Tag Archives: nature

Mad About Madison,Wisconsin!

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Once you learn a thing or two about Madison, you can relax and enjoy your time there:

  • Anywhere else in the world, a badger is a mammal that’s a member of the weasel family, but in Madison, the Wisconsin Badgers are the beloved University of Wisconsin–Madison football team. 
  • Yes, that’s a golden badger on the head of the statue of the woman that graces the top of the elegant Wisconsin Capitol Building. 
  • Should you accept a taste of a cheese curd, a favorite chewy snack, be prepared for the squeak it imparts when bitten into; a good sign that it’s fresh. 
  • Not to be confused with the cheese-shaped foam hat of the same name, a Cheesehead is also the name given to fans of the Green Bay Packers football team. 
  • Yes, that’s a giant hot dog car driving down the street! Oscar Meyer is headquartered in Madison and sometimes there are sightings of its famous Weinermobile.
  • How many cities can boast that they sit between two lakes? Lakes Monona and Mendota are like two beautiful sisters, fishing for compliments, as they try to outsparkle each other.

STAY             
As our Lyft stops in front of our destination, I immediately forget that the surrounding neighborhood is a bit old and made up of student housing- after all, over 50,000 students do call Madison their home! 

The Dylin is a modern, stylish “aparthotel” with 55 apartments – check out their other city locations at Locale. There is a general manager on site, but no front desk. Even though we’ve received the codes to the front door and to our apartment, we still feel welcomed as we enter the chic lobby and outdoor area.

A little bit apartment and a little bit boutique hotel, it is the best of both. The Tuft and Needle mattress and the Bokser bedding immediately elevate our apartment to swanky status. The washer – with available soap pods – and dryer are a nice touch. We swoon over the Fellow tea kettle and Haden toaster and coffeepot, which look like pieces of art.

PLAY
The Dylin is within walking distance to almost everything and we take advantage of the many free things to do: 

With its majestic facade and impressive rotunda, the Wisconsin State Capitol is worth a stop for a complimentary tour and the view from its observation deck. 

The University of Wisconsin–Madison is also a popular tourist attraction. Set on 930 acres of gardens and a nature preserve, the Historic Terrace at Memorial Union sits on Lake Mendota. You can relax in colorful, student-designed chairs while enjoying the view. Before you visit the Chazen Museum of Art – free and on the grounds, grab lunch from one of the many restaurants and ice cream from Babcock Hall Dairy – made on campus.

Stroll the State Street Pedestrian Mall and stop into the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art – free every day. 

Unfortunately, rain curtailed our free visits to the Henry Villas Zoo, the Dane County Farmers Market, the largest producer-only farmers market in the country, made famous on the 2024 season of Top Chef filmed in Wisconsin, and a chamber orchestra concert at Capitol Square.

HIGH LEVEL HAPPY HOUR
Yes, we are at it again, christening every city with our presence at one of their rooftop bars. Our choice, in Madison, is the AC Hotel. A warm breeze, a chilled glass of Chardonnay, and a feeling that you could reach out and touch the Capitol building; it doesn’t get any better than that. 

DINE LIKE A MADISONIAN
Enjoy a Lake View
You say “Monona” and I say “Mendota,” but either lake offers an enhanced dining experience:

It’s been a while since we’ve had French cuisine, so our mouths are watering as we head to Sardine. Our front table allows us a ringside view of Lake Monona as we settle in for a culinary feast of warm duck confit & frisée, steak frites, and seared salmon, accompanied by lentils, spinach and portobello mushrooms. 

Since 1948, the lovely Edgewater Hotel has managed to retain its elegance, having been named “Best of Madison” by Madison Magazine. We can also see why The Boat House Bar & Grill was also voted “Best restaurant with a lake view,” as we lunch on fish and chips on its dock, surrounded by blue skies and the sparkling Lake Mendota. The classy Statehouse restaurant awaits us for dinner. It’s restful evening lake view is the perfect setting for us to enjoy roast chicken with truffle mashed potatoes and salmon with a bourbon honey glaze. 

The Nostalgic Supper Club Experience
Born in the 1950s, supper clubs embraced Wisconsin and never let go. Known for their hand-muddled Brandy Old Fashioneds and a menu serving up traditional American fare – which includes their famous Friday fish fry – you can see why locals can’t get enough of their friendly social atmosphere. 

We don’t mind the 15-minute Lyft ride to Toby’s Supper Club; their 55-year-old reputation makes the trip worthwhile. Supper clubs are not known for their architectural artistry, so the old building and metal door come as no surprise. 

We take a deep breath, open the door, and are transported back in time. The bar is jam packed, and everyone is talking and laughing, including the bartenders, who don’t seem phased at all by the crowd. Oh, if those worn wooden floors could talk! The old dining room is a sea of red plastic tablecloths covering tables full of food and happy diners. We are welcomed and told how to proceed: 

  • Order a drink
  • Peruse the menu
  • Call over a server and order
  • When your dinner is ready, you will be seated. 

It doesn’t take long for us to strike up a conversation with our new standing-room-only friends, but our hunger reminds us that it’s time to order. We stop a server, who is cheery and surprisingly able to hear us over the roar of the crowd.  When she finally leads us to our table, we are struck to find the table already full, with a complimentary relish tray, rolls, butter and even cinnamon rolls – are they in case we’re still there for breakfast?! 

We order the wild caught walleye and can’t resist the pan-fried chicken, since according to the menu “If the Colonel’s chicken was this good, he would have been a General!” Included is soup or salad and a guarantee that we will not be hungry tomorrow. 

It’s been a pleasure getting to know you, Madison. We leave, reminded, once again, that every city has something to celebrate. 

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Moving to the Rhythm of Nature’s Song

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Photo Rhythm Natures Song

“Are you OK?” My neighbor noticed me lying on my stomach with my hands under my chin, staring at a plant in my garden that looked as though it had seen better days. After I answered all was well, I realized I might have been in the same position longer than I had thought.

“Black thumb” gardener that I am, (the result of city condo living for 25 years), I was disturbed to see some of our plants were not responding to the Texas sun after our major frost. I thought I noticed something green measuring half the size of my pinkie nail on one of the crispy dark gray branches that was once a beautiful full bush with bright orange flowers. Having originally thought it a weed, I was delighted to see it was the tiniest of buds, after all!

If only we all could be as resilient as plants. What Mother Nature teaches her flock is how to come back even stronger. How must a small seed feel, knowing it must prepare itself to push up through all the black, dense dirt in order to thrive? Or, how about a tree whose branches are so strongly bent? Unaware of its peculiarity and against all odds, it just keeps growing.

Watching some ants march past me, I was fascinated at their teamwork and organization. Persistence counteracts any obstacles and goals are met. Instead of those fancy employee team building exercises, companies should bring their staff outside, lie on their stomachs next to me, and document their tiny compadres’ remarkable achievements.

Deep in thought, I realize I am being serenaded, once again, by Enrico Caruso. Having named this tiny bird with the melodious voice after one of the most famous Italian opera singers, I look forward to his daily recitals. He stands majestically on my neighbor’s roof and sings his heart out, never letting his size impact his stature.

Brushing myself off, I stand up ready to continue the day with a spring in my step and a smile on my face. When I take the time to pay attention to what nature has to reveal, she never ceases to amaze me.

Come forth into the light of things,
let nature be your teacher

William Wordsworth

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Copycats; Imitating Nature

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Photo Biomimicry

The answers have been there all along. According to its definition, biomimicry is an approach to innovation that utilizes proven strategies and designs that have already been adapted by nature. In other words, we are now learning from nature, rather than about nature.

The bumps on the flippers of the humpback whale help them to “grip” the water. This aerodynamic characteristic has been used in the design of wind turbines and is working to enhance the safety and performance of airplanes.

Modeling the front of a European hi-speed train after the beak of a kingfisher created a quieter ride and the use of 15 percent less electricity while the train traveled 10 percent faster.

Emulating a dolphin’s unique frequency capabilities, a high-performance underwater system has been developed as a tsunami warning system.

I happen to dabble in Biomimetics on the side. It doesn’t take long to discover that the natural world is chock full of concepts that are just begging to be adapted. In the course of my research, some stood out more than others. Calls to the Biomimicry Institute have gone unanswered, but I continue to persevere.

Make room, $2.5 billion dating market; here’s a new concept that will revolutionize the dating world. No more wondering if you should wait three days to call or if you talked too much at dinner; imitating the sage grouse mating rituals eliminates the stress and cuts to the chase. The male struts, fans his tail much like that of a peacock and makes a strange popping sound in order to attract a female mate; done! Call it the “Magic Mike” of the bird world, but I think there might be something to this.

The next time you shoo away ants, take the time to actually view a colony at work. Jobs are defined and assigned. Teamwork and organization are key. Persistence counteracts any obstacles and goals are met. No fancy business consultants are required to run this operation like a well-oiled machine. Instead of those expensive employee team building activities, I envision Ant 101; groups of employees out in a park, laying on the ground on their stomachs with iPads and laptops, documenting their tiny compadres’ remarkable achievements.

The bad news: a female polar bear gains 400 pounds during pregnancy. The good news: during delivery, she digs a maternity den in a snowdrift, hibernates for two months and actually sleeps through her pregnancy. Baby shower, dig, hibernate, baby, SlimFast for a year or two; call me crazy, but this just might beat out the new luxury birthing experiences being touted lately. I’m sure there are women out there that would trade a mani pedi for hibernation. Oh, and after two years, baby polar bears have been completely acclimated to their surroundings and are sent out on their own; no college bills and the longest empty nesting in history!

I now have a newfound respect for the environment. Each time I visit a zoo, hear a bird singing in a tree or watch a flower bloom, I’ll remember to slow down and wonder if we’ll all be mirroring them someday soon.