The Isthmus

The Isthmus. This is the rare landform that I call home. It is a strip of land between two bodies of water. In this case, they are Lake Mendota to the northwest and Lake Monona to the southeast. It is a common misperception in Madison, especially among those new to town, that the isthmus runs East-West. This is roughly true and perpetuated by the cultural distinctions drawn by locals along those line. However, the isthmus runs southwest to northeast. This makes it possible for there to be a south side of town (associated and closer to the west side) and a north side of town (associated and closer to the east side). This photo is incomplete and I will search for another one. It focuses particularly on the Capitol and the University. These two institutions dominate life in Madison for better and for worse. The isthmus proper runs further into the northeast corner of this photo and beyond. Strictly speaking, the University is not on the isthmus, but just off to the west side of it. Ironically, the most visible landmark of the University is the horseshoe shaped football stadium that marks the southwest corner of campus. The rest of campus is north and east of it running along Lake Mendota.