Visiting State Capitol Buildings

One of the great things about traveling is coming up with creative ideas to enhance the overall experience - especially if that experience involves driving through states where perhaps there isn't a whole lot to see (or if you are in a particular "hurry" to get to a certain destination and have limited time).

In the years that Kristine and I have been married, we've made it a priority to see each state capitol building as we have a chance. Ideally, we like to tour the state capitol building if we can so we can admire the architectural and artistic components of the building from the outside and inside. But at the very least, we make a diligent effort to see the exterior of the building itself so that we can confirm that we've had a chance to view it for ourselves even if time does not allow for us to gain the entire experience.

So far as of January 2016, we've managed to accomplish seeing the following buildings while traveling:

1. Minnesota - St. Paul - Both of us have seen/been inside this building a number of times individually. We have not been inside together as of yet to my knowledge. This capitol building is one of the more impressive structures you will see out there.

2. Colorado - Denver - We did a guided tour of the building in 2012 on a family vacation. All of the gold used in this building stands out in my view. It is an attractive building overall.

3. West Virginia - Charleston - We did a 'self-guided tour' of this building on a Sunday evening. The building was eerily empty inside. On the outside, it stands out if not for the fact that Charleston is a rather 'run down' city.

4. Delaware - Dover - We saw the building from the outside. However, because it was a weekend, the building was not open. We did a guided tour of the original capitol building that same day which was worth the time. Dover is a small village relatively speaking so the capitol building sticks out. It is not a dome which separates itself from many of the dome structures commonly seen.

5. Maryland - Annapolis - We did a guided tour of the building in 2013 while on a family vacation. This building is beautifully situated in Annapolis and Annapolis maintains much of the colonial character of a city 200+ years old.

6. North Dakota - Bismarck - Without question, this building is one of the more unique looking capitols out there. For better or worse, neither of us were very impressed with it. It is not a traditional capitol building and instead looks like a small skyscraper which is unusual to have in a farm/rural state. We were not able to go inside because we were there on a weekend while traveling in 2013.

7. Texas - Austin - Texas does everything big insofar as there is a lot of fanfare for this building when doing the guided tour. The structure itself is 'average' as far as capitol buildings go. Don't get me wrong. It is very nicely done overall as far as architectural appearance albeit not glitzy. We toured it while on vacation in 2015.

8. Iowa - Des Moines - In 2014, we made sure to do the tour while on a family vacation. Definitely worth the visit. I remember the charming architectural and paintings standing out.

9. North Carolina - Raleigh - While on vacation in 2015, we set aside some time to tour this building. A self-guided tour, we were able to see much of the building and while not necessarily overly impressive, most of the building was accessible on the tour, more so than many other tours in other states.

10. Nebraska - Lincoln - While breezing through town returning from Colorado in 2007, Kristine and I took a quick moment to view this capitol building from the outside. On another date, we'll have to stop in for a tour. This building is similar to what North Dakota did. I am not convinced it is the most aesthetically pleasing. It probably serves function over form.

11. Indiana - Indianapolis - There was little time in the day on a Sunday morning to do anything more than a quick drive by. We were on our way to North Carolina. We will need to stop by again.

12. Kentucky - Frankfort - I was awed by this impressive structure. What a beautiful building. We were there on a weekend and it was not open. However, it is placed in a small idyllic setting in rural Kentucky. I would love to see this building from the inside. Kentucky should be proud that it may have one of the very best capitol buildings in the United States.

Luke has seen most of the other capitol buildings in the United States with the exception of a few buildings in the northeast (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut) as well as South Dakota, Alaska and Hawaii. Kristine basically has 38 capitol buildings left to go. We both have seen from a distance the U.S. Capitol building and Luke has toured it on 2 occasions (1987, 2000). We tried hard to find the Hawaii capitol building in 2005 but did not have GPS as of yet. Our goal to see all 50 state capitol buildings will be accomplished sometime in the next 10 or 15 years hopefully. We just have to keep plugging away.

Copyright 2016 - Luke Enno

Visiting Green Bay, WI

If you are planning on visiting Green Bay, Wisconsin, most likely, you are a fan of the Green Bay Packers or you have some working knowledge of the NFL and the central importance professional football plays to the City of Green Bay. Unlike any other similarly-sized city in the United States, Green Bay actually can support a major professional sports organization. A major reason for that of course is that Green Bay is a part of Wisconsin and Wisconsin has Milwaukee, Madison and several other decent sized population bases within reasonable driving distance of Green Bay.

The first time I sojourned to Green Bay, it was 1991. My dad was a Packers fan and he had the idea that taking a trip to Green Bay over Labor Day Weekend might be a fun excursion. Little did I know that it would become a regular occurrence over Labor Day Weekend for years to come. Because the Packers hold training camp right in Green Bay and practice right across the street from the stadium, the team is much more visible to the public than almost any other professional football team.

In Green Bay, there are other activities and things to do certainly. But the highlight of traveling to Green Bay involves visiting the Hall of Fame Museum, touring Lambeau Field, attending a game or practice or visiting any one of a number of places around town that house the history of the Packers such as where the Packers formerly played before moving to Lambeau Field or where the Packers offices once were located prior to relocating to Lambeau Field.

In 2015, my son and I made our first pilgrimage together to visit Green Bay to take in all of the sights and sounds of everything including attending a game (versus the New Orleans Saints). We were able to tour the stadium and Hall of Fame Museum, drive around town to see various historical sites associated with the Packers organization and do some Packers-oriented shopping. For my son, it was a dream come true since he has been a Packers fan for almost as long as he has been able to talk in complete sentences.

For any football fan, a trip to Green Bay is worth it whether you like the Packers or not. Going to Green Bay between the months of August and December is ideal since football is in season and there is a certain energy and vibe that cannot be duplicated for such a small town.

Copyright 2016 - Luke Enno