Friday, June 22, 2012

Wisconsin's Capital City

We stayed our third night on the road in Madison, Wisconsin. We stayed at the Hotel Ruby Marie, a reworked Victorian hotel downtown, with a view of one of the two big lakes that the city lies between.


It was a fun stay that included beverage tickets and a fresh pastry breakfast made in the bakery downstairs. They were amazing! We had supper in the little German pub beside the hotel. We ate outside and enjoyed the cool evening and the local, live music. I had the bratwurst on a bun they made themselves. It was to die for. And that spicy, little ketchup-looking stuff that was kin to a cocktail sauce was really yummy.


After dinner, we took a walk for a couple of miles around downtown, circling the capitol building.




The exterior is constructed of white granite.



The statue on top is gilded bronze. Her name is Wisconsin and she represents their motto: Forward! She is just over 15 feet tall and one heavy gal at over three tons. And lest you find her too serious, she has a badger on her head to go with the eagle on the globe in her hand. Wisconsin is, afterall, the Badger State.



 There are four building wings coming out from the rotunda.



The dome is the largest in the United States (by volume) and one of the largest domes in the world.


I liked the sunflower atop the columns.




We continued to walk to the convention center, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, that is lakeside. We walked by the shore as the sun set. Many people were out walking, jogging and biking in the pleasant evening breeze. 


When we awoke in the morning, it was a crisp, dry, breezy 52 degrees. Ahhhhhh!! We weren't in Florida anymore!

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