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It is one of only two major American cities located on an isthmus between two bodies of water

(the other is Seattle). In Madison’s case, it’s two lakes: Mendota and the smaller Monona, which offer plenty of recreational activities, from swimming in the summer to ice fishing in the winter. My experience of Mendota came from staying at its lakeside hotel, the Edgewater (more on it later), while my experience of Monona came on a twohour brunch excursion courtesy of Betty Lou Cruises. The cruise was the perfect way to see the lakefront estates lining Lake Monona and to realize that as rural as they appear — isolated by trees and with private docks — they are actually just 15 minutes from downtown.