Located about 1.5 hours north of Chigaco, on the shores of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin. I had planned to spend an afternoon in Milwaukee before travelling to Madison City and then onward to Minnesota.
Typically, upon entering a new town, I prefer to start at the Visitor Centre, to get insight on where I should focus my time and if there are any unique events happening on my visit day. Whether it was because it was Sunday or the fringe of tourism season, the Visitor Centre was closed.
So I headed into the centre of the city, following the trail of cars and foot traffic heading towards the Milwaukee public market. The public market was bustling: people flowing out carrying takeout, an outside patio full of locals lingering over brunch, and inside it was a frenzy of activity.
The ground floor of the market hosts independent merchants selling various artisan products and freshly prepared foods: local fish, artisanally prepared spices, baked goods, coffee roasters, cheese shop, wine bar, woodfired pizza, brewery apparel etc. The second floor of the market had seating around the perimeter with an open centre, perfect to enjoy your meal while observing the hustle of the market below.
When I arrived I noticed there was a customer information centre on the second floor that I hoped might fulfill the role of the closed visitor centre. The small space offered local merchandise from the market — t-shirts, tote bags, mugs and a section with maps and visitor guides. There was an employee sitting behind the cash register reading a novel which I interpreted as there was time for me to engage in a conversation and get some local tips about Milwaukee.
Me: “Hello, I’m visiting here for the afternoon and the visitor centre is closed so I’m wondering if you could help direct where I could go in the city?”
Employee: “I don’t think I can help you”
Me: “Okay, but I’m just wondering what would you recommend that I should take the time to see”
Employee: “Well, it depends what you want to see”
Me: “Do you live here in Milwaukee?”
Employee: “Yes, I do but I don’t think I can help you”.
I gave up, picked up a map and headed to the first floor to get some lunch.
I set my sights on a bright blue 1970s Volkswagen Bus that has been modified into a restaurant counter with a steady line of customers waiting to place their orders. I stood in line behind a twenty-something woman and, decide to try again:
Me: “Excuse me, do you happen to live here?”
Twenty-something: “Yes”.
Me: “I’m in town for the afternoon, I’m wondering what would you recommend I do?”
Twenty-something: “Oh I don’t know, there’s not much to do”
Me: “But what do you love about living here? What do you think people should see?”
Twenty-something: “All we do here is watch sports and drink beer, do you want to see the football stadium?”
Me: “Not really, but thanks for the recommendation”.
When I got to the front of the line, I placed my order at the Volkswagen counter and undeterred, tried again with the vendor this time. Essentially the conversation as outlined above was repeated, just replace the word “Twenty-something” with “Vendor”. Then I was directed to stand in a different queue while my lunch was being prepared.
Dear Reader, what was going on? I was dumbfounded. I knew there were things to see in Milwaukee, and my drive into the city centre would suggest it looked like a cool city with lots to experience.
While waiting for my lunch and planning my early departure out of Milwaukee and onwards to Madison City, a woman approached me. It seems she was behind me in the line and she shared that she overheard my last two conversations and couldn’t believe her fellow Milwaukeenans’ lack of ambassadorship of their city.
She was keen to share that Milwaukee was, in fact, a great city with a lot to offer beyond beer and sports. She chatted, providing me with some “must do’s” and enthusiasm for where she lived, while we waited for our lunch to be prepared. In particular, she shared that the city had a thriving arts scene and I should visit the Milwaukee Art Museum in the iconic building where the “wings” of the museum open and close throughout the day*. I’m not sure how that alone wasn’t mentioned repeatedly with my inquiries?!
Karl’s book with his postmarked stamps confirms that he was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 31, 1899. There isn’t anything else referenced in his letters to Mattie, nor his letters to the newspaper commenting on his visit. I must admit, for a while I was worried that I wouldn’t have anything to say about Milwaukee either.
Thus, dear reader, in this blog, I task you with a challenge:
Wherever it is you are currently living, be prepared that if a random stranger asks for your recommendation on a place to visit, have something to offer. Whether that’s a place to walk, a museum, lookout point, sculpture, market or ice cream stand - something!
So, let’s try this out - in the comments on the blog, let me know: What do you recommend I see in your city? As for me, refer back to Blog 41, Let’s Talk about Nova Scotia for 23 of my favourite things about where I live.
*The 'Burke Brise Soleil', is a moveable sunscreen with a 217-foot wingspan made up of 72 steel fins, ranging in length from 26 to 105 feet. It takes 3.5 minutes for the wings to open or close: https://youtu.be/LS6pndZW2NU