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.

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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.