Hoyt Park - Forest Path

Another charming path through the woods. Madison is an officially declared Tree City. I'm not sure what one needs to do to attain "Tree City" standing, but I have no doubt Madison qualifies. The parts of the city that were not originally wetlands (that's right, a large portion of the city is built on a drained swamp) were forests. It is part of what makes Madison beautiful - plenty of trees.

Hoyt Park Fireplaces

Hoyt Park has fireplaces! We have used them to cook out, but I bet it would be nice to sit around a fire on a crisp fall evening.

The Secret Dell - Hoyt Park

Okay, I don't know how secret it really is, but when you're in this section of the park, you can completely forget you are in a city of roughly 300,000 people (in the metro area). It is serene and very romantic. I know I took this picture with a green filter, which makes the leaves pop.

Hoyt Park Trail to the Cliffs

These steps are part of the trail that goes to the hidden dell in the park. I have walked these steps many a time. They lead from an overlook with one of the best views in the city. I used a filter, but for the life of me, I can't remember which one. I should really write these things down.

Hoyt Park

Hoyt Park is a park on the near west side of town. It is remarkable for two reasons - it is more or less in the heart of the city, and once you enter the park, you are hardly aware of it, it is so peaceful; the other reason is that it is chock full of hidden treasures: limestone cliffs, fireplaces, an overlook with a breathtaking view of the city's west side. This photo is from one of the park's entrances.

King's Motel

Madison is, by and large, a beautiful city. This is not a picture of that beauty. But I do like neon, and this picture reminds me of an old film noir. When I went to take this picture, I made sure to have someone with me - this area, as you can imagine, is now a little run down at the heel. I'm sure the King's Motel was a fine family establishment once. Once.

Capital City Bike Path

Madison is a city for cyclists, weather permitting. We have a nice series of dedicated bike paths, and boy, are they in use. This used to be a rail bridge, but when once this set of railroad tracks were decommissioned, the city turned this stretch into a bike path. The Capital City Bike Trail runs through the isthmus, connecting east and west side. This bike trail passes, among other things, the much-debated Monona Terrace Convention Center. My one beef with this trail is that on a beautiful day (such as today), the whole world is on the trail - which is great, until some Lance Armstrong wannabe blows by the "slow" by which I mean every one traveling slower than 30 mph. Time to check the spring bike check up and hit the trails!