mad about Madison

Sometime this fall, Chris and I decided not to buy each other Christmas presents. Instead we decided we would take a weekend getaway. We opted for Clifty Falls because it's less than an hour away and right next to Madison, which has become one of our favorite destinations. Our first stop during our excursion was the Lanier Mansion. It's a beautiful, historical home located along the Ohio River. Here are some of the photos of the mansion. Some of them are blurry because flash photography wasn't allowed.

This is the side of the mansion that faces the Ohio River.

In the back of the mansion was this rod iron gazebo.



Here's the dining room. Our tour guide pointed out the "celery bowls" on the table. He said only the extremely wealthy could afford celery during this time period and so it was proudly displayed.

One of the home's most striking features is the three-story spiral staircase leading to a skylight.

We thought this was a stepping stool. We were only partly right. It doubles as a chamber pot. There was no indoor plumbing back then.

This is a wedding dress. We were surprised because we thought women had always worn white.

Here we are on the spiral staircase. The lights on the chandelier were powered by gas.

After the tour, we stopped for coffee at Madison Coffee & Tea. It was delish!

Chris got a Raspberry Mocha Latte. After one sip he said, "Starbucks who?" :)

That night, we ate at Dofi & Company.

The food is wonderful but we recommend splitting the entree because the portions are massive.

Chris took this shot in the elevator on the way up to our room at Clifty Falls. The ceiling of the elevator is a mirror.

Judging by this picture I think Rufus is happy we're home.