It's "Madison Week" at OnMilwaukee.com. We sent our editorial staff to check out bars, restaurants, retail outlets and cultural venues in order to uncover some of the best of Wisconsin's second-largest city.
MADISON -- Across the street from the vast expanse of the ecologically restored woodland that is the UW Arboretum, Madison's Arbor House is the brilliant result of progressive-minded development mixed with respectful historic preservation.
Innkeepers John and Cathie Imes opened the Arbor House in the former Plough Inn building, a gorgeous 19th century structure upon which they've expanded to create a two-building, eight-room "environmental inn."
The Arbor House, 3402 Monroe St., is a charming bed and breakfast that boasts many modern features that protect the planet, including the use of recycled woods, high efficiency ventilation, windows and faucets and chemical-free insulation, caulk and finishes.
The Imes have worked hard since opening in 1994 to create a sustainable inn and become a model for green renovation. They were highly successful, even landing their business on the Fine Living Network's list of top 10 eco-hotels in the country.
Cathie Imes says it is a labor of love.
"We're extremely hands-on owners," she says of her husband-wife team. "What we do isn't super obvious to people. In other words, customers don't necessarily know what our walls are made of, they don't know how energy efficient the building is, they don't know that we have a mineral silicate paint in a historic house that looks like regular paint but that came from Germany and lasts 30 years. Everything we do is extremely subtle; we try not to preach to people. We just wanted to do the right thing and have a beautiful property and run it well. That's what we're most proud of."
And the inn scores as high in the comfort and hospitality department as it does in the eco sector.
The rooms, with names like Cozy Rose, the Tap Room -- transformed from a popular tavern for travelers during the Plough Inn days -- and the John Muir, are a charming mix of antique flare and environmental emphasis. Some have claw foot tubs, others have wood-burning stoves. All are priced between $110 and $150 per night, depending on the day of the week.
When it comes to food and drink, the Arbor Room aims to please any palate. The food preparation is a special point of pride for Cathie, who personally plans the inn's menus according to seasonal availability and her guests' needs. This means vegetarians, vegans, people with food allergies and picky eaters.
"We're a little more intrusive when we're taking a reservation," she explains. "We ask for dietary restrictions and special needs because we want our pantry stocked with just the right ingredients for the guests in the house."
There's daily happy hour with wine, cheese and crackers, followed by mid-evening sweet treats and complimentary breakfast in the morning. Many of her meals incorporate organic and fair-trade choices and the menu can consist of tempting items such as huevos rancheros with fried polenta, Grand Marnier stuffed French toast and banana pecan pancakes.
The inn's extra amenities include the sauna and sunroom and supplies for eco-tainment -- mountain bikes, Lake Wingra canoe passes, binoculars for bird watching and an environmental resource center.
All of these features add up to comfortable, stylish and eco-friendly stay in the heart of Madison. Because of its urban location and proximity to an abundance of restaurants, bars, shops, parks and tourist attractions, the Arbor Inn has carved out a unique niche in green travel.
And it's become quite the hot spot. May through October is the busy season, but Cathie says even the off season isn't very "off" any more.
"We run the numbers of a 10-room inn in California, only we're an eight-room inn in Wisconsin," she says.
A word of advice? Book early if you're planning a summer stay.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
