Our first sight for the day was Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio, Taliesin, in his native Wisconsin just outside of Spring Green. Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the most influential architects of the 20th century, and is commonly referred to as the “greatest American architect of all time”. Not only did his iconic style shape the way we understand architecture, but his work helped form the basis of some of the most popular modern interior design styles today.
Wright’s houses are designed to be harmony with the site, use materials true to nature, allow the interiors to flow seamlessly with the outdoors through the extensive use of wide windows and cantilevered roofs, and allow the building's function and interior spatial layout to dictate the exterior form. To us the most unique feature at Taliesin was the use of what Wright called “compression and release” where small, tight, low-ceilinged entryways open up into airy living spaces with panoramic outdoor views. Many of the ceilings and door throughout the space were barely over 6’ tall.
Our second stop was just 10 minutes away at House on the Rock, a surreal, sprawling architectural complex and museum built by Alex Jordan Jr. in the 1940s and continually expanded until his death in the late 80s. Perched precariously on a 60-foot chimney of rock, the windowless, maze-like attraction is famous for its eccentric collections, self-playing orchestrions, and massive, otherworldly exhibits. I can summarize the experience in just two words, “sensory overload”. It’s hard to pick just a few highlights but the Infinity Room of the original house is a narrow, completely glass-encased room extending unsupported 218 feet out over the valley, hanging 156 feet above the forest floor and contains over 3,000 windows. As to the exhibits and collections , I would choose The Carousel, billed as the world's largest indoor carousel, it features 269 carved animal figures (and not a single horse) illuminated by over 20,000 lights and 182 chandeliers. According to popular local folklore, Jordan built the house to spite the Frank Lloyd Wright whose home at Taliesin is located just a few miles away. The apocryphal story suggests that after a younger Jordan approached Wright for mentorship, Wright dismissed him and Jordan purportedly built the House on the Rock to overshadow his rival.
After a relatively short drive to Madison, WI we checked in at the very posh Edgewater Hotel located on the shore of Lake Mendota. Dinner was at the Old Fashioned directly across the street from the Wisconsin State Capital. With this stop in Madison, we have visited the state capital in each of the five states we visited on this trip - Salt Lake City UT, Cheyenne WY, Lincoln NE, Des Moines IA and Madison WI. Des Moines and Madison were the standouts in our minds.
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