed in jeans and bring sweaters to put on when you arrive in Chicago. That and a good basic coat should get you to your apartment just fine.

[cfbs2691]

Don't shop in the airport!

[7G9C4J2]

Megan beat me to it - I was going to suggest the same thing. You will pay horrendous prices if you shop in the airport stores. Bring along one warm outfit each, change clothes in the Chicago airport, and spend your first day in Madison getting the rest of your winter clothes.

I don't know how tight a budget you're going to be on, but if money is an issue, many people like to shop for second-hand goods at Goodwill Industries or St. Vincent de Paul. Particularly since you'll only be here for a few months, it bothers my frugal soul to think of you spending hundreds of dollars on a bunch of brand-new winter gear that will be left behind when you return to India in March.

If I were going to recommend the barebones basics you'll need to survive your first Midwestern winter, I'd suggest the following for each of you:

A good winter coat - either down-filled (my favorite) or all wool (almost as warm as down, looks very professional), and long enough to reach your knees.

Several pairs of heavy jeans or trousers, flannel-lined if you can find them.

Two or three sweaters or sweatshirts of different weights for layering.

A warm hat that covers your ears. If you are really concerned about messing up your hair, you can get away with just earmuffs as long as the temperatures don't go below zero Fahrenheit, but I strongly recommend you deal with "hat hair" and stay warmer. For what it's worth, most Madisonians go around all winter long with tousled hair from their hats, so you'll fit right in.

A good warm scarf, long enough to go round the neck twice.

Several pairs of heavy mittens and gloves. Avoid the fancy, thin leather gloves and go for the thick warm ones instead. You will need more than one pair because when they get wet, you have to get them completely dried before you can use them again.

Sturdy, warm snow boots that come up at least over your ankle, preferably halfway up your calf. Please tell your wife to avoid high-heeled fashion boots - they are an open invitation to a broken ankle if worn on an icy sidewalk. You want well insulated boots with a good rough tread to help you keep your footing in slippery conditions.

Optional but really nice to have: silk "longies," long underwear to add one more layer between you and the cold. They make them in both men's and women's sizes, both shirts and long pants to wear under your regular clothes. If you work in a chilly office building, which is a relatively common thing, wearing silk longies under your work clothes can be a lifesaver.

[oogamous]

Thanks for the layering tips.. I shall commence my shopping for some of the layers in Mumbai...

I have also found one more suggestion for accomodation - the "Canterbury Inn Apartments" which is about 2.5 miles away with a single bus route - no transfer required... However, I could not find any Online reviews for this place.. Anyone have any first hand information advice on this? the downside is the tiny rooms and the absence of a kitchen... But upside is travelling convenience...

Really torn between this and the Extended Stay America...

Now the absence of a kitchen would mean a daily outside meal - How are the food charges in madison?

[oogamous]

Greetings all you wonderful people.

Visa: Done
Flights: Booked
Accommodation: Confirmed
Mental preparation for cold weather and snowstorms: Done

Should be reaching Madison in a month's time.

Now I would like to know what are the must-do, must-visit, must-see and must-experience places in and around Madison that I can squeeze in on weekends during my short stay from Dec-March? Any nice places to sightsee, hotels to eat, etc would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[7G9C4J2]

Welcome! I'm so glad to hear that things are coming together for your trip.

There are plenty of things to see and do in Madison, even in the winter. I keep a list of links to some of the more popular destinations, which I'll paste in below.

One quick question, though - did you wind up deciding to rent a vehicle while you are in Madison, or will you be using public transit? A couple of the sight-seeing suggestions I usually offer are outside the city and would require a vehicle to reach.

Dane County Farmers Market: Dane County Farmers' Market - Dane County Farmers' Market | Dane County Farmers' Market | The Largest Producer-Only Farmers' Market in the U.S. - reachable by bus

Monona Terrace: Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center - reachable by bus

WidMir: Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery - Discovery Home - reachable by bus

Memorial Union: Home - Wisconsin Union - reachable by bus

Vilas Zoo: Henry Vilas Zoo : Home Page - reachable by bus

UW Arboretum: University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum - reachable by bus

Olbrich Botanical Gardens: Olbrich Botanical Gardens - Madison Wisconsin - reachable by bus

State Capitol Building: Wisconsin.gov - - Capitol Tour - reachable by bus

Madison Museum of Contemporary Art: Madison Museum of Contemporary Art | MMoCA - reachable by bus

Chazen Museum: Chazen Museum of Art - reachable by bus

Wisconsin Historical Museum: Wisconsin Historical Museum - reachable by bus

Wisconsin Veterans Museum: Wisconsin Veterans Museum - reachable by bus

Madison Children’s Museum: Madison Children's Museum - Fun Family Activities in Madison WI - reachable by bus

Frank Lloyd Wright Museum at Taliesin: Frank Lloyd Wright | Taliesin - you would need to drive to this one

House on the Rock: House on the Rock - The Resort l The Attraction l The Inn - you would need to drive to this one

For dining recommendations, there is an entire thread you can peruse, right here: https://www.city-data.com/forum/madis...t-madison.html. Do read through to the end, though, as some of the restaurants mentioned in the early posts have since closed. And some of the suggestions would be tricky to reach by bus, if you won't have a vehicle.

Safe travels, and have a wonderful time during your stay!

[oogamous]

Thanks for that extensive list. I shall try to visit them all. :-)

As for vehicle - I haven't found any satisfactory resource for short term rental vehicles that would work for me.

I have decided to utilize public transport buses and the occasional radio cab service like badger cabs, madison cabs, etc.. to roam around.