By Lesley Sauls and Glenda Winders
There should have been a disclaimer — a sign warning us that we were about to delve into the sometimes delightful and often frenzied imagination of an eccentric collector of curiosities. One of us thought the House on the Rock was a surprising and delightful journey while the other found it to be sensory overload, but it gave us plenty to think and talk about back in the car and was quite an introduction to the Spring Green area of Wisconsin.
We had gone there primarily to visit Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio at Taliesin, and friends said if we were that close we should also see the House on the Rock. We anticipated an unusual example of architecture and we got it — a stone cottage opened in 1960 by Alex Jordan that had unexpected twists and turns, tight corners and hidden rooms tucked into low spaces with dim lighting and carefully planned disorganization. One highlight was the "Infinity Room" — a transparent walkway that juts out from the house and allows visitors to look down on the treetops beneath them.
"Everything I have ever loved has been incorporated into the house," Jordan once said.
The actual house, however, was only a small beginning to an overwhelming experience. We also engaged in a wild romp through narrow passages and gigantic halls filled with lights, sounds and artifacts tied together only by their complete discord with one another.
In one room a full orchestra of mannequins played music to accompany two floors of circus dioramas, and in a space the size of an aircraft hangar a four-story replica of a whale struggled with a giant octopus while visitors walked along catwalks to view model ships and relics from historic seafaring expeditions. The ceiling of another was crowded with model airplanes and hot-air balloons. The crowning jewel was the world's largest carousel, on which fantastic and sometimes bizarre animals and figures rode under 182 red glass chandeliers to blaring calliope music.
Rooms full of instruments played music without any sign of a musician, the most spectacular of which was inside a theater complete with marquee and popcorn cart. On the "Streets of Yesteryear" we walked past a full-size carriage and down a cobblestone path through a miniature village where we peeked into shops and medical offices filled with antique implements.
Outside the chaos within the house are Zen gardens with the gentle sound of fountains, silent koi ponds and even a wooden rake that guests are encouraged to use to pattern a rock garden — possibly to help them decompress from all they have just seen. Curving stone paths leading to arched wooden bridges around the ponds are a balm to the nerves that had been rattled by the assaults from within.
Our sense of calm remained when we arrived at Taliesin the next day. Our tour began in the school where architects working on master's degrees still toil at the plywood benches and drawing tables Wright designed. The original building was commissioned by Wright's indulgent aunts, who operated a day and boarding school, when he was just 20 years old.
Wright's rules for his own architecture school dictated that students live on campus, participate in chores around the property and socialize with one another. To that end he designed the dining hall, tables and chairs the students still use today, and he included an auditorium in his plans where musical programs continue to be held. A music-lover and pianist himself, he encouraged those around him to learn to play an instrument.
The name of the estate comes from the Welsh word for "shining brow" because the house is situated on the side of a hill, tucked into the landscape in Wright's typical fashion. Here we wandered through geometric gardens and then into the house by way of a hidden entrance and low foyer that gave way to larger expanses of space in the main rooms — more of the architect's signature touches. Both the school and the home are adorned with the Asian art Wright brought back with him after designing the Imperial Hotel in Japan.
Knowledgeable docent Peggy White led us among the rooms where Wright ate, slept and entertained. In one of them a broad window near his desk allowed him to look out over the landscape as if he were the captain of a ship. Another still contains his grand piano and his daughter's harp, along with the four-sided music stand he designed so that guests who wanted to play could join in. Through the window we could see a giant musical note made of stone on the lawn below.
White readily answered our questions about the tragic fire set here in 1914 by a disgruntled employee that killed Wright's companion, Mamah Cheney, her two children and four other people. Cheney is buried at nearby Unity Chapel, and a grave there memorializes Wright, although his wife eventually moved his remains to Taliesin West in Arizona.
The third component of Spring Green's tantalizing trifecta is the American Players Theatre, an outdoor playhouse that stages first-rate productions. Shakespeare's plays are often headliners, but we saw a mesmerizing performance of "A Streetcar Named Desire." To make the evening even more enjoyable it's possible to order a meal ahead and then dine at picnic tables among the trees before the show begins. Some plays are staged at the indoor playhouse on the grounds.
We also made a stop at Wollersheim Winery, which takes pride in producing wine "from the ground to the glass." The vineyards and buildings looked like a little slice of Europe — and with good reason. The winery was first begun by Agoston Haraszthy, who eventually followed the gold rush to California and was instrumental in developing the wine industry in the Napa Valley. Later it was taken over by a German family, and today the winemaker from France is Philippe Coquard. Our tour of the operation was as informational as the wines we tasted (and later purchased) were delicious.
Spring Green's population is only 1,647, but the town's many visitors help support some intriguing restaurants that offer a variety of tasty mealtime options. We started one of our days there at the General Store, where the Apple Pie Oatmeal was big enough to share. And the fun didn't end when the meal was over. The store offers a huge selection of gifts, toys and games that made it fun to look around when breakfast had ended.
Lunch one day was at the Driftless Depot, so named because this area of Wisconsin is known as the "Driftless Area," the only part of the state that was unglaciated. The food here is local, and vegetables and meats are organic. The staff is open to adjusting the menu and were happy to leave the meat off an oh-so-fresh garden salad.
We didn't have time for a meal at Arcadia Books, which also has a gourmet kitchen, but for these book-lovers the visit was still a treat. Signs throughout the shop say "See it here, buy it here, keep us here" — the anthem of independent booksellers everywhere. While we browsed through the bookshelves, other customers were eating pizza and fish tacos, sipping wine and enjoying the view of downtown from the window tables where they sat.
Our favorite dinner was at Freddy Valentine's, which was a surprise on many levels. Housed in an old bank building, it has an interior inspired by Wright and a menu that ranges from burgers to curries, crab cakes to barbecue. Groups of six to eight can enjoy dinner in the vault by prearrangement, but the two of us opted to sit outside in order to enjoy the pleasant evening. The restaurant offers no desserts during the summer months in deference to patrons — like us — who have theater tickets. That left us just enough time when we arrived at the APT to have an ice cream on the path that led through the forest and on to our show.
WHEN YOU GO
For general information, please visit the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau website: www.visitmadison.com.
House on the Rock: www.houseontherock.com
Taliesin: www.taliesinpreservation.org
American Players Theatre: www.americanplayers.org
Wollersheim Winery: www.wollersheim.com
The General Store: www.springgreengeneralstore.com
Driftless Depot: www.driftlessdepot.com
Arcadia Books: www.readinutopia.com
Freddy Valentine's: www.freddyvalentines.com
Lesley Sauls and Glenda Winders are freelance writers. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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