From Madison, I took a day trip to Iowa. Specifically, the town of Decorah, to visit Melissa Koch. I worked closely with Melissa about a decade ago at SRI International, and now she runs the wonderful Bed and Breakfast on Broadway with her husband, son, and dog. She’s cracked the code of the perfect small town life. We started with a tour of the 1910, 5-bedroom inn. I enjoyed the period living room and main guest rooms upstairs. But then Melissa invited me up a narrow set of stairs to the top floor. It opened onto an amazing suite, with a turreted tower as the perfect reading room. What an amazing space! I’ll be back. Click any picture for bigger images. ...

We celebrated Audrey’s 60th Birthday with a gathering of friends and family in Madison, Wisconsin. A weekend of fun! Friday We started the morning with Molly and Jeff, who were first to arrive. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast at Marigold Kitchen, across from the state capitol. After a walk to see Audrey’s office in WisDems HQ, we toured the capitol which has spectacular marble and is generally grand. Then we went apple picking. After a briefing and tasting of all the varieties in the orchard, we picked some jonamac and cortland apples. Yum! ...

A high point of Audrey’s birthday celebration weekend was a family trip to the Kamala Harris rally in Madison, Wisconsin. We were in the 4th row, behind the podium. It was loud, colorful and exciting. Getting in required a very long walk around the stadium perimeter to get to the security screening area. Secret service dogs were sniffing people as they entered. We had to show id to check in, and then passed through an airport screening machine. No bags were allowed. Jacob arrived late and they had closed the doors and wouldn’t let anyone else in. ...

A beautiful one-hour drive west of Madison leads to Taliesin, Frank LLoyd Wright’s home, studio, and architecture school. Audrey and I loved the extensive four-hour walking tour, which visits many buildings on the property. We saw the studio, dining hall, and auditorium; the eclectic windmill; his sister’s house; the “barn;” and Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and personal studio. Our guide was great. with lots of information and stories. His home and property were a constant experiment, and one of the subthemes of the tour was all the preservation work now necessary because much was not built to last. Or as the tour guide said, “it was build to Wright’s code, not modern code.” He was particularly uninterested in gutters, as they ruined the lines–but would protect the foundation. They experimented with lots of plywood, because it was inexpensive and readily available. ...

Black and white photos bring out the character of Madison’s east side. From our apartment in the “The Medallion,” we hear at least one freighter blast its horn each day. It’s usually a train bearing grain or other commodities, crawling along the lakeshore. Across the street, Madison Gas & Electric rises with impressive smokestacks and a mix of historic brick and modern steel buildings. Its a very clean power plant. We never see smoke and the grass is well-tended. It apparently doesn’t take many people to run a power plant these days, as the parking lots are all empty. In the shadows of the power plant, a soup kitchen serves the homeless and a whiskey distillery serves the hip. ...