Madison is a wonderful little city. The State Capitol Building is breathtaking and a must-see. We visited Frank Loyd Write's Community building, The Monona Terrace, a beautiful setting on Lake Monona. The Olbrich Botanical Gardens were stunning, such a creative setting and amazing vegetation. We ate dinner and watched a movie on the Memorial Union Terrace, a part of the University of Wisconsin Campus. What an enjoyable night, watching the sailboats as the sun set on Lake Mendota! All in all, a great 2-day getaway!

I visited the campus recently with my kids. It’s in the city of Madison and right on a lake which is nice. There are several old looking buildings which we liked. A nice layout.

We visited the iconic terrace on the lake next to the Memorial Union. Beautiful views of the sailboats on the lake. Sitting (and taking pictures) in the famous “sun” chairs. The luncheon and snack menu provided sizable portions of good food with some healthy options such as a salmon avocado sandwich. There were standard fries and tater tots for sides but also available were carrots and apples.The ice cream section had about 12 flavor options with topping additions. And of course beer. Later in the afternoon music became available.

As a graduate of the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, I always envied the fact that the University of Wisconsin-Madison had a reputation for one of the most beautiful college campuses in the country. But there is more to the 933-acre main campus that its location on the isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona, a mile from the Wisconsin State Capitol. Did you know that UW-Madison claims more distinct archaeological sites than any other university campus with four clusters of effigy mounds reflecting thousands of years of human habitation in the area? While walking the campus grounds, a visitor learns many interesting facts about the history of UW-Madison, its buildings and alumni. It ranks No. 17 of 600 four-year colleges and universities on Money.com's Best Colleges of America list, is the largest employer in the state, boasts the 12th largest research library collection in North America with more than 8.3 million volumes and has produced 26 Nobel laureates, 38 Pulitzer Prize recipients, two Heisman Trophy winners and the CEOs of 14 Fortune 500 companies, the most of any university in the United States. Notable alumni include naturalist John Muir, architect Frank Lloyd Wright and aviator Charles Lindbergh. Most impressive, however, is the infrastructure. Start with Bascom Hill, the iconic main quadrangle of the campus. Then visit Bascom Hall, considered the heart of the campus. Built in 1857, it once was topped by a decorative dome that was destroyed by fire in 1916. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Next is Music Hall, a Victorian Gothic building constructed in 1878 that once was designed to house an 800-seat auditorium, library and clock tower and once held conventions, dances and commencement ceremonies. Today, it remains an important music venue and is home to the university opera. Don't forget the hub of the campus, Memorial Union, the oldest of two student unions. Memorial Union was built in 1928 and is recognized as one of the most beautiful student centers on a university campus, a popular spot for socializing among students and the public. Union South was built in 1971 to better accommodate a growing student enrollment. It was demolished in 2008 and replaced by a newer Union South in 2011 on the site of the old union. It contains several dining options, an art gallery, a climbing wall, a bowling alley and a hotel. There also are three nationally recognized museums--Geology Museum, Chazen Museum of Art and L.R. Ingersoll Physics Museum. If that isn't enough, UW-Madison owns and operates a 1,200-acre Arboretum, a National Historic Landmark which is located four miles south of the main campus.

Steadily declining in national rankings; frantically purging elements that have fallen out of favor with trendy ideologies; hysterical reactions to last year's nasty cold bug; and sullen, suspicious students -- these are the distinguishing traits of this once great university.It does, however, continue to excel in one measurement: it's ability to gorge itself on ever-increasing hoards of taxpayer funding.