I didn’t drive a car once today: woo hoo! Andrea took the wheel and we (along with Anna, the happiest baby in the whole world) went to The House on the Rock and Frank Lloyd Wright’s summer home Taliesen. Well, we officially visited The House on the Rock – paid admission and toured the house and everything – and trespassed on the grounds of Taliesen. (Hey – admission is $47 per person for the tour and children aren’t allowed, so officially touring wasn’t an option. And since I was that close to a Frank Lloyd Wright home, I HAD to get some pictures…)
The House on the Rock is really pretty indescribable. It is so strange and fascinating. I’m convinced the guy was on pretty heavy drugs and that it was a great party place – I’ve nicknamed it the Love Shack. Maybe the B-52s partied there too. Complete with red shag rug on the floor AND ceiling, and many intimate little cubbies with couches for private trysts. I think they should make a movie about it. And if it really wasn’t such as sordid tale (that’s certainly not the story they give in the visitor’s center) maybe someone should do a fictional one based there. Could even be a horror film, as some of his collections are pretty creepy…
After that, as I mentioned, we trespassed on the grounds of Taliesin and I took a few photos from as close as we dared. I was then pleasantly surprised to find another Frank Lloyd Wright building right in downtown Madison! The pictures above of the building with the big windows on the lake are of Monona Terrace, which was Frank’s ‘dream civic center.’ While it took 50 years to get it built, it was definitely worth it.
After walking around Monona Terrace, we ate dinner at Brocach Irish Pub in Madison at the recommendation of my friend Monica, who knows the owners, who also happen to be from Massachusetts. Great place – thanks Monica – I highly recommend it! After dinner Tom took Anna home and Andrea and I wandered the city. It’s a great little city. I could definitely live here. I asked Andrea and Tom why they love it here and they both stressed that there is always so much to do, without the negative things (like high crime and traffic) that come with big cities. The people are another reason – the friendliness and diversity. I saw all of those things in my time here. And even got to sample the great frozen custard. Yuuuuummmm…. Really wish I wasn’t leaving tomorrow!
Amy's America 
Wow, I haven’t been there since I was a kid on a family vacation. I thought the House on the Rock was pretty interesting then, and it sounds like it still is. And no, I wouldn’t pay $47 either … as I recall, my wife and I declined a tour at the Arizona outpost of Wright for the same reason.
Sounds like you’re having quite an adventure.
Great pics Amy! The House on the Rock seems very eclectic to say the least. We didn’t have a chance to tour it but saw it from the same perspective as your picture from a scenic overlook. As for you trespassing at Taliesin all I can say is wow! You have more cojones than I do – those folks at the visitors center were pretty strict and FLW nazis. They had me worried I might step on the wrong thing or touch the wrong thing and somehow sully the memory of FLW.
Hee hee – I have to give credit to Andrea, as she was driving and had no problem with the trespassing. We decided we’d just play wide-eyed and innocent and act like we didn’t realize you couldn’t drive up there… And if you do go back tot the area, make sure you visit House on the Rock, just for the awe factor that any one person could possibly have thought of all that and collected all those things!
Sounds cool! Have you read “Loving Frank” yet? Decent book from the perspective of the woman he had an affair with…fictionalized a bit, I think, but good, interesting story, especially if you’ve seen his houses.
No, but thank you – I’ll have to add it to my list. I love architecture, and while he’s not exactly my favorite, there’s no denying he’s one of the best.