NJ Day 10: Apr. 26, 2019 - Taliesin & Madison

We arise to a dry day. We have a delicious breakfast, we are the only guests at this B&B today. We have a nice chat with the owner, then load up the X3 and head East and a little North to our next destination: Taliesin.

We must first leave Iowa and head up the Wisconsin River.

Farm on the Wisconsin River

It is a lazy drive on a cool April day. The closer we get to the river, the better we see the same level of flooding we have seen in South Dakota, Minnesota, and in Wisconsin along the Mississippi River. At one point, we see several miles of train track completely submerged. After an hour and a half of driving, we reach Taliesin.

At this time of year, only the House Tour is available. We booked it last night on-line and are here about a half hour early. We kill time by visiting the Gift Shop in the Visitor Center. The tour begins, we board the bus and are driven up the hill to the building that surrounds the brow of that hill (Taliesin is a Welsh Word that means "Shining Brow".)

The building is very interesting, as is the story we learn of Mr. Wright's building it and his history here. He bought the property in 1911 and created this experimentation building. He established an architecture school and had apprentices live here and work on local projects to learn by example. It was a total immersion experience: the building was originally a combination farm, living and working space. The land is now under the control of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, established by his third wife.

In the spring of 2017, we visited Taliesin West outside Phoenix. What we see today is the original school, begun some 26 years earlier than Taliesin West. To me, Taliesin West seems more polished and complete. That is probably due to its being newer and less challenged by the more building-friendly Arizona winters.

Taliesin from Above

The tour is quite enjoyable.

Original Port Cochere

The interiors of the rooms hold many treasures.

Wright-designed Lighting

View South from the Living Room

Frank Lloyd Wright led a very interesting life. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour of the house and the many stories told by the Docent. Directly after the tour, we stopped at the restaurant at the Visitor Center for a late lunch. Amy had the Vegetable Hash and I had the Tomato Soup and Half a Cheese Sandwich. The location was quite special, having a great view of the Wisconsin River:

View during Lunch

We leave Taliesin and drive for an hour into Madison, Wisconsin. This is where Amy's Sister, Beth, went to University. On route, Amy texts Beth for some suggestions during our short stay. The first is Ice Cream looking out of the lake (Mendota) from the Student Union. We find our Hotel and check-in, then head for the Student Union.

In Line at the Daily Scoop

It doesn't get much better than Ice Cream in Wisconsin! Being in line for a couple of minutes heightened the anticipation. After purchase, we found a couple of seats in the Union looking out on the lake and enjoyed the sugar rush.

After the cones, we walked to another suggested place, the Statehouse Restaurant. This place is in the Edgewater Hotel. (Madison, not Seattle.) The restaurant is about a half mile away. We walk there just to make sure we know what we are doing. Also, it is a beautiful day and we should take advantage to get a nice walk in. On the walk, we notice the Delta-Delta-Delta sorority, Beth's home while at the University.

We confirm the restaurant and return to our hotel for a little rest. We then walk back to the restaurant at dinner-time. We got a great table at a window, looking out at Lake Mendota.

Amy at Dinner at the Statehouse

We have relaxing drinks while perusing the menu. Amy orders the Halibut and I have the Crispy-Skin Chicken. Both were delicious. We then got a sweet surprise: the waitress informed us that we could have a free dessert. Apparently, Open Table told the restaurant that it was Amy's Birthday! She chose the Chocolate-Chip Cookie Baked in a small Frying Pan, topped with a huge scoop of Ice Cream. A fine meal to cap off a great day. We return to our hotel, full and happy.