Beer, sausages, and cheese
Rita and I visited Milwaukee twice one winter, once on our way to Marquette, MI and then again on the way back. For lunch we ate at Mader’s, a historic German restaurant. Waitresses in dirndls serve beer in glass boots. In addition, stained glass art portrays Bavarian scenes. We drank German beer and ate sausages. This is a must do in Milwaukee, given its reputation as an old German town.
Afterwards we crossed the street and walked into the Wisconsin Cheese Mart. One doesn’t need to use much imagination to know what was there. Cheese is a Wisconsin staple. I can’t count the number of times, after telling someone where I was born, they respond with something about cheese. We bought a local cheese, and then moved back out into the winter cold.
With some time to kill, we wandered around the corner and found ourselves face to face with the Milwaukee River. There was a paved trail, and so we decided to go for a walk. In fact, this was the renowned Milwaukee Riverwalk.
Walking with legends
The Milwaukee Riverwalk extends three miles down the banks of the Milwaukee River on both sides. It passes through three urban neighborhoods: Historic 3rd Ward, Downtown, and Beerline B. It was the holiday season when we took our stroll, so the Christmas lights were out on display.
The Riverwalk is an artery that delivers pedestrians to the various neighborhood restaurants and bars. In addition, it is an outdoor art gallery. We can’t talk about the art without talking about the Bronze Fonz. It’s a statue commemorating the thumbs up throwing, motorcycle riding character of “Happy Days”. I’ve never sat down and watched an episode, but I know his signature catchphrase is “Ayyyy” and he “jumped the shark”.
During the summer, street performers and musicians make their presence known. If one wants to beat the heat, they can always rent a kayak or take a boat tour. In addition, the Milwaukee River Challenge brings in some of the country’s best rowers, and what better place to watch than from the Riverwalk. The most Milwaukee thing to do though, is to grab a beer at a place like the Tap Yard and watch the river flow by.
