July 10: Chippewa Falls to Madison, Wisconsin
After a quiet night, some moderation of the heat, and enough fans to keep us from dissolving, we faced a morning with confidence, and Karol Hommen treated us to breakfast at the 4:30 A.M. Coffee House (they really don’t open that early!!), with great coffee and pastries. Afterwards we began the next phase of our trip, speeding on Hwy. 94 and then 90 towards Madison, Wisconsin. On the way we met Jim Hacker, a former voice student of Jim and Maureen. Maureen had not seen him in about 35 years, but they recognized each other pretty much immediately and had many stories and memories to savor and bring to the forefront once again. By the way, Jim has a son, Jonas Hacker, who is now making a big name of himself as a tenor. He will be performing in a Dallas Opera production this next year, and I have already invited Maureen to come and witness his triumph when he performs here. She is seriously considering my offer.
Our lunch was a delight, and as he sped back to work, we proceeded on our way to our next stop, Madison, Wisconsin. Madison was selected as a territorial capital in 1836. By 1838 there was one inn and a general store, and construction had just begun on the capital. With the completion of the statehouse, Wisconsin’s attainment of statehood, and the establishment of the University of Wisconsin in 1848, the city began to assume some of its present character. Today, Madison is a center for business, cultural arts, government and education. Also, it is superbly situated, surrounded by five lakes: Kegonsa, Mendota, Monona, Waubesa, and Wingra.
We approached the city of Madison from the Monona lakefront, as we were anxious to see it from a community gathering place, the Monona Terrace, one of ten Wright-designed sites in Wisconsin that are open to the public. He had designed it as early as 1938, but then left it languishing and died in 1958. Construction, using Wright’s plans, was commenced in 1994, and the building was opened in 1997.
The mission of the Monona Terrace is to be a high quality, customer-focused facility that serves as a community gathering and meeting place, a tourism destination, and a catalyst for economic activity for the City of Madison, Dane county, and the State of Wisconsin. We explored all five floors, saw a fascinating photo exhibition on Frank Lloyd Wright and his work, and then climbed to the Rooftop Garden, named after Wright’s friend and supporter, William Evjue, who founded Madison’s “Capital Times” newspaper in 1917, and later became a philanthropist. The Garden covers nearly 46,000 square feet and offers panoramic views of Lake Monona and downtown Madison. It also sports a fountain, contemporary sculpture, and a cafe where Maureen and I had raspberry and mango sorbet and enjoyed the late afternoon breezes, and beautiful plantings.
After exploring the Monona Terrace, Maureen mapped six different Frank Lloyd Wright residences or buildings into her Google map, and we went and explored them (only from the outside, as they are still occupied). They are as follows: 1. The Gilmore House; 2. First Unitarian Meeting House (Wright intended its ascending triangular forms to symbolize unity and prayer); 3. The John Pew House (not visible, as it was hidden by a dense stand of trees); 4. The Jacobs’s first house; 5. The Walter Rudin House, and the Eugen van Tamelen House. The Unitarian Meeting House was, in my opinion, the most daring, and I especially admire the curving atrium adjoining the church itself, which has a magnificent, prow-like visage—like a great ocean liner, such as the “Normandie.” Amazing work! Tomorrow, on our way out of town, we will see the Jacob family’s second house.
On our way to our BnB in Fitchburg, a section of Madison, we stopped by an Aldi’s and bought some juices, small carrots, and some apples to accompany havarti dill cheese and crackers which we had bought at a cheese shop on our way to Ladysmith. And now I have finally caught up with the events of the past few days, and I am one tired puppy after so much great sightseeing! Great BnB, as we have an entire apartment to ourselves, with all the amenities. Take care! Until tomorrow, SV
Our lunch was a delight, and as he sped back to work, we proceeded on our way to our next stop, Madison, Wisconsin. Madison was selected as a territorial capital in 1836. By 1838 there was one inn and a general store, and construction had just begun on the capital. With the completion of the statehouse, Wisconsin’s attainment of statehood, and the establishment of the University of Wisconsin in 1848, the city began to assume some of its present character. Today, Madison is a center for business, cultural arts, government and education. Also, it is superbly situated, surrounded by five lakes: Kegonsa, Mendota, Monona, Waubesa, and Wingra.
We approached the city of Madison from the Monona lakefront, as we were anxious to see it from a community gathering place, the Monona Terrace, one of ten Wright-designed sites in Wisconsin that are open to the public. He had designed it as early as 1938, but then left it languishing and died in 1958. Construction, using Wright’s plans, was commenced in 1994, and the building was opened in 1997.
The mission of the Monona Terrace is to be a high quality, customer-focused facility that serves as a community gathering and meeting place, a tourism destination, and a catalyst for economic activity for the City of Madison, Dane county, and the State of Wisconsin. We explored all five floors, saw a fascinating photo exhibition on Frank Lloyd Wright and his work, and then climbed to the Rooftop Garden, named after Wright’s friend and supporter, William Evjue, who founded Madison’s “Capital Times” newspaper in 1917, and later became a philanthropist. The Garden covers nearly 46,000 square feet and offers panoramic views of Lake Monona and downtown Madison. It also sports a fountain, contemporary sculpture, and a cafe where Maureen and I had raspberry and mango sorbet and enjoyed the late afternoon breezes, and beautiful plantings.
After exploring the Monona Terrace, Maureen mapped six different Frank Lloyd Wright residences or buildings into her Google map, and we went and explored them (only from the outside, as they are still occupied). They are as follows: 1. The Gilmore House; 2. First Unitarian Meeting House (Wright intended its ascending triangular forms to symbolize unity and prayer); 3. The John Pew House (not visible, as it was hidden by a dense stand of trees); 4. The Jacobs’s first house; 5. The Walter Rudin House, and the Eugen van Tamelen House. The Unitarian Meeting House was, in my opinion, the most daring, and I especially admire the curving atrium adjoining the church itself, which has a magnificent, prow-like visage—like a great ocean liner, such as the “Normandie.” Amazing work! Tomorrow, on our way out of town, we will see the Jacob family’s second house.
On our way to our BnB in Fitchburg, a section of Madison, we stopped by an Aldi’s and bought some juices, small carrots, and some apples to accompany havarti dill cheese and crackers which we had bought at a cheese shop on our way to Ladysmith. And now I have finally caught up with the events of the past few days, and I am one tired puppy after so much great sightseeing! Great BnB, as we have an entire apartment to ourselves, with all the amenities. Take care! Until tomorrow, SV
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