With winter break fast approaching, a window of opportunity will arise for every University of Wisconsin student who has nearly an entire month away from classwork. There are plenty of places to explore in Madison, if you are so daring as to break away from your Netflix binge and embrace Wisconsin’s biting cold.

Here are 10 places that will expand your mental map of Wisconsin’s capital and also allow you to meet some authentic locals along the way.

1. Joe’s-Joe’s on Monroe Street: Located just off of Camp Randall, this street is abuzz with eclectic shops, cozy coffee shops and kind people. Trader Joe’s grocery store is a fun place to go for unique food products, and they are also known for their excellent service — a mood brightener. Right across the street is Art Gecko Gallery, the big sister to State Street’s eastern/Bali import store. This shop carries larger furniture pieces that cannot be found downtown. Orange Tree Imports, The Knitting Tree, The Wine and Hop Shop; these are a few other stores just waiting to be explored.
2. Dining in style with Food Fight Inc: Any Badger who knows downtown breakfast food like the back of their hand has probably indulged in the likes of Bassett Street Brunch Club, DLUX or Cooper’s Tavern for delicious brunch and mimosas. Many do not know these are just a few of the 17 restaurants owned by local restaurant group Food Fight, which pride itself on excellent service and delicious food. Customer experience is truly a top priority.
3. Embrace your inner flower child on Williamson Street: Many know Willy Street for its co-op hosting every organic, non-GMO, vegan item known to man, and it is not too expensive to shop there without a membership. The folks who run this co-op are incredibly caring and helpful. Shopping here is an experience! Within walking distance, Willy Street has countless gems that take all day to explore. Ground Zero Coffee, St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Shop, Madison Sourdough, Weary Traveler Freehouse, Hatch Art House, The Madison Greenhouse Store; these are just a few of the venues that contribute to Willy Street’s wonder!
4. Catch a show or bite on Atwood Avenue: In addition to hosting Monty’s Blue Plate Diner, Atwood Avenue also serves as a hub for eclectic eateries and music! Green Owl Café is a vegan dream, and it’s right next door to Alchemy (a laid-back restaurant with live music most nights), Glass Nickel Pizza Co. (yum!) and more. Don’t forget to check out the Barrymore Theater which hosts class-acts year round.
5. Eclectic shopping on East Johnson Street: You might think East Johnson Street is just a place for housing, but behold! Good Style Shop — Madison’s top retro/vintage clothing store — is worth an afternoon peruse to find all your outfit statement pieces. Or check out Upshift, where you can donate clothing, drink Franzia wine and pay $20 for everything you want in the store!
6. Winter wonderlands with Madison Ice Skating: There are plenty of places to lace up those skates and embrace winter! Elver, Goodman, Heritage Heights, Hillington Triangle, Nakoma, Olbrich, Rennebohm, Tenney, Vilas and Warner parks all offer skating to the public!
7. Picturesque Devil’s Lake: A 40-minute drive from downtown Madison, this state park is a place usually visited in the summer. It’s beauty in winter is often neglected, but there are lots of trails to explore and let our your inner REI.
8. Into the wild at UW Arboretum: Yet another diamond in the rough, the Arboretum hosts guided tours in the winter. The Madison landscape awaits you here in a dust of snowflake glitter as chickadees play you a song.
9. Turn up with Ale Asylum Tour: Beer lovers rejoice! Ale Asylum is a Wisconsin brewery that is becoming a top contender in craft brews, and tours of their Madison brewery are only $5. While there, you can stop by the tasting room to sample all of their different brews or even grab food!
10. Traversing the tundra on Lake Mendota: Although cliché, one of UW’s favorite past-times is a walk on the iced-over Lake Mendota. You can walk out far enough to Picnic Point in the dead of winter (at your own risk) to behold the breadth of Madison’s city line and breathe in the deepest fresh air. Put on some Tycho and let the winter wonderland dreamscape begin.