This year the Winter Solstice is on Sunday, December 21st. This day has the distinction of being the shortest day of the year and also the longest night of the year. In Wisconsin, once we pass the 21st, we have the pleasure of seeing each day get a bit longer as each night grows a bit shorter.

I have always loved Dr. Seuss’s take on the passing of time:

“How did it get so late so soon?
Its night before its afternoon.
December is here before its June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?”
Dr. Seuss

The University of Madison – Arboretum is offering a special hike on the late afternoon/evening on Sunday. You can join the staff for a walk, presumably to watch the sun set. The hike is from 4:00 to 5:30 pm. However the weather forecast is predicting a fairly heavy cloud cover and light snows on Sunday, with highs about 17˚F, so you may not see much of a sunset. But if you bundle up – don’t forget your long underwear, mittens, and a snug hat – you’ll still have a great time. Dusk is a great time to see animals and birds, so be sure to keep your eyes and ears open.

The Arboretum is located just north of the Beltline (Highway 12) off the Seminole Road exit. There is a second entrance to the Arboretum, near St. Mary’s Medical Center, located at the intersections of North Wingra Drive and South Mills Street. A map from Google maps shows both entrances.

For further information, contact the Arboretum’s staff at (608) 263-7888 or check the Arboretum’s website.

On Sunday, Bo Mackison will be celebrating the return to lengthening days – every daylight minute counts. She plans to be at the Arboretum to take some wintry photographs. You can also see more of her winter photography in the Winter Gallery at Seeded Earth Photography website.

Photograph “Winter Freeze” © 2008 Bo Mackison, all rights reserved.

The Hilton Madison Monona Terrace, just off the Capitol Square, offers a Travel Green package as part of its commitment to reduce their impact on the environment.

The package will be available January 1 through January 31, 2009, and may be extended. Features include a King size room for two guests, a bottle of True Earth White or Red Organic Wine, and breakfast in the Olive Restaurant. The offer also includes the book “It’s Easy Being Green,” by Chrissy Trask, a handbook for earth-friendly living and a canvas shopping bag.

For further information, contact the Hilton at 608-255-5100.

Travel Green Wisconsin GreenGuide Score: 56

Checklist Highlights/Innovative Practices:
– Organic and local food products purchased
– ENERGY STAR qualified lighting and computers
– programmable set-back thermostat and light/movement sensors for lighting

Website – www.hiltonmadison.com

“I’m very happy to share the beauty of the Governor’s Residence [with the public] at this special time of year,” First Lady Jessica Doyle said as she greeted my daughter and me on our arrival at Wisconsin’s Executive Residence for the Holiday Public Tours. We toured the entrance hall, the formal dining room, reception room, living room, library, and sunroom, all decorated in traditional holiday style with poinsettias, wreaths and greenery.

However, the tour was not only special because the mansion was beautifully decorated for the season. While the six Fraser firs do add much greenery to the main rooms, they are not the only things that are “green” these days in the Governor’s home. The Executive Residence is now certified as a Travel Green Wisconsin site, and Vicki Heymann, Residence Director, gave details of the many changes the mansion has made to save energy, including new practices in holiday decorating.

One of the easiest ways to save energy – changing light bulbs to compact fluorescents and replacing tree lights with LEDs – have made a dramatic difference in the mansion’s electricity bills. Heymann reports that there has been over a thousand dollars savings in the last year.

The trees, six stately firs, are each decorated in a theme with a connection to Wisconsin.

“Buon Natale” highlights Wisconsin’s Italian heritage and is located in the dining room. It features ornaments of fruit, angels and candles and was created by the Italian Community Center of Milwaukee.

The “Tribute to our Troops” tree in the reception room honors Wisconsin men and women who have served or are serving overseas in the military. Families and friends have contributed over 150 ornaments to the tree, many featuring photographs of their loved ones.

Two trees decorate the living room. The “Bright Star” tree is decorated with ornaments made by 4th graders throughout the state. The ornaments depict many of Wisconsin’s more famous citizens including magician Harry Houdini, Olympic skater Eric Heiden, and Les Paul, inventor of the electric guitar.

The “Made in Wisconsin” tree features original ornaments made by Wisconsin companies created to showcase their products and services.

In the Library, the “Deck the Hall” tree celebrates higher education in Wisconsin. Students in many of these schools contributed ornaments to honor some of their proudest accomplishments.

Finally, the “Giving Tree” occupies the sunroom. This tree has ornaments created by many of the charitable organizations that give to their communities and fellow citizens year round.

The Governor’s Residence is a truly lovely place to visit. The home was originally built in the 1920s and acquired by the state in 1949. The home, which has been home to 13 governors, is elegant, but in a simple and warm way. There are many items displayed in the rooms that give the home a Wisconsin flavor: the library holds books written by Wisconsin authors; an intricate musical instrument, a reed mouth organ called the Qeef, given to Governor Doyle on behalf of the Hmong community in Milwaukee rests on a library mantel; green and rust-colored stained glass art, crafted and donated by Eau Claire resident Steve Immerman, provides a visual connection from the exterior gardens to the interior living space.

This is definitely a place to put on your “to see” list, and the Holiday Tour provides a perfect opportunity with the bonus of visiting the mansion while it is dressed for the holidays.

The tour is free, but all visitors are encouraged to bring new or gently used children’s books that will be donated to state literacy programs.

The remaining schedule for the Holiday Tour is:

Tuesday, December 9, noon – 2 pm
Thursday, December 11, 10 am – noon
Saturday, December 13, noon – 2pm
Tuesday, December 16, noon – 2 pm
Thursday, December 18, noon – 2 pm
Saturday, December 20, noon – 2 pm

Tours are also offered on Thursdays from April through August.

The mansion is located on the northeastern shores of Lake Mendota in Maple Bluff. The address is 99 Cambridge Avenue. Enter through the main entrance. For further information or directions to the Governor’s Residence call 608-246-5501.

Travel Green Wisconsin Green Guide Score – 83

Checklist Highlights / Innovative Best Practices

–100% of light bulbs have been replaced with compact fluorescents and LED Christmas lights are used
– A recycling program is in place
– Local Wisconsin products and biodegradable products are purchased whenever possible
– Yard waste is composted; garden flowers are used for decorations in the mansion when possible; herbs and produce grown in vegetable gardens
–Staff and visitors are educated on how the Executive Residence is improving its environmental impact

Website: http://jessicadoyle.wi.gov/section.asp?linkid=440&locid=71

Photos and article by Bo Mackison who frequently travels throughout the state of Wisconsin, and loves to discover “green” places. See more Wisconsin photographs at Seeded Earth Photography. All photos © 2008 all rights reserved.

I did something tonight I’ve never done before. I attended a concert underground in a barely lit cave. If you ever have the opportunity to attend a cave concert, go. It was captivating. Cave of the Mounds, located just west of Mount Horeb, offers holiday concerts this weekend only. The Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville did the singing honors on Friday night, and they were wonderful. An all male a capella choir, their voices harmonized beautifully. Cave acoustics are phenomenal.

I spoke with several of the singers after the concert and they all agreed singing in a cave is a great experience. “The acoustics are perfect; we can hear each other with perfect clarity. The only thing we have to remember is not to project. We have to sing much softer,” said one member, a junior majoring in music education. There are 28 men in the fraternity, and 16 sang at the cave concert. About half of the men are studying music, the others are majoring, as one singer said, “in more practical majors.” The young man I spoke with continued. “I’m majoring in construction management. But I’ll be a big financial supporter of the arts.”

The concerts continue on Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7. The cave, a National Natural Landmark, is also open daily for tours. Winter weekend tours leave on the hour from 10 am until 4 pm. One tour is given on weekdays at 2 pm. Call (608) 437-3038 to confirm times. (Spring hours go into effect March 15.) The tours last about an hour. It’s a pleasant place for a family adventure, especially as the weather turns frigid in Wisconsin. The temperature of the cave is always a rather balmy 50˚F.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens on Madison’s East side provides a welcome diversion from snow and ice during Wisconsin’s winter months. Olbrich is well known for their outside gardens, but in winter, visitors can enjoy the indoor Bolz Conservatory, with 10,000 square feet of display space.

The conservatory is a glass pyramid, rising to a 50 foot center, and provides a tropical paradise filled with green foliage, bright orchids and flowering plants, waterfalls and koi ponds, even free flying birds. Pathways wind throughout the space, up and over bridges, along flowing streams, and on tiered paths that allow for a view of the entire conservatory. When it’s snowing outside, it makes a spectacular indoor walk. The temperature is always kept between 65˚ and 80˚F so be sure and dress accordingly.

Bolz Conservatory has an exhibit running currently through January 5, 2009 called Yesterday’s Plants, Today’s Energy. The exhibit presents information on the formation of coal from prehistoric ferns and mosses–plants that grew 290 million years ago to provide energy for us today. The exhibit shows the many steps it takes to turn plant material into coal over millions of years. It also makes the point that these fossil fuels will not be available for tomorrow’s energy needs, and discusses the need for alternative energy sources.

It is just one of the many educational programs Olbrich Gardens offers to inform the public about environmental issues.

The Conservatory is open from 10 am to 4 pm on Monday through Saturday, and from 10 am to 5 pm on Sunday. Admission is free to Olbrich Botanical Members and children 5 and under. Free admission is also available to the general public on Wednesdays and Saturday morning from 10 am til noon. Otherwise, admission is $1. For further information, call the gardens at 608-246-4550.

Travel Green Wisconsin Green Guide Score – 83

Green Highlights and innovative practices

– Promotes sustainable Midwest gardening practices through example and education programs

– Staff Green Team tracks projects that have a positive impact on the environment

–Leaves are recycled into mulch for the gardens and public use, showcased in an educational campaign that promotes the energy-saving benefits of this practice

–Award-winning renovated Garver Cottage maintains historic architecture while applying principles of sustainable design

Website — http://www.olbrich.org/

Photo and article by Bo Mackison, who spends many wintry days snug in the tropical gardens in the Conservatory. To see more Wisconsin photos, including the Winter Gallery, visit Seeded Earth Photography. Photo “Red Coil Plant, Bolz Conservatory” © 2008 all rights reserved.

The City of Milwaukee has a heritage of brewing and beer. While many of the old names have faded, the Lakefront Brewery has grown and is adding to Milwaukee’s proud tradition. And to add a little extra color to their beer, Lakefront Brewery is a participating business in the Travel Green Wisconsin program. Ah, definitely a greener kind of beer!

There are several things to know about the Lakefront Brewery. First, it’s not on the lakefront. It’s actually on the Milwaukee River just north of downtown. Second, the beers I’ve sampled have all been highly enjoyable and wonderfully unique – they even brew a gluten-free beer! – and I’d buy them all again (and have). Third, Lakefront Brewery has “The Tour.”

I’ve stopped at many a brewery tour – from Milwaukee’s Miller to Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis, Tyranena Brewery in Lake Mills Wisconsin, Cooperstown Brewery in New York, and many in between – but this brewery’s tour is a hoot and well worth the trip. Even if you don’t like beer, you’ll still enjoy the show, but it helps if you at least appreciate the stuff.

Our tour guide was a mild mannered 4th grade teacher by day and a comedic, brash cheerleader and part time Laverne & Shirley imitator on the weekends. This tour starts the right way – with a visit to the tasting room. You bring your cup along and refill midway so as not to be high and dry at the end of the tour.

You find out all the basic things about beer on this tour, including definitions of words like wort and fermentation. However, the high tech graphics (laminated hand made signs), fermentation tanks painted with images of The Three Stooges, the tour guide’s rendition of Laverne & Shirley choreography, and most importantly, the refillable beer cup, make this tour “The Tour.” You see the real brewing operation in all its gory (or glory), and it’s one grand adventure. They also have the original beer mug from old County Stadium – take your photo holding the handle. Finally the gift shop, a 9′x12′ cubby, has some great shirts and other beer paraphernalia.

Travel Green Wisconsin Green Guide Score – 53

Green highlights and innovative practices
– Uses organic malt and hops
– Renewable energy is purchased through WE Energies
– Used grains and hops are sent to a worm farmer and turned into compost
– Water that is run through a heat exchanger to cool boiled beer is reused for the next batch of beer
– Products are purchased in bulk and reusable goods are used instead of disposable ones

Website — http://www.lakefrontbrewery.com/

Photo and article by Bo Mackison, a Madison area writer and photographer, who often accompanies her husband on travels throughout Wisconsin, and makes frequent stops to tour microbreweries at his suggestion. To see more Wisconsin photography, visit the Seeded Earth Photography gallery. Photo “Larry’s Mug on the Tank” ©2008 all rights reserved.

Wisconsin has always been a leader in environmental protection and its people have been leaders in raising awareness for environmental causes.

Think of John Muir, who grew up on a Wisconsin farm and later founded the Sierra Club. Or Aldo Leopold, whose “Sand County Almanac,” helped spur a greater land ethic for conservation. And don’t forget former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson, often called the father of Earth Day, which has helped raise the environmental consciousness of two generations.

Now Wisconsin is at the forefront of another movement.

The state Department of Tourism and the Wisconsin Environmental Initiative have teamed up to support Travel Green Wisconsin, a voluntary program to review, certify and recognize tourism businesses that are committed to improve their operations in order to reduce their environmental impact. The bottom-line goal: provide valuable travel experiences while moving toward environmental, social and economic sustainability.

Currently, 203 businesses have gained certification through a program that gauges the performance of the business in nine categories:

Communication and education (with customers, employees and the public)
Waste reduction, reuse and recycling
Energy efficiency, conservation and management
Water conservation and wastewater management
Air quality
Wildlife and landscape conservation and management
Transportation
Purchasing
Local community benefits

For all the details, check out the Travel Green Wisconsin Checklist.

To gain certification, a business must earn a minimum of 30 points. A dozen businesses have earned scores of greater than 100.

There will be posts that explore the state we love by focusing on the travel green movement. We’ll help you experience the state’s natural areas and businesses that foster sustainability. We’ll offer ideas for minimizing negative impacts on the environment in your travels and help you appreciate the state’s biodiversity and natural heritage. We’ll help you learn about local culture and traditions so you can better interact with your hosts.

In many entries, we’ll introduce you to businesses participating in the Travel Green Wisconsin program. With each entry, we’ll provide an overview of the business, taken in part from the Travel Green Wisconsin web site. For each business, we’ll also list:

Green Guide Score
Highlights and innovative practices
Web site or contact info

We hope you enjoy Go Green Travel Wisconsin – and Go Green!

The M&I Bank building in Spring Green, Wisconsin, is a definite “must see” if you are in the area touring Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright’s home. The bank was designed by a Wright associate, William Wesley Peters. Peters was Wright’s first apprentice, joining him in 1932. He assisted Wright in the designs of Fallingwater and did the structural rendition of the Guggenheim Museum.

The bank, located in downtown Spring Green about an hour’s drive west of Madison, is an operating bank, and is open during business hours. A nearby building, at one time the drive through window for the bank, is now occupied by Spring Green’s Chamber of Commerce.

Peters was first married to Wright’s adopted daughter, Svetlana, who tragically died in an auto accident with one of Peters’ sons. Later, he was briefly married to Svetlana Alliluyeva, the only daughter of Joseph Stalin, in a marriage arranged by Peters’ mother-in-law, Olgivianna Wright. (Frank Lloyd Wright’s last wife, she survived him and ran the Foundation for many years.)

Peters was a widely respected architect and engineer, and a loyal friend of Wright and advocate of his ideas. He completed several projects that Frank Lloyd Wright left in various degrees of completion after Wright’s death. He was Chairman of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation from 1985 until his death in 1991.

Photos by Bo Mackison, a Madison area writer and photographer who travels Wisconsin in search of Frank Lloyd Wright-related architectural gems. To see more Wisconsin photos, visit her galleries at Seeded Earth Photography.

We went to the Dane County Farmers’ Market early this morning. Rewarded for our efforts, we came home with the quintessential cheese curds made that very morning, a colorful mix of purple, yellow, blue, and white potatoes, ground emu meat, and parsley pine-nut pesto. A good haul, but it wasn’t a pleasant stroll around the Capitol Square as usual. After all, we’re in the second week of November – it was cold and snow flurries were spewing from the gray clouds. It only makes sense that this is the last market on the Square for 2008. But wait!

Unlike in the earliest years of the market, this doesn’t mean the end of Saturday morning forays to visit the farmers and survey their goodies. The market moves inside next week, none too soon for my way of thinking. After all, while I love the market, I’m not fond of getting frozen fingers checking out the produce.

The indoors market opens next Saturday, November 15, and continues weekly through December 20th. The hours are shorter than in the summer – from 7:30 am to noon. It is held at the Monona Terrace, just a few blocks east of the summer location.

There is plenty of variety available, even in the colder months. Fruits such as apples and pears are available, plus apple cider, and apple and pear butters. Stored vegetables will include carrots, garlic, potatoes, and turnips. There are a few fresh vegetables – chard, greens, kale, lettuce, radishes, spinach and tomatoes. Meat varieties are almost endless. There are your standards found in any meat section, plus bison, emu and ostrich.

Plenty of offerings to keep my Saturday mornings booked for the foreseeable future.