Taliesin served a combination of needs for Frank Lloyd Wright. It was his summer residence, studio, and teaching facility. Located a few miles from Spring Green, Wisconsin, it is a spectacularly beautiful and interesting site to tour.

It was built on land that had belonged to Wright's family for a long time. The word Taliesin is Welsh, and means "shining brow." Wright wanted it to appear as if it had grown out of the hill on its own. Look carefully at the way the stone work is designed to mimic the natural pattern of stone outcroppings.

The facility is still used by architecture students and scholars, many of whom live there. Wright experimented freely with the place, which means that it is pretty much in a constant state of disrepair. A full restoration would cost many millions of dollars, and I wish some wealthy philanthropist would do just that. In fact, I kind of wish people like George Soros would put their money to that purpose, rather than the political churning they prefer. Taliesin tours are quite expensive indeed, but when you think about your money going to upkeep, you are not troubled by the price.

As is typical with Wright buildings, interior photos are absolutely forbidden. At Taliesin, they're more concerned with the potential damage done by clumsy photographers than they are about improper photo exploitation. Apparently, someone allowed their camera to knock over a priceless Ming Dynasty vase a few years ago, so you can understand the concern. But that also means I have few shots to show you. The light was horrid the day we were there, so my outdoor shots are nothing to write home about either.