One of the rewards of travel is discovering a fascinating place you didn’t know existed. Perhaps it’s a small museum, a natural landmark or a unique place to eat that wasn’t noted on the map or in the guidebook. It is also memorable to visit an event or attraction that turns out to be much better than anticipated. The latter recently occurred during a July visit to Madison, Wisconsin.

Madison, the state’s capital, is home to the University of Wisconsin. Any university brings a lot of great things to a community, including sports, culture and a vitality that young adults have in abundance.

In addition to top-flight sporting and cultural events associated with the university, Madison offers excellent museums, an unusually beautiful state capitol, fine restaurants, and an active theatre scene in a gorgeous performing arts center. The city of a quarter million people also serves as a base for visits to two of the state’s major attractions: Taliesin, the unique home of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and House on the Rock, a cross between a museum and a funhouse, and one of the most bizarre places we have visited.

We experienced all this and more during four days in Madison. However, the most surprising discovery of our stay was the largest and best farmers’ market on the planet. Well, maybe not the planet, but at least the United States. Members claim it is the largest producer-only farmers’ market in the country.

The market covers eight blocks and surrounds the state capitol building at the center of the city. On the day we visited, there were 172 vendors offering fresh produce, meats, plants, cheese and bakery items. Participants are required to man their own booths and offer items they have produced. Resellers and crafts are not permitted.

The Dane County Farmers’ Market is in its 45th year and currently has 270 members. The outdoor market opens at 6:15 a.m. each Saturday from mid-April to the second week in November, when it moves indoors. Not surprisingly, many local chefs show up at the market’s opening to purchase fresh ingredients. A smaller market is offered on Wednesdays.

We visited the market on a beautiful Saturday morning during which thousands of people paraded along the sidewalks in search of apples, carrots, pears, cheese, bakery items and more. We were told that an average Saturday draws about 20,000 shoppers. Most stand owners showed off their products in a colorful, decorative manner.

Although no arrows or directional signs were posted, all the shoppers walked counter-clockwise, resulting in a steady flow of humanity without the bumping common to crowded sidewalks.

Scheduled to fly home the following morning, we weren’t in the market for much. We did purchase a bar of lavender emu soap, a loaf of still warm spicy cheese bread and a couple of scones that we munched on during our stroll. It was great fun eyeing the products, watching the shoppers and talking with stand owners.

At one stand, we talked with proprietors Sally and Tom Murphy, who displayed 13 types of cheese curds. They are fifth-generation dairy farmers who milk approximately three dozen cows and have missed only a few of the Saturday markets over the last 25 years. Tom Murphy said that being able to participate in the farmers’ market saved his family farm.

At a colorful flower stand, we talked with Carol Larsen, who has participated in the farmers’ market each year since 1975. Carol grows more than 100 varieties of flowers on three-and-a-half acres plus three large greenhouses. In addition to selling flowers at the market, she belongs to a wholesale cut flower group.

The most fascinating market participant was 73-year-old Betty Lou Cauffman, who raises emus on a 40-acre farm 75 miles west of Madison. Betty is one interesting lady who in 1994 decided she needed to do “something outside the box” in order to make a living. Starting with two birds she kept in her van, Betty is now raising more than 100 emus. At the market, she was selling emu meat, emu oils and emu soaps. Meeting Betty was worth our visit to the farmers’ market.

Tired from two hours of strolling the market, we sat on the capitol grounds and talked with Mark Nidey and Sue Mellecker, who twice a year drive nearly 200 miles from their home in Iowa City, Iowa, to visit the Dane County Farmers’ Market. The two were sharing a huge cinnamon roll they purchased at Stella’s, a nearby stand where we had purchased our spicy cheese bread.

Our visit to the farmers’ market resulted in an enjoyable morning. We got some exercise and nearly everyone was wearing a smile. We saw some beautiful produce, met interesting people and spent little money. What more can a couple of senior travelers ask?