We had been in Madison for a LWMS convention and decided to take a few days and explore another part of WI. We decided to go to Milwaukee but took a side trip to Oconomowac to see one of my customers. He has a pharmacy which is way more than a pharmacy. It is called Tobin’s and is amazing. They have since built a new building which looks really nice, but I haven’t seen it yet. We ended up having brunch at this fantastic restaurant called Seven Seas . It was great and I would love to go back next time we are in the area. Completely stuffed, we made our way to Milwaukee and had a great time. It also turned out to be a very educational visit and we learned a few pieces of trivia which I will get to that in a minute.
First of all, Miller has always been my favorite type of beer so of course we had to check out the Miller Brewery . We did a tour and found out that not only did they introduce Miller High Life in 1903, Ford Motor Company, Harley Davidson and Dayton (which became Target ) also were started or had significant changes that formed who they are today. Also in 1903, the Wright Brothers made their first flight, and Warner Brothers showed their first film at their home in Youngstown, Ohio. It seems like it was an extremely important year. Anyway, we learned about prohibition and that they sold soft drinks and non-alcoholic beer to survive during those difficult years. After our walking tour, we got free samples of beer and it was very cold and refreshing on a hot day. They even had Miller postcards that you could fill out and they would mail them for you. I sent my brother one but don’t remember what I said. I had already been drinking when I filled it out. : )
Anyway, while we were there we also went to the Harley Davidson Power Operations Plant . It was exciting but since it was the Powertrain Operations they only produce engines and transmissions for the final assembly plants in York, PA and Kansas City, MO, thus we didn’t get to see any finished bikes. I guess we have to go to York or Kansas City to see those. Still, it was interesting and we did take some pictures on some of the bikes they have on display. I could feel the pull to be on the road with the wind in your hair. I wanted to go riding myself. Maybe someday. Gene loves bikes, so you never know.
Being an Art enthusiast, we had to go to the Milwaukee Art Museum . They were also one of my customers, so I thought it would be nice to stop in and say hello. They had one piece by Monet called A Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect . It was nice that they had one of his pieces, but of course I was hoping they had more or his work. However the most impressive thing about the museum is the building itself. The hall’s chancel is shaped like the prow of a ship, with floor-to-ceiling windows looking over Lake Michigan. The Museum’s signature wings form a moveable sunscreen with a 217-foot wingspan. It takes 3.5 minutes for the wings to open or close, which they do each day as they open and close the museum. We stayed one night to watch them close and came early the next day to watch them open. It is quite remarkable.
The one thing I regret that we didn’t get to do was a tour of Miller Park where the Brewers play their home games. We just didn’t make it in time. We did end up in the parking lot and took some pictures. It looks quite impressive. I will get back one day to do a tour!
That was all we really had time for this trip, but here are a few more things we didn’t get to do but sounded interesting:
| Milwaukee Zoo | Schlitz Audubon Nature Center | Petit National Ice Center |
| Discovery World | Milwaukee Public Museum | Mitchell Park Domes |