Well, our buyers reneged, just before the inspection. It turns out that the woman was overwhelmed by the thought of moving. And this isn’t the first time she’s pulled this shenanigan.
It’s A Wild Ride
Sigh. That was two weeks ago. Meanwhile, we’ve had several showings, all of which resulted in offers. And all of which have fallen through because: 1) the buyer couldn’t come up with the money, 2) the buyers decided they want a house large enough for all three of their children and grandchildren (!!), 3) the buyers decided the interest rates on loans are too high right now (they didn’t know that before they made an offer?).
I’ve had plenty of time to have a hissy fit, get depressed, wonder if we’re making a mistake in leaving here, and come to a place of acceptance. Eric has pretty much stayed the course and didn’t succumb to a hissy fit, depression, or questioning what we’re doing. Thank goodness.
I have decided to not let this dictate my life. If anyone wants to see the house, they can come on by! If I’m in my kitty cat pajamas, or the kitchen sink isn’t polished to perfection (I am NEVER again getting an enormous stainless kitchen sink), or if there are two-dozen ping pong balls rolling around the house (Magnolia’s latest obsession)—I don’t care.
So there.
This mug has been with me through a lot of stressful times
Anyway, I am not making the mistake again of announcing that this house is sold until we have the money in our bank account. We have no idea how long it’s going to take. Meanwhile, I’m going to distract myself by catching up on our travel adventures from last summer, which reminds me that we do have a life outside of never-ending cleaning and polishing the house and bushwhacking saw palmettos.
Returning To Madison
Rolling back time to the first of July, we settled in for a week at our favorite Madison area campground. This was our our second visit to this cool little city, which is not only the state capital, but is also home to the University of Wisconsin.
We had no plans other than a day trip to Taliesin, the home and studio of the brilliant, egotistical, and unconventional architect Frank Lloyd Wright. We spent the rest of our time biking, leisurely visiting gardens and art galleries, and enjoying some of the delicious food that Madison cooks up.
The Gardens
The gardens in Madison are remarkable, not only because they’re so beautiful, but because they thrive in a climate that offers only 110 frost-free days. Despite the long, cold, snowy winters, Madison is lush and green and filled with flowers.
An enticing stone pathway at Olbrich Botanical Gardens
Just like last time, we adored the sweet little jewel-box Olbrich Gardens. The garden is artistically designed, with meandering pathways, cozy nooks, and layers of plants that bloom throughout the season. I came away with some serious garden envy. (The blog header photo is of the lovely authentic Thai temple in the gardens.)
Click on photos for a larger image and captions
This is a good reminder for me right now
We also once again visited the University of Wisconsin Arboretum. This time, we participated in a free guided hike of several miles. Most arboretums are kind of like tree museums. But the focus of the UW arboretum is on the ecological restoration of native landscapes, which includes Wisconsin tall grass prairies.
As we waded through the tall grass, all I could think of was how many ticks were lying in wait. Miraculously, we didn’t come home (this time) with any blood-sucking little hitchhikers.
Exploring Downtown Madison
The location of Madison is unique and picturesque—it’s built on an isthmus (a natural land bridge) that divides two crystal clear lakes. The capitol, university, museums, and dozens of appealing cafés, coffee shops, galleries, and shops are all clustered in a walkable downtown, with a generally mellow vibe.
The Wisconsin State Capitol looks like a miniature White House
Except for the Saturday Farmers’ Market. It is not mellow. We’ve been to many farmers’ markets, including the extraordinary markets in Eugene and Portland, Oregon. The market in Madison was overwhelming. Or maybe it was just us, after more than two years of avoiding crowds.
The market takes place on the green surrounding the capitol building, and a surging tide of humanity circumnavigated the square. We made it about one block before extricating ourselves. But not before buying a delicious sourdough rye brownie and escaping to a peaceful sidewalk café for an iced coffee. (I had never heard of a sourdough brownie, much less a sourdough rye brownie. But it was REALLY good, dense and chocolaty.)
Fortunately, we did not feel crowded at all anywhere else during our week in Madison.
The pretty University of Wisconsin campus
The patio at Memorial Union overlooks Lake Mendota. Not crowded, even in July.
The Art
Madison has two excellent art museums: The Chazen Museum of Art on the University of Wisconsin campus, and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, just a few blocks away. The glass stairway in the contemporary art museum is a work of art in itself. The museum tends toward exhibits that make some kind of thought-provoking social statement. It’s small, but very good.
The glass staircase at the Museum of Contemporary Art is so cool!
At the excellent Chazen Museum, I was delighted to find a piece by the Ghanian artist El Anatsui. He creates large, intricate sculptures from recycled materials—mostly bottle caps and pieces of folded metal, often from discarded liquor bottles—woven together with copper wire. We’ve seen his work in several museums, and it’s incredible to see how pieces of metal can be woven to look like richly textured fabric.
The museum offers an extensive collection, from ancient art and antiquities to contemporary art. It’s all beautifully curated and displayed, and just like the Museum of Contemporary Art, it’s free to visit.
Glass piece overlooking the university walkway
The Food
As much as we enjoy the small town where we’ve lived in Florida for three years, it is not a culinary destination. Fresh seafood abounds, but creative restaurants…not so much. Hence, we’re inordinately thrilled when we’re somewhere that offers interesting food choices. In Madison, we enjoyed a fantastic breakfast at Marigold Kitchen (including buckwheat ricotta pancakes that I’d like to try making at home), beautiful Thai food at Ahan, and excellent tacos at Bandit Tacos, where they serve up creative fillings wrapped in handmade stone ground blue corn tortillas.
Delicious and creative tacos and margaritas at Bandit Tacos
Visiting Taliesin
While in Madison, we visited Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio in nearby Spring Green. Wright spent his childhood there, and harbored a life-long fondness for the landscape of rolling green hills and prairies. But the main reason he built a home in this remote locale was to escape the scandal he caused in Chicago when he left his 20-year marriage and six children for his neighbor and client (who left her marriage and two children).
Ask anyone to name the most famous American architect of all time, and they’ll likely say “Frank Lloyd Wright.” In the early 1900s, Wright’s design ideas were revolutionary. He built low-slung homes wrapped in windows, with open floor plans and simple furnishings. We take these design principals for granted, but Wright’s innovative ideas changed the face of American architecture forever.
Taliesin, home of Frank Lloyd Wright
Not only was Wright a brilliant architect, but he was quite a character. Fond of capes, broad-brimmed hats, and canes that he used for dramatic gesturing, he loved fancy cars and expensive Asian artifacts. He consistently lived beyond his means, and skirted paying debts. He was extremely charming, enjoyed entertaining, and loved attention. And he thought very well of himself.
“Early in life I had to choose between honest arrogance and hypocritical humility. I chose the former and have seen no reason to change.” ~Frank Lloyd Wright
Scandal and tragedy followed Wright to Taliesin. An insane servant burned Taliesin to the ground, and murdered Wright’s lover and six other people. Wright rebuilt, and soon after got involved with a woman who turned out to be a morphine addict. He spent years trying to extricate himself from her (that woman was vengeful!), meanwhile getting involved with a woman three decades younger, who turned out to be a steadying influence.
The architectural studio
Together, they created a live-in apprenticeship program for architects on the property. This provided them with income during the Depression, and a pool of strong young people to build and rebuild Taliesin.
Steep stone steps to the house took a lot of labor, and are not user friendly. But Wright liked the way they looked.
Taliesin was a laboratory for Wright’s design ideas, and was never meant to be finished. He had no qualms about tearing down walls to try something new. Design mattered far more to him than engineering. For example, his roofs often leaked, which he didn’t see as a problem. His attitude? “If the roof doesn’t leak, the architect hasn’t been creative enough.” And he once told a client who complained about the roof leaking over his dining chair to move his chair.
A fire once again destroyed much of Taliesin (this time electrical) and it was again rebuilt. The architectural studio was spared in the fire, and Wright supposedly remarked, “God obviously doesn’t approve of my personal life, but he approves of my work.” It’s amazing that Frank Lloyd Wright managed to live to 92 years old and to be so incredibly productive while continually being embroiled in drama and scandal. He designed at least 1,000 buildings throughout his career, more than 500 of which were built.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s home studio
Despite all of the drama and tragedy that unfolded there, Taliesin is a relaxing, beautiful, and fascinating place to visit.
Inside the architectural studio
Where We Stayed
Lake Farm County Park is close to town but out in the country. Bike trails from the campground lead to downtown or into the countryside along dedicated paths. Either direction is a pretty ride, and you can bike for many miles.
The campground offers electric only sites with water conveniently located throughout, clean and private showers, and a dump station. The sites are gravel, surrounded by grass, and spacious. Although the campground wifi is weak, Verizon is decent. This was our second stay at this campground and we would happily return.
Ugggh, of course it will sell and yes, in its own time. Perhaps the nasty weather heading east will remind people that they need warmth! Love Madison (well not in winter ;) and yes, a renowned farmers market! Please add the FLW built headquarters of SC Johnson in Racine WI to your list — spectacular building, advance tickets required. 🤞
Yes, maybe winter will remind people that they want to move to Florida, LOL!! We love Madison, too, Leah. I always think of you when we’re there. It’s so beautiful, but the winters are just too long and too cold!
The Johnson Wax building is definitely on my list of FLW places that I would love to visit. I’ve seen photos and it looks spectacular.
If it weren’t for the climate, I would live in Madison.
Thank you for the lively Frank Lloyd Wright description. I love his designs, except for the kitchens, which can be cramped. Taliesin looks lovely.
Sheila, I’m with you…if not for the climate, Madison would be a great place to live! Frank Lloyd Wright was definitely a character. I really like his architecture, too, except for the kitchens and bathrooms. He considered those to be merely utilitarian spaces, and didn’t think they deserved attention. So different from how we think now!
Your narrative and photos are always so inspiring and informative! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for reading and commenting, Terri. I hope you’re doing well. I’m looking forward to hearing about your tiny house project!
Have & Will always love your adventurous vacations you both take.
Your pictures and then explanations of each show your lifestyle
is above and and way beyond most people of our age.
Thank you both very much…………
Thank you, Bob. I know you have many adventures, too…there’s so much to do and see, I can’t imagine ever stopping!
Well darn. What a crock. Of course, it doesn’t help with interest rates rising as you are attempting to sell. Hopefully, the delay in selling doesn’t interfere with your purchase of the N Carolina place…maybe just the building part? CALM. right. good luck with that. You are amazing if you can pull that one off.
Madison. Made me wish we could have spent a week there as well. As in so many places on our cross-country trip, we didn’t have the luxury of a week anywhere except the main destination NYC. Sadly, my niece lives in Madison where she is finishing up a PhD in fungi of some sort. We tried to see her but her schedule didn’t allow it. What a lovely city. My niece is from the Bay Area of California and has had a hard time adjusting to the summer humidity and the winter snow. She can hardly wait to finish and get back out west.
I’ll be wishing you well. Send me your snail mail address. I somehow misplaced it and didn’t think I needed it this year.
Sue, living in a house while it’s on the market is not fun!! We thought we were going to escape the aggravation, but apparently not, LOL. We’re still planning to go ahead with our build and just trust that everything will work out. I really wish we had decided to sell before the interest rates started to increase, but we didn’t intend to leave here quite yet. Oh well! I’m relying on my CALM mug and lots of long walks!
Madison is a delightful city, and I know you would enjoy it. But you’re right, it’s hotter and more humid in the summer than it seems like it should be, and it’s crazy cold and snowy in the winter. We like it enough that we would visit again, but we wouldn’t live there.
Wonderful post. Been to Taliesen west and a fan of FLW.
I know your house will sell soon.
Hi Kathryn, we’re also fans of FLW…despite his arrogance, he was a brilliant designer. We’ve only visited the grounds of Taliesin West, and I regret not touring the house.
I appreciate your good wishes for our home sale. I hope your home has sold, or will sell soon, too.
I have visited Taliesin West, but not the one in Madison… although I read, and really enjoyed, Loving Frank, an historical fiction novel that is about Frank and Mamah’s time there.
Between this post and the posts of another blogger who recently moved to Madison, I can see that I really need to visit that charming town. It looks so delightful (except for the winter weather).
I’m sorry about your house sale falling through. That it wasn’t that woman’s first rodeo makes me think their offers should come with a warning label. It will sell but I know that wait is adding stress to your life.
Janis, I read Loving Frank, too, and after visiting Taliesin, read The Women (by T.C. Boyle), another historical fiction novel about FLW that I really enjoyed. According to our tour guide, both provide an accurate representation of Wright’s life and loves. He certainly was an interesting and controversial character! If you make it to Madison, I know you would enjoy the city, and Taliesin. I’d love to tour Taliesin West in our travels.
I had the same thought about the woman who is a repeat offender in making offers on homes…she needs to be blacklisted!
Obviously you have a desirable place since you’ve had several offers, so it will definitely sell…but boy I feel your frustration! It seems like homes often fall out of escrow these days much more often than seemed to happen in years past. Fingers crossed that when you finally get a good offer everything flows smoothly to the desired outcome!
Madison sure looks like a fabulous place to visit. Thanks for taking me there once again!
Thank you so much for your good wishes, Lisa. According to our realtor, our home is getting more traffic and more offers than anything else in our area right now, so that’s a positive sign. But it sure is an emotional rollercoaster! We have another showing tomorrow morning, so I need to polish the kitchen sink, haha.
Madison is a great town. I know you would enjoy it!
The right people will come along, I just know it. They will.
If you put a caffeinated beverage in that CALM mug, does it spray right back out?
Now that you’ve described what a gross pig FLW was, I hate his designs even more. Maybe his gross pigginess is what I see when I look at his stuff — how could you keep that much horribleness from flowing out into your creations?
Your gustatory adventures have made me drool once again, as well as make me all the more impatient to get in my new kitchen (despite its big stainless steel sink ;)
While I know it’s terribly upsetting to be in the house-selling limbo, we all benefit from your renewed blogging. Wahoo!!!
Haha, I drink my morning coffee in my CALM mug, and so far, it has been well-behaved, Joodie. It’s funny, but that mug really is a good reminder for me and has served me well for several years.
Frank Lloyd Wright was undeniably terrible in some ways (selfish, immature, attention-seeking) but I still appreciate his immense contributions to architecture. I look around our home today and know that the openness, high ceilings, many windows, natural materials, and connection to the outdoors are a legacy of his visionary designs. But I sure wouldn’t have wanted to be married to him, LOL.
If you don’t have hard water, you will love your big stainless kitchen sink. 😀
I almost had a hissy fit for you Laurel!! Good grief!! Realtors should do a better job of vetting people asking to see a property at the price level I’m assuming you are asking. We had several showings of our Arizona property over the summer (now you know the secret) and the same thing happened–“we love it, but we can’t afford it!” Then don’t waste my time!
Your Madison, WI photos are lovely–that metal weaving, Taliesin. Wasn’t Frank Lloyd Wright an odd bird! I’ve visited Taliesin West with a friend and learned so much about the man–he would be easy to dislike!!
Sandhills in your campground, all that divine food–Madison was a good place.
I wish you all the best in selling that beautiful spot–it will happen–and I like your plan of letting potential buyers see you in your cat PJ’s! :) :)
Janna, even though our realtor is vetting people as much as possible, buyers are still unpredictable! And I guess especially so in the current economic climate. We need the perfect cash buyer who is emotionally stable, LOL.
I didn’t know that you’re planning to sell your Arizona home! So does that mean you’ll be spending your winters in Montana? What a huge decision that must have been for you two after all of the work you’ve done to create your beautiful home. I hope the perfect buyer comes along for you (and for us).
The metal weavings by El Anatsui are gorgeous. I know you would appreciate seeing his works in person…from a distance, his sculptures look like flowing fabric.
I love the info on FLW. “Yes, my pricey building is so poorly engineered it’s going to fail to perform its most basic function (keeping the rainwater off your head), but aren’t I fabulous???” (Insert eyeroll here)
Madison is one beautiful town, and having experienced similar ultra green northern towns, I think it’s actually because of all the snow in the winter that they bloom so nicely in the Summer. Those gardens are magnificent. I’m with you on the farmers market experience, though. Too many people just ruins stuff like that. Glad you got a good brownie before bailing!
Sorry again about your house aggravation. It’s gonna sell, and soon. The universe is just putting you through your paces for a bit longer. But it’s gonna work out. I know it!
Laura, FLW was clearly a piece of work. Seriously, who tells a client to move their chair to avoid a leaking roof? He also pitched a fit if clients made any changes to his designs, and he rearranged their furniture to suit his tastes, LOL. Still, I think many of his ideas were brilliant.
We love Madison (and lots of other northern towns) but that’s because we visited in summer, haha. I think you’re right that lots of snow produces lush gardens, and the cold weather keeps things from turning into a jungle (I say, looking out at the jungle that is our backyard).
Thanks for your positive thoughts about our house sale!
Hope the house thing does not continue to be such a stresser. Going back to Wisconsin is certainly relaxing. What a great day you had in Madison. The food looks delicious. Wish I could find anything remotely approaching that where I am. Love your stories of Frank Lloyd Wright. Quite a character and ladies man.
A great time in Madison not a great day. No one that is not superhuman could do all that in 1 day. What was I typing?
We were in Madison for a week. And you’re not alone…my fingers type all kinds of things of their own accord, haha.
Sherry, writing about our last summer’s travels is a nice break from the past month of working on the house and yard and dealing with the stress of having it on the market. Ugh. Madison is such a lovely city. I think you would enjoy it if you decide to head to the Great Lakes this summer.
Your post does a great job of reminding me of the charming features of Madison…. it’s just too bad that it was 1,000 degrees when we all visited. I would have enjoyed the walkability much more if it didn’t result in being soaked with sweat. Luckily the indoor art museums were fabulous!
Your tour of Taliesin is welcome, since that means we didn’t have to make the drive ourselves. We visited Taliesin West in Scottsdale several years ago and enjoyed it quite a bit. FLW was similarly flexible about modifying that property. When development of the area impeded his pristine desert view out the front of the house, he installed a wall and basically flipped the house around so the main view faced the other direction! I don’t think I have the energy to impose that kind of change on my surroundings, but I do admire the creativity.
I’m glad we could show you Taliesin, Shannon. The tour was fabulous! I really regret that we only visited the grounds at Taliesin East and didn’t spring for a tour. FLW was certainly determined to do whatever was necessary to manifest his creative vision. Good thing he had a stable of young, dedicated apprentices to help him…although apparently he enjoyed the physical labor, too!
Looking back at our photos it’s easy to forget how hot it was in Madison last July. It took us all a while to escape that heat wave last summer, didn’t it? Still, it was better than Florida at that point, I do believe. 😀
Laurel,
What a bummer on the house. We know that feeling all too well. Our last home “sold” twice before we had a check in hand. I’ve seen your property, and I know it will work out.
I want to go back to WI. We visited Green Bay, Bayfield, and the Apostle Islands but didn’t make Madison. It looks charming, and, as a builder, I would enjoy seeing the FLW home. Have a wonderful Christmas, and thanks for sharing.
P.S. I bet you and Magnolia are stunning in your kitty-kat P.J.’s, LOL! Joe
Joe, it makes me feel better to know that we’re in good company in the realm of house sales falling through for NO REASON except that the buyers get cold feet. Part of the problem is that many home purchases here are discretionary second homes. But we’re getting lots of interest, which is great! I told our realty team that we just had to go through home-selling desensitization therapy. You know I’m well on my way to being desensitized if I’m willing to greet buyers in my kitty cat PJs, LOL!!
You and Helen will love Madison and Taliesin when you travel back through Wisconsin.
Bummer. It will happen before the ink is dry on your next post. Thanks for the tour of Madison – another place that wasn’t on my radar but should be. The FLW info is intriguing. Didn’t realize he was such a scoundrel. I guess if I had to choose between ‘honest arrogance and hypocritical humility’ I would pick honest arrogance too. At least it exhibits authenticity.
Thanks, Suzanne…I like your positive attitude about our home sale! We’re definitely getting a lot of interest, which is fantastic, considering that people are kind of skittish right now.
Love your take on FLW’s attitude. You’re right, he was authentically arrogant, and one of a kind. I prefer that to hypocritical humility, too. :-)
Dang it! So sorry to hear about the offers falling through. I’m sure the right buyer is out there and your plans will all fall into place … just with a bit more patience. You’ve got the right idea about not letting it dictate your life. Revisiting past travels is a good pastime and a fun way of getting your mind off things as they stand now.
We’ve been to a couple of Frank Lloyd Wright’s houses … but not this one. In fact, have not been to Wisconsin yet. But it is on the list.
Erin, I always enjoy showing you a place that you haven’t visited, because it always seems to me that you two have been everywhere. Madison is a place that you and Mui would enjoy, and Taliesin is fascinating.
Thanks for your support in cultivating patience while waiting for our home to sell. I have to work at it…every single day. I’m going to try to keep my focus on getting this blog caught up. I have months of travels to write about!
I always love reading about your journeys. BTW – Is Eric doing okey dokey with his past health issues?? F.L.W. was a real character. Being a freelance writer I had the offer to review the “Dragon” golf course in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The clubhouse was an old design by Wright with a four-sided fireplace. My article [if you have time to review it] with photos is at: https://mountainvalleyliving.com/2017/09/nakoma-golf-resort-the-dragon/.
A buyer with the $ will be along shortly. Pet your cat for me.
Hi Rick, thanks for sharing the link to your article. The clubhouse is beautiful, and I recognize that unique roofline. It looks very much like the building that now houses the visitor center for Taliesin. It sounds like you had a wonderful time playing golf and staying there!
Eric is doing great, and Magnolia is very happy you thought of her. :-) We’re all looking forward to the next chapter of adventures. Hope you’re doing well!
Selling a home is like riding a rollercoaster – ups and downs, twists and turns, smooth straightaways (always very brief), anticipation, terror and then (finally!) relief and complete exhautsion. Don’t worry – it’s just a ride. You’ll get through it. You might feel sick along the way, but you’ll survive. Meanwhile, enjoy your bonus time at home and keep the faith!
Thanks for the info on Lake Farm County Park. It sounds like a good fit for us. Loving the look of that bike trail!
Mary, selling a house truly is a rollercoaster ride! You described it perfectly. Eric and I realized that it’s not worth it to stress ourselves out over every showing, so we’re really trying to not have expectations. As you said, we’re focusing on enjoying our “bonus time” at home and appreciating the beauty of being here at the absolute best time of year in Florida. But we do have showings tomorrow, so we’re doing some of the never-ending polishing today, LOL.
You would really enjoy Lake Farm County Park. We love the bike trails there and being able to bike into the city or out into the countryside.
The food and travels look great. Love your attitude. I am looking forward to getting back in our trailer but that may be a while. It is all good!
Hi Deb, I’m so glad to hear from you! You and Mike are having such a grand adventure in Mexico. I’d love to find out more about San Miguel from you. That’s definitely on our list, maybe for next winter. Happy travels!
Oh man, I screamed and stomped my feet and swore for a few minutes on your behalf after reading about the buyer who reneged as well as the ordeal of having not-qualified subsequent buyers/lookers. UGH! How frustrating!! But thank goodness for your CALM cup. Though I wonder what it is you’re drinking in that cup….
It was fun to read about your trip to Madison since this is where my son now lives (since February). I forwarded the blog to him and he really enjoyed it though he was surprised about your enthusiasm for the dining scene. He doesn’t think (so far) that there are many great eateries but he hasn’t eaten out a whole lot. (Lucky dude works for Google and gets two free, organic, fresh hot meals every day if he wants!) But geez, those tacos and that margarita at Bandit Tacos looks really yummy to me! We will definitely visit Olbrich Gardens (about one mile from his new house) as well as the UW arboretum. Plus he had the great idea of having me rent an e-bike so I can (possibly) keep up with him on his regular bike which he rides at full speed everywhere. He thought going up to Spring Green would be fun not only because of FLW’s house but also because the American Players Theatre is there as well.
I loved seeing those Sandhill cranes at your campground! Kinda reminded me of when I spent 3 months camping in Australia where I watched kangaroos meandering about. But boy those cranes look so much bigger than I thought they were!
Janet, you are so lucky that you’re going to visit Noah in Madison. It’s such a cool small city, and so wonderfully walkable and bike friendly. We had to watch out for the Sandhill Cranes on the trails near the campground. They really are huge birds…I can’t imagine kangaroos wandering (hopping?) through a campground!
You will love the gardens in Madison. Don’t miss the conservatory at Olbrich. There’s a small charge (the outside gardens are free), but it’s worth it. Of all of the gardens we’ve seen in our travels, Olbrich is one of my favorites.
We enjoyed our culinary adventures in Madison. The taco place was great, and breakfast at Marigold’s was excellent. Maybe it was just because we’ve been in a food desert, but I don’t think so, haha. Let me know what you find when you get there! I’m sure Noah has lots of good ideas for fun things to do. It sounds like he scored a great job!
P.S. And thanks for joining me in my hissy fit about the house non-sale and the subsequent non-starters. This has been crazy!
I was bummed when I decided to move Madison off our route last year. Talesin was at the top of the list, but wow I missed soooo much more :-( Thanks for sharing your wonderful visit, I love everything you got to see and do and have returned Madison to the list!
I always wonder what catastrophe we’re avoiding when plans fall through even when the change is a pain in the ass. The roller coaster of home selling and buying can definitely stretch one’s patience and faith in humankind. Why do people make offers they aren’t prepared for??????? Arrgghh. And if you’re like me, when you’re ready to go you resent not being able to. Hang in there my friend.
Jodee, I’m glad you’re going to put Madison back on your list. It’s beautiful, easy to navigate, and has so much to offer. And I know you would love visiting Taliesin. And then I get to read about your experience!
Your observation about plans falling through (and the possible benefit) is a good one. I’ve actually had the same thought. You would think by this point in my life that I could let go and trust the process, but not quite. I’m definitely being given a lot of opportunities to practice. And yes, once I’ve made up my mind to move forward with something, it’s really hard to be stuck. Thanks for your encouragement!
We only did a 1/2 day tour of Madison so it’s nice to see the city in detail through your eyes. We parked at the Walmart, took off the car and headed to the university. We rode our bikes all around. That was Madison for us…haha! We parked ourselves in Fond du Lac and then visited various areas from there. Packer stadium was top on our list. What an awesome tour. It’s so interesting to see what other people choose to see in a state we visited. You certainly had a wonderful time in the state. Fingers crossed that house moves soon!
Pam, we really like Madison (obviously, since we’ve been there twice!). We spent several weeks in Wisconsin last summer and did a lot more exploring, but we missed Green Bay. It’s always hard to make choices in our travels. As you know, planning ahead has benefits but doesn’t give us a lot of flexibility along the way. That’s one of the fun things about reading our friends’ blogs…we can enjoy an experience vicariously!
Yes, fingers crossed…we’re getting lots of good activity on our house. Fingers and toes crossed! 😆
It only takes 1, only 1 out of a 100! So be like Eric, take a deep breath, drink your coffee with the CALM mug staring at you :) I feel the frustration, sometimes the excitement gets the better of us. You have a beautiful house, the right one will come before you knew it.
Well, we missed Madison during our visit in WI in favor of Baraboo. So I appreciate the beautiful armchair tour.
ML, thanks so much for your encouragement! You’re right, we just have to wait for the right person to come along…I hope it won’t take 100 showings, though, LOL. Guess what? We went to Baraboo a bit later in our travels because I remembered how much you enjoyed it. Stay tuned, it’s a couple of blog posts away. :-)
Rats! What a bummer about the offers on the house. (What is wrong with the buyers’ agents?! They don’t seem to be doing their pre-purchase work.) But you have a good attitude. And, you don’t have to worry about snowstorms keeping potential buyers away. :)
Madison looks like a wonderful city to visit. The gardens are lovely, but ugh. That farmer’s market doesn’t look appealing. I know my husband would turn around and leave after spotting the crowds. Reminds me of an art festival in Fort Worth many years ago. Too many people!!
As always, your food photos have me drooling. Our area isn’t much for creative dining, either. We have a couple of nice restaurants, but most are typical tourist spots with lots of fried fish items.
I would love to visit Taliesin. FLW was an amazing architecht, but not the most admirable man, was he? Have you read Loving Frank by Nancy Horan? I read it a dozen or so years ago and thought it was terrific.
Sending good vibes for an offer in the coming weeks. Keep calm! :)
Lesley, I’m sure you and Rod would enjoy Madison. It’s such a beautiful and interesting little city, and except for the farmers’ market, nothing felt crowded, even in the height of summer.
Taliesin was a fascinating side trip! I read Loving Frank several years ago and also thought it was terrific, and then read The Women (by T. C. Boyle) after visiting Taliesin. According to our tour guide, both are accurate portrayals of FLW’s life and loves. I don’t know how he had the time and energy to create as much as he did while living such a tempestuous life!
Thanks so much for your good wishes for our home sale. This has been a crazy busy time with showings and offers…even though people are vetted by our realty team, our market here is apparently always mercurial, and the current economic climate isn’t helping.
Hi Laurel, I’m way behind on blogs. We truly understand why you want to leave FL. In my opinion the bad outweighs the good, especially the threat and reality of hurricanes. You have to experience it to really understand how stressful it is. Not something we want to relive!
I’m confident your house will sell, but it sure would have been nice if that first offer hadn’t fallen through. Look forward to seeing how you like tiny house living. You certainly picked a great location.
Also, thanks for keeping up your blog. I totally lost interest after we stopped RVing, even though we continue to do some traveling.
Still hope to meet you one day. Happy holidays to you both!
Hi Gayle, I’m so glad to hear from you! Keeping up a blog is a lot of work, so I can understand why you stopped posting after you stopped traveling full-time. But, I miss reading about your adventures! I would enjoy reading about what you two are up to, even if it’s not full time travel. :-)
As you know, living in Florida was never in our plan, but after being stranded here during the pandemic, we grew to love it. I’m really going to miss the incredible property that we have here, but it’s just not worth the stress of worrying about hurricanes. I know you understand. North Carolina feels like a good move, and we feel prepared for tiny house living after so many years in our trailer. Come visit us in NC! Wishing you and Jim a wonderful new year!
That mug says it all. Sending you all the calm you probably don’t need, ‘cuz you can make your own!
I can use all the calm I can get! Thanks, Gretchen…and Happy New Year!
Oh so so sorry. That place is so beautiful it will sell , i just want it to be on your timeline if possible. Crossing my fingers.
Sending hugs
Love Beth and Perry
Thank you, dear friends. We’re riding the waves of unpredictable home buyers…I had no idea people could be so crazy! Hope all is well, we miss you. Happy New Year and let’s make a plan to meet up this year. Love to you both!