24 Hours In Milwaukee

We arrived in Milwaukee on the Lake Express Ferry in the evening. It had been a scenic ride across Lake Michigan from Muskegon, Michigan.

It was good to be back to in Milwaukee. I had wanted to return for years, and it never worked out. Although this was to be a short trip, I wanted to make it happen.

My friend, Lynn, and I were staying at a most unusual hotel. The Brewhouse Inn & Suites has a long history, going all the way back to 1848. It was a brewery, at one point for Pabst Blue Ribbon. It then became a boutique hotel and was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

The current Brewhouse Inn & Suites opened with a remodel in 2013. It is beautifully laid out, with reminiscent brewery tanks and intricate woodwork throughout.

Although the front entrance to Brewhouse is not accessible, there is a side door I was able to go in with my power chair. It is right next to the parking lot. They also offer valet parking.

We had a large accessible suite with a sitting area and a full kitchen. The bathroom was large enough to move around in the wheelchair, and the shower was easy to navigate with rails and a shower seat. We got settled before heading out to dinner.

Mader’s Restaurant is one of those places that speaks a lot about the city it is in. It has been in to Visit Milwaukee for 120 years. The food is German, a nationality well-represented in this Midwest town, especially in the early 20^th century.

One visit to Mader’s is not enough so I was ready to go back for more and I started it with a crisp German Riesling from Mosel. I am equally fond of German food and wanted to take a “tapas” attitude to try as much as possible.

We started with a giant, fresh from the oven, pretzel, with fried pickles and Weisswurst (a white sausage). It was followed by potato pancakes covered in applesauce and sour cream, spaetzle, and sauteed mushrooms.

Dessert was an easy choice of Apple Strudel, with ice cream, of course. We then headed back to the hotel exhausted from the day, but ready to see more Milwaukee in the morning.

 

Breakfast was at the Brewhouse’s Restaurant, On Tap. My friend, Ryan, came to meet us and we enjoyed chicken & waffles, eggs, and bacon.

The Milwaukee Museum of Art is one of my favorite museums. The building alone, which opens and closes like an airplane, is a design worth seeing. When making a trip here, I always request it on my itinerary.

I was not disappointed.

I’m a fan of Georgia O’Keefe and was excited to see some of the beautiful paintings by her they had, as well as contemporary Roy Lichtenstein. While the museum’s design and many pieces are modern, you’ll still find representation of more classic and ancient art among 30,000 works.

We went up to the roof to catch the 12:00 noon moving of the “wings” of the museum. It was a bit cool out, but worth it. From there you’ll also find a bridge that takes you to downtown.

The entire Milwaukee Museum of Art is extremely accessible with wide hallways, ramps, and elevators. They have wheelchairs available for use at the admissions desk. Although I didn’t bring Teddy on this trip, service animals are welcome.

From the museum, we drove to one of Milwaukee’s most popular spots, the Public Market.

The Public Market was busy and filled with delicious-looking foods. We had a tough time making a decision, but eventually settled on Foltz Wood Fire Pizza & Calzones. Lynn got a Reuben Panini and I went for a Margharita Pizza. Both were fantastic. Before we left, I couldn’t resist a cookie from Adam’s Bakery.

The plan was to go the Harley Davidson Museum after the market, but it was getting late. I had been previously, but it had been a while. It would have to wait until the next, longer, Milwaukee trip.

We finished a wonderful girls’ trip through Michigan and then Milwaukee with a scenic drive home and thoughts where our next adventure might be!

 I was hosted on this trip by Visit Milwaukee but opinions are my own.

Festival and Ferry for the Last Day in Southwest Michigan

 

It was the final day in Michigan for my friend, Lynn, and I. It had been a wonderful adventure along the coast of Lake Michigan. We were prepared to spend the day with even more of it.

We started with a breakfast meeting with Nick Nerbonne, Media & Digital Director at Pure Michigan. We met at The Coffee Factory for great lattes and breakfast sandwiches, and to talk about the mitten state and accessibility.

Nick is interested in making the state as accessible as possible, knowing it has to be done place by place. He’s proud of the beach chair initiative and the continued efforts. He eagerly listened to my suggestions about hotels, transportation, and other accommodations.

We went back to the Delta Hotel to pack up and check out. We still had until evening in Muskegon. After leaving our suitcases with the front desk, we walked the three blocks downtown to Hackley Park, where a Polish Festival was going on. Along the way we spotted murals and sculptures throughout the well-kept city.

The Polish Festival, a yearly event in the town, was a lot of fun. It celebrated that countries heritage, food, and culture. We watched the dancing and listened to the music while deciding what to eat from the very tempting booths.

Lynn went for a platter with kielbasa, cabbage, pierogies, and potato pancakes. She said it was authentic and fantastic. I went for something a little less ordinary, but equally good: Paczki stuffed with pulled pork.

We walked back to the Delta Hotel and relaxed for a while before it was time to leave and drive to the port. Instead of driving back to Illinois, we had decided to take the Lake Express Ferry and spend a night in Milwaukee before driving to Champaign from there.

\

The ferry was large with plenty of space for me to get around in the wheelchair. I didn’t go outside, though. It was windy and I decided to stay warm inside. Lynn went out for a few pictures.

The trip across Lake Michigan was scenic and much shorter than driving. We got off quickly and were ready to start our 24 hours in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It had been a few years since I’d been there, and it was Lynn’s first trip.

I was hosted on this trip, but opinions are my own. Thanks to Pure Michigan for their hospitality.

Enjoying the Day in Muskegon

I had never been to Muskegon and, honestly, it wasn’t on my radar before. I had started hearing more about it and the representatives of Pure Michigan told me it was a lakefront town making strides in the wheelchair-friendly arena.

Muskegon has had a big resurgence from the cruise industry which has led to growth in the town. In addition to the ferries that go across Lake Michigan (which we would be taking), three cruise lines are now making stops in Muskegon: Pearl Sea Cruises, Victory Cruise Line, and Ponant Great Lake Cruises.

The town was building and improving for the influx of cruise passengers and the feedback on the port stop has been positive. This town would continue to thrive.

'

Since we had a late lunch and skipped dinner the night before, we were ready for a big breakfast. Mr. Bs Pancake House was the perfect place. This local favorite has been around over 50 years. The portions were huge and the omelets, pancakes, and hashbrowns we had were delicious.

After breakfast, we went to the Muskegon Museum of Art. I was extremely impressed that this seemingly small town had such a large art museum with extensive collections. In fact, it is in the process of being enlarged even more.

While we were at the museum, we were able to see an exhibition on American artist John Steuart Curry, who was a leader in the Regionalist Art Movement. Although that exhibit was temporary, they do have quite a few pieces that are permanent by the artist as part of its over 4,000 selections.

We spent a few hours at the museum, which was easy to get around in my power chair. (They also had wheelchairs available for those who needed to borrow.)

Another place with wheelchairs to use is Muskegon State Beach. These are track wheelchairs to ride on the sand. Just like the ones at the other state beaches, they were free to use, though I suggest reserving them in advance. We had another clear day for the beach, and I was able to ride a smooth path that went almost to the actual water.

After the full day, we decided not to go back to the Delta Hotel by Marriott and instead went straight to dinner. There were many options in Muskegon, but we had passed the Bear Lake Tavern, and it looked like a popular spot. As soon as we walked in, we could see it was filled with a lot of locals. That’s always a clear sign of a good place to eat.

Lynn ordered the steak sandwich and said it was delicious. I went for their beef stroganoff, which was also incredibly good. I had it with a Cucumber Mule, which Bear Lake Tavern made perfectly.

There was a place in town we hadn’t made it to yet that was on our schedule, and it seemed like the perfect time on this warm evening, Norm’s Ice Cream. They had a wide selection of soft serve flavors, and I had my favorite parfait, with peanut butter and hot fudge!

We headed back to the hotel in time for yet another stunning Muskegon sunset. What a way to end a day.

Recap of the day...

A Busy First Day in Holland, Michigan

 

I have tried the last few years not to late my days be overbooked. It didn’t work out that way for my first day in Holland with my friend, Lynn. We had a very full day, but it was all filled with fun.

We had a quick breakfast in the lobby of the Haworth at the Biggby Coffee before taking off for the day. I had their waffle egg sandwich, and it was quite good.

'

Our first stop was Critter Barn in nearby Zeeland. It was the perfect place to put on our schedule as it focuses on those with special needs. They have mobility equipment to lend, quiet spaces and fidgets for those with neurodivergent issues, and an easy to access location with smooth paths everywhere.

Critter Barn is a working farm which promotes learning to individuals and school groups as much as possible. It is not a petting zoo, though there are a few opportunities to visit with the animals (the piglets were especially adorable). It is mostly going through the barns and learning about the animals and how they play a part in the farm.

I wish we had more time at Critter Barn, but we were off to Nelis’Dutch Village. A center point to Holland’s Tulip Festival, the village is a combination of an amusement park, shopping center, and history of Dutch life. 

It reminded me of Colonial Williamsburg. The only tulips we saw, though, were ceramic since it was summer.

Neilis’ was almost completely accessible. I just found a few stores that had steps to get inside, but I was able to walk through other stores to get to them. We wandered through the Dutch Gift Shop, Wooden Shoe (Klompen) store, Delftware Shop, and Cheese Shop, where there were lots of samples. We were able to watch one of the Klompen dance lessons and have lunch at Dutchman Café.

I had a Dutch Tosti, which was fresh ham and smoked Gouda cheese on grilled rye-pumpernickel swirl bread. It had a tasty dill dressing. We also had Dutch apple pie and almond pastry.

Soon we were off again, this time to go the beach. It was a beautiful day to be there, and I was going to get my first track chair to use in the sand. I met with Sean, a ranger at to Holland State Park, who set me up with the chair. It took a little while to get used to it before I headed down to the Lake.

I always thought Lake Michigan looked more like an ocean and it was no exception here. Lynn walked along the sand and looked for stones and shells (she makes jewelry).

I relaxed and listened to the waves. It was a wonderful way to get a rest in on the busy day even though I was buried under UPF clothing and SPF lotion since my Lupus and Dermatomyositis do not go with sun.

Originally, our plan was to go sailing the day before, but the weather and waves weren’t cooperating. Instead, we headed back to South Haven after the beach for a private boat tour with Fresh Coast Sailing.

We saw some of the Tall Ships during the trip which came from the nearby Michigan Maritime Museum. I can’t say enough about Captain Andy and Topher, who made it an incredible experience for us, despite some choppy waves. I highly recommend you book a trip with Fresh Coast Sailing if you are in the area.

We were really hungry by the time we were done sailing and headed back to Holland for dinner at Boatwerks. It was a very busy restaurant, especially since it was a popular place for sunset dining. We settled for a table inside, so we didn’t have to wait too long.

The food at Boatwerks was fantastic. We started with the Goat Cheese Bruschetta. I then had the Garlic Herb Chicken, while Lynn ordered the Honey Teriyaki Salmon, which she raved about. We were exhausted from the long day and skipped dessert.

We headed back to the Haworth Hotel for well-needed rest. We had another busy day ahead of us coming in Holland, Michigan.