Usonian | On our weeklong trip around Wisconsin we have visited a number of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. Today we stopped by the Herbert Jacobs house which was built in 1937. A very early version of his ‘everyman’ Usonian home its carport was complete with a classic 60’s Swedish sports-tourer Volvo P1800. The red car works superbly with the red brick and Cherokee red paving.
SoCal Villa | Summer is upon us here in the Midwest, though the cooler days with a foggy fret off the Lake would make you think otherwise. Here’s Steve McQueen maintaining a cool look, as always, in the courtyard of his Beverly Hills home on a Triumph Matisse runabout’. His ’57 Jaguar XKSS which he called The Green Rat is parked in the background. He makes that faded denim shirt and jeans ensemble with Turkish slippers look stylish.
Capital Capitol | Punctuating the isthmus between Lakes Mendota & Monona the White granite domed State capitol building stands proudly with the gilt Wisconsin statue atop it. The morning sun glints of it splendidly. As the Wisconsin mottos says: “Forward!”
Red Wing MN | With a name derived from the Dakota chiefs use of a red dyed swan feather to denote rank, this North Star State town on the banks of the Mississippi is a pleasant place to visit. Classic red brick architecture line a couple of very walkable streets. It is known for rugged work boots and clay pottery; as well as one of the earliest ski clubs in the US due to the Scandinavian population who settled there.
Red Barn | One of the things I do when passing through the American Heartland is look out for old barns. Their vernacular spirit intrigues me as they always seem to complement the rural scene. During yesterday’s jaunt through Wisconsin and Minnesota I could have stopped at least a dozen times; however this structure stood out for a photo-op. The grassy ramp of this ‘bank’ or ‘basement’ barn gives access to the hayloft itself supported on the stone built livestock stable. A cupola is supported on the classic gambrel roof.
