"From The Cheese City To The Brew City"

Western terminus: Green County, at Highway 11 in Monroe

Eastern terminus: Milwaukee County, along National Avenue at 1st Street

Mileage: about 115 miles

Counties along the way: Green, Rock, Walworth, Jefferson, Waukesha, Milwaukee

Sample towns along the way: Monroe, Evansville, Edgerton, Milton, Whitewater, Eagle, Waukesha, West Allis, Milwaukee

Bypass alternates at: Whitewater, Waukesha

Quickie Summary: State “Trunk” Highway 59 connects Monroe with Milwaukee, essentially joining Cheese Fest with Summerfest. Writhing across southern Wisconsin, Highway 59 brings you through numerous small towns, sprawling farmland in rolling hills, Kettle Moraine, Waukesha, Wisconsin State Fair, Miller Park and Milwaukee’s south side, just short of the city's downtown and lakefront areas. At 115 miles, Highway 59 makes for a good afternoon cruise with plenty of time to check out the sights at either end.

The Drive (West To East): Highway 59 begins in Monroe (pop. 10,843), the hub of Green County and the "Swiss Cheese Capital of the USA." Monroe High School's team nickname is the Cheesemakers, after all. The Swiss influence is everywhere, from the flags dotting the surrounding landscape to the architecture downtown to the fact that The Swiss Colony is headquartered here. Downtown Monroe offers a charming and rather bustling downtown square. Surrounding the impressive, Romanesque Green County Courthouse, are shops offering everything from boutique clothing to electronics. A stop in Baumgartner's on the square (1023 16th Ave., 608-325-6157) lets you sample more cheese and beer products made in the area, including a Limburger with mustard and onion served on rye bread. In the name of humanity, the dish is served with a mint on the side.

Another good stop is the Minhas Craft Brewery, (1208 14th Ave., 608-325-3191), located just south and west of the town center. Recently converted from the Huber Brewery, it is the second oldest continuously operating brewery in the U.S, brewing beer in one form or another since 1845 - three years before Wisconsin entered statehood. They were recently purchased by Mountain Crest Brewing Company, a Canadian outfit planning to expand the Monroe facility (read about it in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story here). As it stands now, the brewery continues to brew Huber's traditional beers: Premium (which won the Bronze in the 2002 World Beer Championships) Bock and Light, as well as a great old non-Huber-but-totally-Wisconsin throwback: Rhinelander Beer. Although Rhinelander's original brewery shut down in 1967, Minhas has continued its recipe and now brews the beer in Monroe. The popular Canadian beer Mountain Creek is now brewed here - a result of the Mountain Crest investment - as are a few malt liquors. Tours are available at 11am, 1pm and 3pm Thursday through Saturday. The State Trunk Tour has yet to tour the new facility since their new tap room, the Lazy Mutt Lounge (formerly the Founder's Tap Room) opened. There will, however, be descriptions and pictures soon! However, there is a gift shop and they've kept histroical pictures to browse, along with other memorabilia highlighting the area's brewing history.

Available samples after a previous tour at the Joseph Huber Brewing Company. An update on samples from Minhas is coming soon... their new "Lazy Mutt Lounge" opened in September!

From downtown Monroe , you can go east on 9th Street, north on 20th Avenue , and east again on 6th Street to catch the official beginning of Highway 59, which starts as you cross the Highway 11/81 bypass.

As soon as you cross Highway 11 & 81, open country greets you. Large farms, rolling hills and cows a’plenty, along with the occasional Swiss flag, make for a pleasant drive as the road stair-steps north and east for about 13 miles to Albany (pop. 1,148). A picturesque scene in Albany is the crossing over the Sugar River , often flanked by fishermen hauling up a catch from the flowing waters underneath. A small dam on the north end of the bridge adds to the scenery.

The Sugar River as it prepares to flow under Highway 59 through Albany

The Sugar River Trail, one of the better (and often underutilized) rail-to-trail projects in the state, crosses Highway 59 on the outskirts of Albany , 14.5 miles into the route.

There is a small parking area if you wish to hit the trail on foot or bike for a while; trail passes can be purchased at the adjacent Mobil station along the route. Otherwise, you can keep going, hook up with State Highway 104 for a short jog, and cross east into Rock County.

The section of Highway 59 between Albany and Evansville illustrates the very definition of rolling hills; at times it resembles a small, gentle roller coaster.

The Sugar River Trail as it crosses Highway 59 in Albany

There is a small parking area if you wish to hit the trail on foot or bike for a while; trail passes can be purchased at the adjacent Mobil station along the route. Otherwise, you can keep going, hook up with State Highway 104 for a short jog, and cross east into Rock County.

The section of Highway 59 between Albany and Evansville illustrates the very definition of rolling hills; at times it resembles a small, gentle roller coaster.

Highway 59 between Albany and Evansville is serene, with gentle rolling hills

A nice diversion lies off the road in the form of Magnolia Bluff County Park, with its beautiful rock outcroppings and scenic vistas. A nice spot for a picnic or just to relax for a bit, the Park offers grills, restrooms, drinking water… everything but the brats.

After joining State Highway 213, which connects to Beloit , Highway 59 shoots straight into Evansville. At this point, the trip is about 25 miles along. In the hybrid, a smaller town’s speed zones aren’t quite as annoying because you can enjoy the fact that you’re running on only battery power through town. As I cruised through Evansville , I burned no gas and made no sound – except for my iPod screaming tunes out the window.

Evansville (pop. 4,901) has an impressive array of 19th century architecture. A drive through Evansville ’s 22-block Historic District reveals Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, Prairie Style and more. A walking tour does it even more justice; call City Hall (608-882-2266) for a brochure and guide. At the northern edge of town, 59 hooks up with U.S. 14 to Union before heading east again. The ride is pretty easy (and fairly bland) as you go through Cooksville into Edgerton.

Hometown of golfer Steve Stricker and author Sterling North, Edgerton (pop. 4,993) sits at the crossroads of State Highway 59 and U.S. 51, the north-south road considered the backbone of the state. At the time of this writing, Highway 59 was being reconstructed through town, and the detour took you through residential areas reflecting the town’s wealthier days when it was the center of a tobacco-growing region. In the 19th century, Edgerton prospered from tobacco, and numerous Queen Anne-style mansions in town attest to such wealth.

Just east of Edgerton, the interchange at I-90 gives rise to restaurants, gas stations and other establishments, including Newville (notice there’s never any Oldvilles?) You also approach Lake Koshkonong, one of the largest lakes in Wisconsin, right where it turns back into the Rock River. Koshkonong was actually man-made, created from a wide marshland the river ran through. Many of us have heard about Lake Winnebago ’s shallowness. Koshkonong’s rivals it: the lake averages only about six feet deep. A Milwaukee Bucks player could practically walk through it without having to swim or snorkel (standard disclaimer: kids, don’t try it.)

Past Newville, a shortcut to Whitewater is available via County Highway N. Meanwhile, Highway 59 cuts south to Milton (pop. 5,090). At this point, you’ve traveled about 50 miles since leaving Monroe. Unlike many instances with 59, the road does not go right into the city center; it brushes past it to the west by a few blocks, bypasses it slightly to the north, then jogs south along Highway 26 before heading east again out of town.

After turning off the short junction with Highway 26, 59 heads back northeast about 12 miles to Whitewater. This area is dominated by farms as you head into Walworth County and into Whitewater itself (pop. 13,437), about 64 miles into the route.

Highway 59 officially jogs onto the new Whitewater bypass, which also carries Highway 89 and U.S. 12 around the college town. You actually go around the city to the south and east and jog back west slightly along Business U.S. 12 (Milwaukee Street), before heading north on Newcomb Avenue, which is handy for time, though it adds 2 miles to the route. The other – and more appropriate for a State Trunk Tour - option is to follow the old 59 route through town. Whitewater contains UW-Whitewater and is the birthplace of Thomas Hulce, the actor who played Mozart in Amadeus and, more importantly, Larry Kroeger in Animal House (of course, John Belushi, who was Bluto in Animal House, went to UW-Whitewater.)

Heading out of Whitewater and crossing into Jefferson County , the land consists mainly of farmland with some forested areas. Palmyra (pop. 1,766, about 74 miles into the route) starts a more scenic section of Highway 59, since here it hooks up with the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive. Palmyra got its name from an ancient capital in present-day Syria , once the center of a great empire. Today the town spans the Scuppernong River and serves as a gateway to the Kettle Moraine. On Highway 59 east from Palmyra to Eagle, you pass Kettle Moraine’s Southern Unit Headquarters, which offers permits, a gift shop, and more. You also enter Waukesha County and, officially, the Milwaukee metro area.

Just inside Waukesha County, about 81 miles since Monroe, lies Eagle (pop, 1,707). Awash in history, Eagle sits in a valley along a railroad at the junction with Highway 67. A popular stop with bikers, Eagle features a series of taverns that surround a small valley where the railroad comes through - and has since the 1850's. Knuckleheads and Coyote Canyon are along the south along 67; a more historical stop is Suhmer's Saloon (262-594-3006), which Highway 59 runs right behind just before crossing Highway 67. Built in 1854, Suhmer's Saloon began as a boarding house and tavern for workers building the railroad. It was originally called the Diamond Inn and Eagle Hotel back when Abe Lincoln stayed here during a trek to find Chief Black Hawk in the days before his presidency. Heading into the 20th century, it changed its name to the Pall Mall; from 1933 to 1993 it was called Sasso's and from 1993 until last year it was called the Stumble Inn (and with the aged steps going down into the bar, you need to be careful not to stumble.) Suhmer's still has horse corrals and a few motel rooms available for rent next to the bar. Along with beverages for thirsty drivers and riders, Suhmer's features live music and a restaurant on the upper floor. Check out the wrap-around upper walkway; its architecture beckons images of the wild west.

Suhmer's Saloon in Eagle, which dates back to 1854 in one form or another. Oh, the stories it could tell...

Old World Wisconsin is just a short drive south on Highway 67, but if you want to keep going on Highway 59, you follow the intersection carefully to the northeast for the push through Waukesha County's Kettle Moraine area.

Heading northeast from Eagle, you alternately traverse farmland and forest with some good hills in between. Going through North Prairie and Gennesee, you get the sense of the impending suburban building boom that stretches from Milwaukee and Waukesha; farmlands becoming subdivisions are increasingly common along this stretch.

Approaching Genesee (pop. 7,284) and the intersection with Highway 83, you can detour north for about one mile to Genesee Depot. A rail crossroads since the mid-1800s, Genesee Depot was a key Waukesha County stop for the railroad. Pieces of history like the Union House, built in the 1860s, and In Cahoots, a watering hole since that same period, grace the intersection of Highway 83 and the railroad.

	The Union House along the rails crossing Highway 83 - just north of Highway 59 - in Genesee Depot, hosting railroad travelers since 1864.
	Across from the Union House, In Cahoots has been a watering hole in one form or another for over a century, and remains a popular stop for bikers and State Trunk Tourers.

Genesee Depot is also home to the Ten Chimneys Estate , a National Historic Landmark . Broadway greats Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne made their home here and hosted many a get-together involving some of stage and screen's most illustrious stars. Lunt and Fontanne together (they married in 1922) appeared together in over 24 plays and, more recently, on a postage stamp. The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on West 46th Street in New York City is, of course, named for them, an indication of their prowess on the big stage. Tours of Ten Chimneys are available from May through mid-November of the grounds and the house. Furnishings, hand-painted murals, décor, art collections and other memorabilia are everywhere, and yes, the house does have 10 chimneys. Even the Gift Shop is unique: from early 20th century hat styles to jewelry to Noël Coward quotes adorning black t-shirts, there's plenty of interesting things to check out.

	The main house at Ten Chimneys. All ten chimneys are but a fraction of the architectural splendor both inside the house and on the surrounding grounds.
	The dining room, for example, where elegance, beauty and attention to detail combined with what must have been some incredibly good meals.

Guests to Ten Chimneys over the years the Lunts lived there included Katharine Hepburn, W.C. Fields, and most infamously Noël Coward, probably the Lunt's most frequent Ten Chimneys guest. Coward was known for many things, including some of the most famous plays ever written; today the theatre in Westminster, London where he first performed in 1920 is named the Noël Coward Theatre, which was named in his honor in 2006. He acted in many plays and also performed intelligence work for the British Secret Service during World War II (in fact, he was approached by neighbor Ian Fleming in the 1960s to play the villan's role in Dr. No, which he turned down... with the phrase "Dr. No? No. No. No.") Meanwhile on the Ten Chimney grounds, he has known for walking through the house in the buff on his way to go for a swim because he liked to skinny dip in the pool, causing at least one cook to quit. Others presumably stared or did double-takes at various times.

	Part of Ten Chimneys' Museum Store and reception area includes a variety of things to see, including a stage to check out, backstage samples, a Dick Cavett video interview of the couple from 1970, furniture and more.
	Of the many things available at Ten Chimneys, you can drink with Yeats, Wilde, Thomas and Fields... just do it after you're done with the driving and touring for the day. And no lampshades, okay??

Finding Ten Chimneys (and tell 'em you're on a State Trunk Tour!): Head north on Highway 83 about one mile. Right past the Union House and In Cahoots, where Highway 83 bends to the right, continue straight on the smaller street. Several hundred feet down you will see the entrance to the grounds. You can contact them for more information at (262) 968-4110 (reservations a day or more in advance is strongly recommended) or at tenchimneys.org.

Further up from Genesee, you reach the outskirts of Waukesha (pop. 66,840), which Money Magazine recently ranked 36th on its "100 Best Places to Live in the U.S." list. Waukesha originally incorporated in 1846 as Prairieville and changed its name the following year. "Waukesha" means "fox" in Potawatomi language, and the Fox River runs right through town. Waukesha is home to the oldest college in Wisconsin, Carroll College, which was founded in 1846 (the University of Wisconsin has established two years later.) The BoDeans, comedian Frank Caliendo, Olympic gymnasts Paul and Morgan Hamm, musician Kurt Bestor and author Vernor Vinge all hail from Waukesha to some extent, and Les Paul, inventor of the electric guitar, was born in the city in 1919. The bypass Highway 59 runs on today is named after him.

***BYPASS ALERT***

Approaching Waukesha, you have a choice between following the original Highway 59, which cuts right through the city, or the newer alignment that bypasses the city to the south and east. If you choose to go through the city, follow County X/St. Paul Avenue into town, go east on Wisconsin Avenue, north on East Avenue, east on Main Street, south on Hartwell, and then east on Arcadian to re-join the current road at the Les Paul Parkway and junction with Highway 164 (hey, nobody said it was easy.)

If you go through the city, explore downtown Waukesha a bit; it offers a wide assortment of shops, parks and places to see. Among them is the Waukesha County Historical Society & Museum (101 W. Main Street, 262-548-7186), which chronicles Waukesha ’s rather interesting history with water and mud. The springs in the village were believed to provide water that could, among other things, cure diabetes. Resorts were built to attract visitors to come and “heal” themselves with Waukesha ’s water. Attempts to pump Waukesha's high-quality water to the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago were almost successful – almost. During the first half of the 20th century, the Moor Mud Baths gave rise to the Grand View Health Resort, a precursor to today’s health spas. All of that and more are chronicled in the museum.

The older parts of Waukesha, which downtown certainly is a part of, are known for wacky street layouts that some have described as "like a set of wheel spokes with no hub." It's easy to get lost, but you won't stay that way for long. If you do get lost and stumble upon U.S. 18, just follow that east to Highway 164, then head south briefly to re-join eastbound Highway 59.

If you choose to bypass Waukesha and stay on Highway 59’s current alignment, you follow the multi-lane Les Paul Parkway. This is the newer, sprawling area of Waukesha. There's much of particular interest to see along the Parkway, but it pops you over to Arcadian Avenue quickly so you can head east toward Milwaukee.

At Barker Road, Highway 59 becomes Greenfield Avenue. From here, it’s city and suburb all the way to Lake Michigan. The booming areas in Brookfield and New Berlin are split by 59 here and the road was recently expanded to four lanes all the way into Milwaukee County, which begins at 124th Street.

In West Allis (pop. 60,152), you reach Wisconsin State Fair Park. The road skims the southern end of the park, and you can check out all the exhibit halls and even get a good view of the famous Milwaukee Mile, part of America’s love of racing since 1903. It's the oldest operating motor speedway in the world, and the only one that hosts races for NASCAR, the Champ Car World Series, and the IRL (Indy Racing League.)

And here’s some good trivia: the Green Bay Packers played many of their Milwaukee home games in the field inside the track at the Milwaukee Mile from 1934 until County Stadium opened in 1953.

Downtown West Allis runs from State Fair Park to the old Allis-Chalmers plant at 70th Street, which once employed as many as 30,000 workers. Approaching 60th Street, Highway 59 jumps over to National Avenue and enters West Milwaukee. The Zablocki VA Medical Center emerges on the north side of the street, with motels, homes, bars and restaurants lining the south side. The intersection of Miller Park Way provides direct access to Miller Park and works as a great shortcut entrance to Brewers games.

East from Miller Park , Highway 59 goes into the City of Milwaukee (pop. 602,000). National Avenue is a key south side route across the city and traffic can be quite heavy during peak hours. Heading east at 32nd Street, the Hoan Bridge appears on the horizon, giving a hint of the upcoming lakefront. At 27th Street (also the start of Highway 57), you can head north one block and visit the Mitchell Park Domes, the indoor horticultural wonders that feature a multitude of plant life in arid and tropical settings, as well as a seasonal dome whose displays rotate throughout the year.

Highway 59 – as National Avenue – continues east through neighborhoods that feature some of the best Mexican food in town, as well as an emerging array of bars and restaurants as the highway terminates in an area known as Walkers Point. State Trunk Highway 59 ends at 1st Street (Highway 32), about 115 miles from its origin in Monroe.

The eastern end of Highway 59 in Milwaukee's Walker's Point, a neighborhood of bars and restaurants and new condos starting to develop.

From the end of Highway 59, downtown Milwaukee is only about one mile north on 1st Street . The total mileage in the Ford Escape Hybrid, by the way, was 32.1 MPG. Less than four gallons on the entire trip!

Total Mileage: 115 miles
Average MPG in the Ford Escape Hybrid: 32.1 MPG

West Terminus:
Can connect immediately to:Highway 11, Highway 81
Can connect nearby to: Highway 69, about 2 miles west

East Terminus:
Can connect immediately to: Highway 32
Can connect nearby to: I-43/94, about 1 mile west; Highway 38, about 1/2 mile west; U.S. Highway 18, about one mile north; Highway 57, about 2 miles west

Upcoming events in places along Highway 59:
Rock River Thresheree, Edgerton, September 3-6, 2010
Wisconsin Scottish Highland Games, Waukesha, September 4-5, 2010
Custom Bike Show at the Harley-Davidson Museum, Milwaukee, September 5, 2010
Chilimania, Edgerton, September 11, 2010
Waukesha Art Fest, Waukesha, September 11, 2010
Green County Cheese Days, Monroe, September 17-19, 2010
Gallery Night in the Historic Third Ward, Milwaukee, October 15-16, 2010
Gallery Night in the Historic Third Ward, Milwaukee, January 21-22, 2011

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