Speckled Hen Inn

After a horrific afternoon battling traffic in Chicago, it seemed a lot like heaven to arrive at our B&B on the northern edge of Madison. I had booked it early because it only has one pet-friendly room, the Madison Lakes room.

You never know quite what to expect from a B&B no matter how many photos you see or Tripadvisor comments you read. This exceeded our most optimistic expectations. The room was beautiful, spacious -- almost like a small suite -- cool, nice big king bed, and a wonderfully appointed bathroom with separate toilet, king-size shower, big tub.

We had booked three nights and Andrea's immediate reaction was to try to get the other two nights we were staying in the area. They only had one more night for us but we took that.

It is a farm and there is huge corral with sheep and two llamas. It turns out that the llamas are the guardian and shepherd of the flock. Ziggy has been only mildly interested in the farm animals and much more interested in the owners' cats. She settled in after the first day and is able to stay here by herself.

Our room has a separate entrance in the wing closest to the driveway. The porch continues to the main entrance, where there is a very comfortable lounge with coffee, cookies, and soft drinks, as well as wine for sale. The breakfast rooms are upstairs and the breakfasts have by and large been very good with eggs from their own (speckled) hens, maple syrup harvested from the farm and fresh-baked scones. The innkeepers, Patricia and Bob, are very friendly.

It has been a great haven. If it had a pool, it would be perfect. The bathroom is stylish, but clearly favors design over practicality -- the toilet is too small to allow the door to open and the mirrors try to accommodate a corner sink but are not practical for shaving. These are quibbles, though. The soundproofing is excellent, so that you really don't hear the nearby Interstate at all.