Marvelous Time in Milwaukee

 We spent our last anniversary, June 2022 in Milwaukee. The perfect get away for a long weekend when going too far from home is not doable. We stayed for three nights in the Air BnB above the Kegel Inn in West Allis. The Kegel Inn was built in 1924 and is a German style beer hall and restaurant with authentic German Beer and food. There is a large outside beer garden and the room we stayed in was up above the restaurant overlooking the beer garden. The studio room was decorated in period decor and had many beautiful old vintage pieces. It was definitely a step back in time and we really enjoyed the experience. We did enjoy one of their world-famous fish fries which was very good.

We took a van tour which was very interesting. We have been to Milwaukee many times and John grew up in West Allis, but on this tour we saw places that we had not seen before. The driver was also the owner of this tour business and his pride showed throughout the tour. We started at city hall and the Fonzie Statue on the Riverwalk. The driver even had a Fonzie style jacket that we could wear as we posed by the statue.We made a stop at Black Cat Alley, The Public Market, and the North Point lighthouse. After the tour, we again went to see some of the favorite spots on our own.

We were able to watch this archeological dig at the North Lighthouse

City Hall

We enjoyed lunch on the Riverwalk. If you haven't done the Riverwalk, it's a must do. While not quite the caliber of San Antonio's riverwalk, it is very impressive. There are numerous bars and restaurants along the walk as well as historical signs and art/sculptures. There are boat tours available along the walk, too as well as paddle taverns. 

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That night we took a boat cruise on the Milwaukee River and out to Lake Michigan. It was supposed include two drinks, which it did and some music. I guess I was expecting some Jimmy Buffet or easy listening rock, but the music was geared to the many younger people onboard. There were several bachelorette parties and other young people celebrating what young people celebrate so it wasn't quite a peaceful as I had hoped so I would suggest, as a senior, taking an afternoon cruise which caters more toward older folk like us. We also walked around the Deer District after the cruse, always a fun place to explore.

The next day we took a long walk along Lake Michigan. There's a long breakwater walkway. You can walk a long way along the lake on the sidewalk. We even saw a baptism of many people taking place in the Lake. We found a brewery from out Hop Pass book in Wauwatosa and had a few beers before our dinner at Balistreri's where, in my humble opinion they serve the best pizza ever! 

On our way home from this fun adventure, we walked around John's old neighborhood in West Allis. Always fun to go back to the old stompin' grounds.

So, if you are a senior here in Wisconsin and want to visit a place closer to home, give Milwaukee a try. There is always the zoo and several museums, too as well as watching the Bucks, Brewers, or college teams if you want some sports.