Escape to Luxury: A Review of Walking Iron Bed and Breakfast in Mazomanie, Wisconsin

21 State Street

Mazomanie, WI 53560

www.walkingiron.com

This summer has been an interesting one for the people of America. In a time that's usually spent visiting friends, family or the ever popular amusement park, it's now become a time of creativity. Namely:

How can we do anything or go anywhere affordably?

Airfare prices are rising steadily along with gas prices leading people to look to the quirks and hidden amusements in their own hometowns or the city just down the road. This has become a challenge for the average American family. Imagine the dilemma for a pair of newlyweds looking for an affordable honeymoon.

This was the dilemma my fiancé and I faced when searching for the perfect honeymoon spot. Surrounded by acquaintances who throw caution to the wind and opt for Hawaii or Mexico because "it's our honeymoon!", we experienced something I'd like to call "Honeymoon Guilt."

In all reality, we did want to go somewhere exotic. . .exotic for us. Maine was our dream destination and currently still is. Someday we'd like to go; when prices for airline tickets go down or until we move close enough so we can drive. That became our final decision: We would go somewhere we could drive to easily. Being in the Midwest, there are really only a few options if you don't want to drive more than eight hours and we'd visited most of these states. Eventually, we settled on Wisconsin. I had lived there at one point and my fiancé had never visited. We were excited until people started asking where we were going for our honeymoon.

Enter the "Honeymoon Guilt."

When we told people where we were going, they would smile, nod and either ask why or change the subject. When we said it was the most affordable, again, the smile and nod. We became slightly resentful of our money situation and our inability to visit somewhere "exotic." That was until we actually got to Mazomanie and the Walking Iron Bed and Breakfast.

Upon first glance, Mazomanie (pronounced Maze-oh-main-ee) looks like one of many small towns: one main street with a bank, gas station, Subway and market on one side, doctor's offices and veterinarians on the other. In other words: blink and you'll miss it. However, a side street off the main street leads down a steep hill into the heart of historic Mazomanie. Past the old train station promenade that has been rebuilt and surrounded by gardens is the city square, a quaint setup of small art galleries, restaurants and one amazing vintage shop called Halle's. Turn another corner and there's the Walking Iron, a Victorian Italianate home surrounded by trees and gardens, seemingly set off from the town itself.

David and Karisa Friske's goal with Walking Iron is to blend history with luxury, and they surpass all expectations. From the moment you step onto the wraparound veranda and through the ancient wooden door, time seems to stop, turn around and settle back in its rightful place in the eighteenth century. Each room has been given painstaking attention to make certain it suits the needs of the modern traveler, but to also allow them a glimpse of life in the past.

There are five rooms, each one suitable to any taste, each one just as luxurious. Each room is named after individuals who lived in the house and are spread out over the spacious two levels. The third floor has been turned into a library full of books, movies and memorabilia, including a few Civil War pieces (Dave's especial favorite.) Each room contains cable TV and DVD's hidden among historic artifacts of the room. The TV in our room was hidden away in an antique cabinet!

Of course the other side of the "Bed" is the "Breakfast," and I looked forward to this every morning. A full meal, usually including a muffin, fruit and meat alongside a main dish, was served accompanied by a wide variety of coffees and teas that were always available. Because we visited for a week, we got to taste a variety of foods and no repeated meals. Often times, my husband and I wouldn't feel like eating until three o'clock!

The other wonderful aspect of Walking Iron is that it is a good centralized area, near other towns and attractions. Our honeymoon was spent driving to these attractions that were only ten to twenty minutes away. We only planned certain events that needed to be reserved (Frank Lloyd Wright's "Taliesin" tour and the American Player's Theatre) and went to other sites as we felt inclined to do so. Many of these attractions were very reasonably priced if not free. Just exploring the nearby towns such as Mount Horeb and Mineral Point was enough to take up a full day.

It was very hard for us to leave Walking Iron at the end of our honeymoon. It had become a second home to us thanks to Dave and Karisa. Yes, the bed and breakfast was beautiful, as was the scenery around it, but it was Dave and Karisa's attentiveness to their guests, their willingness to chat about anything and general kindness that made the experience that much more enjoyable. It was by far the most relaxing vacation I have ever experienced. More importantly, I couldn't have imagined a better honeymoon.

Goodbye Honeymoon Guilt!