Spring Green, WI

Along a quiet road in southern Wisconsin (Spring Green), there is a stretch of hill and valley that catches the eye. This is Taliesin, country home of Frank Lloyd Wright,  one of mom and dad's favorite architects.

In preparation of this visit, Mom read the book, Loving Frank, by Nancy Horan  and she was really glad she had. Although a fictionalized account of FLW and his affair with Mamah Borthwick Cheney (while both married to others), the docents at the FLW preservation confirmed it was primarily accurate. FLW built the home Taliesin, in 1911  for Mamah. 
He considered Taliesin to be the supreme "natural house" as the many leveled home blended so completely with its natural surroundings that it was not so easy to tell where walls left off and ground began. Taliesin was the scene of enormous tragedy in 1914,  but for those if you who have not read the book, I won't spoil the ending.

Mom and Dad took the Highlights tour - starting at Hillside, now a college for 25 student architects. No pictures were allowed inside, so here are some of the outsides. Not sure they do it justice.

Then onto the house, twice in 1914 and 1925 Taliesin was damaged by fire. Each time, FLW rebuilt, determined to make the next incarnation better than the last.

Romeo and Juliet, one of FLW's early forays into tradition defying design was a windmill he built for his aunts. This bold and unconventional interlocking construction gave the 60 foot windmill strength to stand without the aid of internal cross supports and it stood for ober 90 years until it was rebuilt in 1992.

 And finally, UNITY Chapel, the first building in the valley in which FLW participated as a designer

and where Frank and Mamah are buried.

Mom and Dad also visited the "House on the Rock"

built in the 60's by a man who mom and dad are convinced must have been Aspergers. It is billed as WI most famous tourist attraction, and that should have been a clue. They did walk into the Infinity Room, overhanging the scenery below. They also quickly toured the dark and dingy house and the dark museums containing thousands of collections, but would not recommend it to others.

Heading to South Dakota so that's all for now!

Adios,

Yuki