Milwaukee
They call Milwaukee the “Cream City” which I didn’t understand at all (and I will tell you why at the end). I recently visited Milwaukee for a conference and went in a day early, so I had some time to explore. In addition, as part of the conference we did a sunrise walk and even took a boat tour which gave me a much better perspective of the city. Since I only was there 4 days and some of it was at a conference, I didn’t have time to explore everything there was to be explored.
I did enjoy the city a lot and I can honestly say that some of that was because it was a lovely temperature (and I can also say that I probably would not enjoy it in the winter)! During my explorations, I found that much like many European cities, it was very walkable. It had a wonderful riverwalk area that not only gave you some great scenery but felt very safe.
When I arrived, I had several hours in the afternoon to just walk around and explore. My walk took me to the 3rd ward section of the city which included hotels, restaurants, shopping and the Milwaukee Public Market. The market was very similar to what you would see in a market in a city in Europe. It was smaller for sure but had many similarities. There was fish, cheese, wine, candy and a very nice wine bar.
Our sunrise walk to the lake included many historic buildings, but the Milwaukee Art Museum was a beautiful spot to overlook the lake (and a very cool building). The museum is famous for not only being one of the largest art museums in the U.S. but also for its winged roof – the Burke Brise Soleil, which is a moveable sunscreen that rests on top of the Museum and looks like wings. On our walk back we walked along the riverwalk and stopped to see the statue of “The Fonz”. In case you don’t remember both Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley were based in Milwaukee.
The next day we took a 2-hour boat tour starting on the Milwaukee River that ultimately took us out onto Lake Michigan. We got to see the lighthouses and an amazing view of the entire city. The bridges that went over the river were actually quite interesting as some were traditional drawbridges, but many of them were hydraulic lift bridges that you barely realized were lifting.
I also love to get up in the morning and walk before I start my day. Again, this city was perfect for that sort of activity. I honestly wish I had more time to explore as I am sure there was much more to see. But I would recommend it if you are looking to get away to a low-key city for a few days. Between the museums, marketplace, bars, restaurants and the river walk it has a lot to offer. Oh, and it is Wisconsin so there is cheese!
Now why do they call it “Cream City”? Not because of the cheese, this nickname originated from the light-colored bricks that were produced in Milwaukee during the 19th century. Their “creamy” color is a result of the lime and sulfur content in the local clay. When the bricks are fired, they turn from a red to the light cream color which is how the city got its nickname!
