In September, 2009, I spent three days in the city of Madison in the Wisconsin state in the United States of America. I was curious to see this small city after reading a review in The New York Times. It was also a chance to visit a relative who lives in Madison. I stayed at the Doubletree Hotel Madison, which is conveniently located in downtown Madison.
gardens
Olbrich Botanical Gardens
I took advantage of the morning light by visiting the Olbrich Botanical Gardens early. The beautifully-maintained 16-acre gardens are proudly owned by Madison city. They reminded me of Brookside Gardens in Maryland state.
museum
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art is housed in a unique building designed by architect Cesar Pelli and built in 1998. It is located on State Street, a major pedestrian thoroughfare in Madison.
sailing
Sailing in Lake Mendota
On a sunny and warm Sunday afternoon with light wind, WJT took me sailing on Lake Mendota. WJT, who is a member of the Hoofer Sailing Club of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, reserved a 18-foot long Badger Sloop for this trip. He only deployed the mainsail, not the foresail, because we wanted a more leisurely trip where speed is not needed.
Monona Terrace
Monona Terrace
Monona Terrace is a community and convention center located on the shore of Lake Monona. It was initially designed by architect and Wisconsin native Frank Lloyd Wright in 1938. Construction finally started in 1994 and completed in 1997.
Capitol
Capitol of Wisconsin
The Capitol houses the state legislature, the Supreme Court, and the governor's office. It is located at the end of State Street, a major pedestrian thoroughfare. At the top of the Capitol, a 15-foot bronze statue, the Wisconsin, is covered by gold leaf. Her left hand holds a globe with an eagle on the top. Her right arm points forward.
Photographic Tools
- digital camera: Canon EOS 5D.
- memory: SanDisk Ultra 2, CompactFlash, 2 gigabytes.
- lens: Canon EF 75-300 mm F4-5.6 III USM.
- lens: Sigma 24-60 mm F2.8 EX DG.
- bag: Lowepro Nova 4.
- photo processing: GIMP, Canon Digital Photo Professional.