Milwaukee, the city famous for its Wisconsin cheese, Usinger sausage, beer brewery and frozen custard, was where the IAI (International Association of Identification) Conference was held this year. Tagged along with B.A., this trip gave me the chance to say that 'been there, done it'.
6 August 2011
LAX and MKE
B.A. and I dropped off at Hilton, LAX as usual and took two connecting flights from L.A. to Denver and then to Milwaukee. Such flights took us about 5 hours flying plus connecting time. By the time we arrived Hyatt Regency in Milwaukee via their Airport Connection, it was passed midnight. This was all due to their company’s stupid rule of disapproving travelling during business hours to avoid legal issue. What a drag!
7 August 2011
Milwaukee Art Museum
This is a spectacular piece of architecture that must be seen on a trip to Milwaukee. The view of the lake from inside is awe-inspiring and we enjoyed a special event by the ‘South Shore Youth Orchestra Ensemble’. Then we were attracted by the current ‘One Summer China Exhibitions’. For the very first time, China’s Palace Museum had authorized a major exhibition of art objects from the Forbidden City to travel to the United States, and Milwaukee is the last stop before returning to China. “The Emperor’s Private Paradise,” a coveted and unprecedented exhibit of lavish Qianlong emperor’s 18th-century objects which include the fantastically delicate trompe-l’oeil murals, elaborate architectural elements, lacquer screens, Buddhist shrines, root-wood furniture and magnificent thrones have never been seen publicly, in or out of China, and likely won’t be seen outside China again. Even the Qianlong Garden, which symbolizes the mountains, the ancients and enlightenment, is remarkable.
8 August 2011
Milwaukee Public Museum and IMAX
Walked from the Hyatt to here took me about 20 minutes and I spent four hours there, including seeing ‘The Bug’ in the IMAX. There are a variety of exhibits; my favorite was the Streets of Old Milwaukee and the European Village, closely followed by the Butterfly House. Bumped into a lot of school kids who loved the dinosaur exhibit which has large dioramas.
9 August 2011
Cedar Creek Woolen Mill, Cedarburg
The Cedar Creek Winery is nestled in the wonderful old-world ambiance of the Cedar Creek Settlement, a restored 1860's woolen mill which later became the Wittenberg Woolen Mill. Through the wine tour, we were taken to the winery’s underground limestone cellars. We learned how the wines are made, aged and bottled, followed by tasting 6 different kinds of wines, from Pinot Grigio to Port. I was attracted to the aromas of Cranberry Blush. It has the freshness and sweetness of a perfect freshly picked berry. Surprisingly, I was not drunk.
Crème and Crepe Café, Cedarburg
At lunch, I started with a small lettuce salad topped with hot bacon dressing, then tried the entry of ‘asparagus, Swiss cheese wrapped in a crepe topped with Swiss almond cheese sauce’. I’ll bet you never tasted the frozen vanilla custard being wrapped in a crepe topped with caramel, hot fudge whipped cream and nuts. That was a delight!
10 August 2011
Phister Hotel
Ideally located in easily accessible downtown, the classic hotel is kept up magnificently. This is a grand old hotel that has been maintained to very high standards, with beautiful historic building and high ceiling.
Discovery World
This is a museum of water, mechanics, and other sciences. It is designed for kids and also for adults, especially a good place for kids to learn. It is s science museum which goes past hands-on exhibits. I stepped into one virtual reality show and the whole room was spinning.
Historic Third Ward
One of the most scenic downtown locations you could find in Milwaukee, even probably the most. I ate my lunch at the Milwaukee Public Market which has fresh food and pricy. The size is similar to the Pike Place in Seattle but no comparison. I strolled into Artasia Gallery and the enormous statues and antiques made me sick. I guess I’ve to be careful of the mixed flowing ‘Chi’ around the store.
Harley-Davidson Museum
They have very nice presentation of every Harley Motorcycle ever made, and nicely displayed. It’s like Disney for motorcycle owners and for people that have interest in the machines.
11 August 2011
Milwaukee’s Domes
The gardens are definitely beautiful and unique and I really enjoy strolling through all of them. The jungle-like trails of the Tropical dome was my favorite. You can see a rich diversity of plants from the rainforest of five continents. Desert dome is where one of the world’s finest collections of cacti, succulents, shrubs and arid-land bulbs grow. Show dome delighted me with their beauty and served to inspire my own gardens in the future.
Brat House
Cheese, beer and brats! Who doesn't love that? To satisfy B.A.’s curiosity, he tried out draft beer and German style brat with kraut, onion on a pretzel roll. Now he can brag that he’s tried Milwaukee beer and sausage!
Wisconsin Cheese Mart
It is said that this has the world's largest selection of Wisconsin cheese, over 200 kinds. I was overwhelmed. They do offer samples of their most popular cheeses and I’m still far beyond being a cheese-lover.
12 August 2011
Milwaukee County Zoo
The Milwaukee County Zoo is a nice zoo, but a bit spread out. You will have to hike in several areas with nothing to look at. However, you really get a chance to see the animals up close and personal in the zoo. The African area is nice as well, but you will need to make two complete loops to see it all. One loop covers the outer area and larger animals such as elephants, Rhino and camels and the inner loop the smaller animals such as Snow Leopards and Red Pandas. There is also a like with water fowls.
13 August 2011
Miller Brewery
The Miller Brewing Company was established in 1855 and helped distinguish Milwaukee as the beer capital of the United States. We started at the tour center for a 15-minute theater presentation, followed by stops at the brewery's commodious shipping and packaging area, brew house and historic cave museum and tried samples of three beers at the end, Miller Light, High Life and Draft. B.A. loves their GD 64 with very low calories. Toasted for my Happy Birthday!
MKE and LAX
Finally, we got to return home past midnight again. Exhausted!
