Friday, April 15, 2011

A-Z: Madison

We're at the halfway point of the A-Z Challenge! Congrats to those who are still participating. For those who had to drop out for various reasons, I hope you can try again next year.

Ah Madison, Wisconsin, my home away from home. I fell in love with Madison at first sight, when I came up for State Forensics in spring of my sophomore year of high school. Since then, I've spent four years at UW-Madison; I returned in my mid-twenties for about eighteen months for my first post-grad-school job. I know that living in Madison isn't all Farmer's Markets at the Capitol Square and hanging out at the Memorial Union Terrace. I think it was my sophomore year when seventeen inches of snow fell in one day, leading to classes being canceled. Still, we go there about twice a year, in May for WisCon and in the fall for our annual Thanksgiving dinner/reunion with college friends. It would be nice if we could make it up there more often.

Here are some of Madison's attractions:

Vilas Park Zoo--it's free!














A Thai temple at the Olbrich Botanic Gardens.














A view of the Capitol building from the children's museum.



















There are many other favorite spots in Madison, like State Street or Picnic Point, that I haven't included because I either don't have digital photos or just can't find them. I still like to visit them when I have the opportunity.

I don't expect my son to attend the college there, but when he gets old enough to understand, Eugene and I will have to show him around campus and tell him how important the city is to us. After all, if we'd never met, Alex would never have been born.

7 comments:

KjM said...

It looks beautiful - in a spare kind of way. The trees are wonderfully stark.

It is good to have places that form "homes away from home".

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

The Thai temple reminds me of the many Chinese temples in my 'home' of Malaysia :)

Duncan In Kuantan

Anonymous said...

Lovely pics!!!

Ann said...

I lived in Madison for a short while before my family returned to Ireland. My daughter also graduated from UW-Madison. It is a beautiful city.

Eric said...

I've never been to WI, but it looks great from these pics. Great idea taking your son there later though. Even if he doesn't go there, maybe he'll enjoy seeing that part of his parent's past.

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

Been there and it is a great city. Alex will love it.

Ella said...

It does look like a wonderful place. You make me want to travel again~

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