Staycation Milwaukee

Author: Masha. Photographer: Stephen

This winter, my husband and I decided to take a staycation (stay + vacation) in Milwaukee. Milwaukee, often an afterthought to visitors in Chicago, is an underrated location. So, this winter, we decided to explore our own backyard. We visited the Mitchell Park Domes (botanical gardens), the Milwaukee Art Museum, Discovery World, the Milwaukee County Zoo, the Basilica of St. Josaphat, and the Milwaukee County Library. Besides these sites, one of my favorite things to do in Milwaukee is bike the Oak Leaf trail, sip coffee at Collectivo, and enjoy the array parks.

While Milwaukee is typically known for its breweries, Third Ward, music festivals (Summerfest), Harley Davidson, and seemingly endless restaurants serving some sort of sausage, Milwaukee has much more to offer. Milwaukee is a dynamic and complicated city that is often erroneously reduced to dichotomous terms, and merits deeper evaluation and higher praise.

According to the United States Census Bureau (2016) the population of the city of Milwaukee is 595,047. Milwaukee is a city in south-eastern Wisconsin that lies on Lake Michigan. Visit Milwaukee calls it the “City of Neighborhoods” (https://www.visitmilwaukee.org/), and Lonely Planet describes Milwaukee as:

“Here’s the thing about Milwaukee: it’s cool, but for some reason it slips under the radar. The city’s reputation as a working man’s town of brewskis, bowling alleys and polka halls still persists. But attractions like the Calatrava-designed art museum, badass Harley-Davidson Museum and stylish eating and shopping enclaves have turned Wisconsin’s largest city into an unassumingly groovy place. In summertime, festivals let loose with revelry by the lake almost every weekend. And where else on the planet will you see racing sausages?” (https://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/wisconsin/milwaukee)

I am biased as I am a Milwaukee native, but I think Milwaukee is worth a visit, and worth more than a “good” or “bad” summary.

The Library: