Friday, July 6, 2012

Capital Times

It had been years since my last visit.  Considered an oasis in the farmland, Madison is one of the most progressive cities in the world.  It's one of my favorite places to hang out and it's a city full of ideas and diversity.  Please also let me apologize about yesterdays post.  I didn't mean to offend anyone, but I thought I would give it the edge that the election day held.  It was electric.  I promise it will be beautiful garden views today:)
We began by parking near the capital building(don't hassle parking on the street, just find a parking garage) and took the free capital tour.  This was taken on top of the dome overlooking the city.
There were plenty of flowers around the area and I couldn't decide which ones were my favorite because there were so many!!!
Any awesome city requires live performances on the streets.  Madison had so many throughout the day and it all made me smile. 
Situated between two lakes, this city has a great place to sit and watch people and drink beer.  The student union is a popular place for everyone to gather.  In fact, I met up with former high school classmates(one visiting from France) and had a really nice get together.  If you both are reading this post, I just want to thank you for such a fun day.  
In fact with views like this, you can't go wrong.  We sat and drank beer while the college kids sunned themselves on the pier and did their mating rituals.  Now the lake is awesome but I'm not sure I'd swim in it......too many birds and their poo:(  But people swam and smiled....so it must have been okay. I'm not one for tanning but I understand why people do it here.  People would take their shirts off to sunbathe and the sunlight would glare off their skin and blind us!  Maybe they were vampires.  Also, many of them should have used sunblock because they sported a pretty bad red sunburn.
Too many flowers.  Too many people with amazing gardens.  Here is my father's favorite plant...the Clematis.  His wish?  That his grandchildren stop playing hide and go seek inside or around the plant!
One of my former classmates now manages a botanical/birding area along the lake known as the Lakeshore Nature Preserve and it was a wonderful surprise.  I'm a plant guy so it was so much fun chatting with her about invasive species and plants in general.  It's fun to geek out on plants.  She took us to a botanical garden nearby and here are several shots of plants that grew around the area. 
These Tiger Lilies really added a nice splash of orange in the gardens at the entrance!
Allium 'Lucy Ball'
And how about this hot number??!!  Purple gets me everytime.  These lavender balls added a piece of perfection in the garden.  This shot taken at sunset.
I wanted to show my English/European friends our American Robin.  I do like this bird but it's not dainty like your own Robins:)  Larger birds that equal American appetities I think:)  This bird is also the Wisconsin State Bird.  It is seen everywhere foraging for worms and bugs.
Catbird
There are Cowbirds.....and Catbirds!  This was a lifer for me and another cool find in the gardens.  Pretty common bird found around Wisconsin.
As the sun set, I felt a little sad.  The day was ending and so was our visit to Madison.  Good friends, good times.....and good memories.  I've done much travel in my lifetime and this place still remains one of my favorite top ten cities to visit....and just be.  It rates up there with San Antonio, Austin and yes yes...Tucson:)  I'd like to call it the San Francisco of Wisconsin but to be honest San Fran has a different feel.  I lived near there and enjoyed my time in the Bay Area. Beautiful yes, but the ambience is quite different.  Madison has a warm feeling to it and the city and people invite you to walk the streets and explore.  It's also home to the University of Wisconsin.  It's hard to compare to another city but the closest cities to this oasis in the farmland are Austin, Texas and Ann Arbor, Michigan.  I highly recommend a visit here for a day if you have one to spare.  And the best part?  Don't plan anything.....just go and explore. 
Sadly, we had to go back and head home.  Here is a parting glance of the Student Union at sunset.  Look at the pic closer and observe all the action going on.  Madison is a fantastic place to visit and I will always treasure the memories here.  My first trip was in 8th grade.  Then while in college, I'd get into a lot of trouble partying here.  Watch where you park:) They love to ticket!:)  More tomorrow....

17 comments:

  1. What a beautiful capital building!

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  2. How nice it is to stay outside if your temperature is cold and you have white skin! So, thanks for the tour my friend! I will not be able to visit till next lifetime.

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  3. Looks like a fun place to visit. the lake views looks beautiful. The flowers are gorgeous too. Clematis is one of my favorite flowers too. I have some growing in various sections of my yard. The nature preserve would be on my list of places to visit. Thanks for sharing, have a great day.

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  4. Who place more pleasant .. Greetings from Spain

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  5. Looks a beautiful city Chris - and lovely photos especially of the flowers.

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  6. What a beautiful city! Your flowers shots are lovely. I especially like the Allium.

    Don't worry about yesterday's post. We all do it from time to time. One of the things I love most here in blogland...people sharing the good, the bad and the ugly.

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  7. "His wish? That his grandchildren stop playing hide and go seek inside or around the plant!" You remind me of my own mother with his grandchildren... you made me smile.

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  8. Birds and flowers, two of my favorite things..I'm going to enjoy visiting!!

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  9. so funny. i was going to say that madison wi is so much like austin tx - but you said it for me. same feel. same open culture. same outdoorsy, easy party town.

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  10. I went to Madison for a beer festival and music, long, long ago. Never saw anything as pretty as all these colorful flowers. But then I would have been too young to appreciate them then. Always do like the positive energy in a college town.

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  11. Lovely photos. I had forgotten how beautiful Madison was!

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  12. What lovely, colourful photos. It sounds like you had a wonderful time. How nice to meet up with old friends. That purple Allium is amazing! Your American Robin is so different from ours, as you said , so much bigger and of course not related in any way, the only thing they share is the name :-)

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  13. I've never been there but now I'm sorely tempted. I think that's what happens when you pull an envy muscle.

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  14. Thanks for the tour, look like a wonderful place. That clematis is an incredible colour.

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  15. Nice tour. Madison is an oasis. Not like the rest of Wisconsin.

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  16. What a beautiful set of colors you have posted here!

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  17. It's fun to run into old friends and visit about shared interests. Your purple flower was a favorite of mine!

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