Madison, Wis. • The goal was simple — consume only as much Wisconsin beer and cheese as I could burn off biking Madison's omnipresent trails and paths. And though I saw all of Madison's many attractions from a bike saddle, I came back from my three-day adventure blissfully bloated.

Madison may be ranked among America's healthiest cities by Outside, Men's Health and Prevention Magazine, but Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated and Food & Wine call this town of 223,000 a top spot to indulge. That delicious dichotomy makes Madison the perfect destination for active travelers who aren't afraid of carbs and calories.

Dane County Market

Madison's two halves converge on the Capitol square every Saturday morning at the Dane County Farmers Market, the nation's largest producer-only market. That means no produce-row leftovers, knock-off purses or carpet samples — just fresh local fruits, vegetables, honey and meats, much of it organic.

The market draws thousands of shoppers who come not just for groceries, but funky crafts, live music and the occasional celebrity sighting. On this Saturday, Tory Miller, chef at the renowned restaurant L'Etoile, picked over fresh mushrooms as two assistants followed with wagons. A boy no older than 11 excitedly nudged his dad as the mohawked Miller inspected stalks of rhubarb. You know a town loves food when its cooks look like rock stars and are treated like sports heroes.

"People here really know their stuff. Sometimes they even think they know more about your product than you do," vendor Thomas Nord said with a laugh. Nord, a one-time military cook, sells vinegars made from onions, raspberries and dandelions. "I keep a book here just so I can prove I'm right."

Many shoppers start their morning buying a big loaf of bread, tearing off hunks as they shop. My husband bought the first good thing he saw, a whole-wheat rhubarb square, and chased it with the second good thing he saw, a potato buttermilk doughnut. I waited until I reviewed all the market had to offer and settled on a piping hot cheese empanada from the stand of local landmark Stella's Bakery. Can one ever eat too much cheese? This lactose lover would have never guessed it possible. But three bites in, I realized even I could not finish this gooey delight.

And yet, I made room for samples of cheese curds, a Wisconsin delicacy, as I continued shopping. I would need to pedal extra hard to burn off this breakfast.

Bikes rule

In Madison, a bike is your all-access VIP pass to downtown streets and sidewalks. Bike racks are always packed and bike traffic jams are a real phenomenon.

Biking is big business in Wisconsin. Brands like Trek Bicycle Corp., Saris Cycling Group, Planet Bike, Pacific Cycles and Waterford Precision Cycles call Wisconsin home, and a University of Wisconsin study says that bicycling is a $1.5 billion industry in the state. Madison has obliged cyclists by creating dozens of bike-only paths and restricting vehicular traffic throughout downtown. "Do Not Enter — Expect Bicycles" signs are as common in Madison as recycling bins and Obama bumper stickers.

Our first trip was to the State Street pedestrian mall, where ubiquitous Wisconsin Badger T-shirts and a ragtag march for marijuana reminded us that Madison is, first and foremost, a college town. This strip is a major destination for tourists and students, though chain restaurants and retail outlets outnumber local businesses.

We continued our ride to the University of Wisconsin Memorial Union Terrace, a favorite student hangout with views of Lake Mendota and, during the summer, concerts and film screenings. For all of its scenic shoreline, Madison boasts surprisingly few lakefront bars or restaurants. But the Terrace is a great spot to relax with brats, beer and Babcock Ice Cream, which is made on campus.

Next we rode to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve. Located along Lake Mendota's shoreline, the preserve's bike trail winds past historic dormitories and through woods and wetlands to Picnic Point Peninsula, a narrow strip of woods that juts one mile into the lake. Shared by bird watchers, runners, cyclists and picnickers (the reserve provides the wood for six bonfire pits), Picnic Point delivers spectacular views. Like all of Madison's natural treasures, the reserve is pristine and free.

Our rides with a view continued the next day with the easy 10-mile Lake Monoma Loop, which passes Olbrich Botanical Gardens, public beaches and Monona Terrace Convention Center, designed by Wisconsin native Frank Lloyd Wright, and a trip to the stunning University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum. Nature lovers can spend hours hiking through the 1,200 acres of restored prairie, wildflower gardens and woods. We rode the challenging road that bisects the park, stopping to explore various trails and marvel at unique bird species.

Madison Cuisine: Fresh, Fabulous and cheesy

Wow, all of that riding made me hungry. Madison cuisine can be divided into two camps — the fresh and the fried. And no matter whether you're eating organic brown eggs scrambled with duck confit at Marigold Kitchen or dunking beer-battered cheese curds into a garlicky dipping sauce at the Old Fashioned, Wisconsin has the perfect beer to accompany your meal. And not one is a Miller product.

The Old Fashioned is Madison's version of Blueberry Hill, a must-see for tourists and a favorite hangout for locals. Directly across from the Capitol, the Old Fashioned serves Wisconsin trout, two dozen Wisconsin cheeses and 150 types of Wisconsin beer. That's 1-5-0! I tried a Hopalicious from Madison microbrewery Ale Asylum — hoppy, balanced and drinkable. So drinkable I had two. Went great with the Friday fish fry, a not-just-for-Lent tradition in Wisconsin.

Another favorite is roadside attraction Michael's Frozen Custard, which serves vanilla, chocolate and a flavor of the day at its four locations. Manager Francisco Castro calls the turtle cashew sundae the house speciality, but I tried the root beer float with housemade root beer. Was it better than Ted Drewes'? Of course not, but the great burgers, hot dogs and deep-fried cheese curds put Michael's over the top.

"People will ride their bikes from all over for the turtle sundae," Castro said. "They've been exercising, so it's OK."

Now that I had Francisco's permission to overindulge, I visited Harvest, the fancy farm-to-table restaurant operated by James Beard semifinalist Derek Rowe and proprietor Tami Lax, a leader in the Slow Food movement. I ordered grass-fed tenderloin and a beet salad and morel mushrooms and fresh mint ice cream and a plate of artisanal Wisconsin cheese and — oh yes, there's more — a New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red bursting with the flavor of Door County cherries. I did hold back on the rolls, though.

Cozy and classy inns

We slept it off in two inns that are distinctly Madison — the downtown Mansion Hill Inn owned by Trek Bicycle Corp. and the environmentally friendly Arbor House located near the Arboretum. Both inns provided breakfast and bikes.

The Mansion Hill Inn is a four-story German Romanesque Revival hotel built in 1857. It has 10 rooms with balconies, many overlooking the nearby Capitol. We loved the homemade chocolate cookies by the bedside and the Wisconsin beers on draft at the small guests-only bar. Tres luxurious. Rooms are $200 to $300.

The Arbor Inn is a homey eight-room inn owned by the adorable Cathie Imes and her husband, John, an environmental activist and a pioneer in sustainable tourism. Rooms are $110 to $230.

"I fell in love with an enviro," said Cathie Imes, after serving a breakfast of broiled grapefruit and poached eggs with local asparagus. "We wanted to go into business together. I'm domestic and love to cook, so this seemed like a perfect idea. Our building materials are recycled; we have organic towels; we are careful about energy use. But the guests don't necessarily notice any of it. Ultimately, it's about providing guests a first-class, comfortable stay."

That was certainly the case during our visit. While the Mansion Hill made us feel like VIPs, the Arbor House treated us like old friends. Imes provided us with chocolate-covered berries, wine and, you guessed it, cheese. We ate it all.