Leave your worries at the door of unit 204 at Nolen Shore Condominiums, where you'll be transported to a serene space in the heart of Madison. This 2,461-square-foot condo features 2 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, chef's kitchen, formal dining room, office/den, and a 572-square-foot private terrace perfect for entertaining.

Frequent travels to Europe inspired the home sellers to imbue their condo with calming, elegant features. Over the last decade, they have invested over $100,000 in stunning upgrades to this immaculate home. One of the most significant enhancements was the fireplace, which features a linear flame and floor-to-ceiling travertine and custom tile. Everything is streamlined to have a contemporary European look, from the furniture and

As we inch closer to summer, outdoor festivals are starting to pop up on our radar again. These annual family-friendly events offer great opportunities to try new things and explore surrounding Dane County communities. Two cities south of Madison are gearing up for a weekend full of music, food, and fun from May 18-20: Stoughton and Fitchburg.

Syttende Mai Norwegian Heritage Festival

When: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Downtown Stoughton
Info: www.stoughtonfestivals.com

Even if you can't claim any Norwegian ancestry, Stoughton will have you embracing potato lefse, rosemaling painting, and Hardanger fiddle in no time. These are just a few traditions of this city's festival, which celebrates Norway's May 17th

With Madison at its core, Dane County is the fastest growing county in Wisconsin. But that growth is spreading to surrounding communities as well, like the Village of Mazomanie. Halfway between Middleton and Spring Green along Hwy. 14, Mazomanie straddles the line between Dane and Iowa counties and helps bridge the gap between urban and rural life. It feels like small-town living, but you're just 20 minutes away from everything.

Part of this growth is due to larger businesses taking root here, such as Wick Buildings and Roundy's Distribution Center. Between 2000-2013, Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC), Plastic Ingenuity, and Cardinal Coated Glass also moved into large facilities in town that have attracted numerous employees. In turn, there has

Dane County's beautiful parks and trails bring communities together by promoting healthy lifestyles through recreational and educational opportunities. To celebrate these resources and the many volunteers who support them, please join us at the Parks & Trails Unite Festival on Saturday, June 2.

This free community event will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at both Lake Farm County Park on Madison's southeast side and McDaniel Park in McFarland. You can park on-site, take a free shuttle from the Alliant Energy Center, or ride your bike.

Bicycle racks will be available on the festival grounds, and Culver's frozen custard tokens will be available to those who bike to the event on a first-come, first-served basis. You won't need a trail pass

Prairie Moraine County Park in Verona is one of the most heavily-used parks in Dane County, especially since the establishment of an off-leash dog exercise area in 1995.

On the surface, this 160-acre park is a beautiful place to hike and take in expansive views of the area. But dig a little deeper into its past, and you're likely to treasure each step a bit more.

It started taking shape when the last glacier retreated and left a ridge of debris called the Johnstown Moraine, which is the prominent feature on the northern end of the park. Now, the Ice Age National Scenic Trail follows nearly a mile of this terminal moraine, which sits above St. Peter sandstone bedrock. The trail travels through a restored oak savanna and prairie toward an

From indoor herb gardens to raised vegetable beds in the backyard, there are a variety of ways to grow tasty produce. To find out which option is right for you, consider heading to your local library. In addition to offering many books on the topic, some libraries are also holding gardening programs in April. Be sure to follow the links and register, especially for the planting sessions.

What: Plant a Salsa Garden: A Family Earth Day Event
When: 6 p.m. Monday, April 16
Where: Middleton Public Library, 7425 Hubbard Ave. Middleton
Info: Families can plant seeds for tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and onions using peat pellets and pots so you can plant the whole container in the ground when the weather warms up.

What: 10 Mistakes I Made In My Vegetable

Among the most popular of the Dane County Parks is Pheasant Branch Conservancy, a spectacular natural resource area in Middleton.

The 500-plus-acre area features oak savanna, prairie, marsh, woodland, and sedge meadow. Running through it are a network of trails and a spring-fed creek that produces nearly 2 million gallons of fresh water each day and attracts abundant wildlife. Boils bubble to the surface of the springs, which stay 52 degrees Fahrenheit year-round.

Be sure to listen and look for the multitude of birds (and other critters) who inhabit this special place.

It's quite common to hear stones crunch from runners, families pushing strollers, and bicyclists using the Pheasant Branch Trail, which also stretches out through

Statistics show that the average American household has "300,000 things." And as more baby boomers downsize, move to assisted living facilities, or pass away, "the volume of unwanted keepsakes and family heirlooms is poised to grow -- along with the number of delicate conversations about what to do with them," the New York Times reports.

From your great aunt's rocking chair to that unopened box of hand-me-down china, the weight of what we own and what we no longer use could easily be lifted off of our shoulders. Wouldn't it be nice to ditch the guilt and declutter your life by finding a new home for some of your belongings?

While some trinkets should just go in the garbage bin, many other items don't need to be relegated to the curb. You might not

Some parks require hiking to the top of a hill to experience a beautiful vista, and other sites can be enjoyed while seated. That is just one of the many reasons the Jenni and Kyle Preserve is so special.

This natural area near Madison and Fitchburg provides educational and recreational opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. Of the handful of Dane County Parks that offer accessible fishing sites, the Jenni and Kyle Preserve has the most at eight, as well as accessible nature trails, a sheltered picnic area, and two wheelchair swings.

The park was named in memory of siblings Jenni and Kyle Geurkink, who both died in the 1980s of a degenerative neurological disorder before they turned 4. Their grandparents, Harvey and Patricia

Ready for outdoor recreation? Spring is almost upon us, and soon the area will be bustling with bikers and paddlers. Madison, with its abundance of parks, trails, and lakes, was ranked by WalletHub as one of the best cities in the country for an active lifestyle. And this weekend, March 9-11, the city is hosting two converging expos at the Alliant Energy Center with great deals, prizes, and tips: Bike-O-Rama and Canoecopia. Note that admission does not include parking fees.

Bike-O-Rama
When: Noon to 9 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
Where: New Holland Pavilion, Alliant Energy Center, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way, Madison
Admission: Free

The Midwest Bicycle Show and Sale "Bike-O-Rama" is the largest bicycle sale in