Play in the City

Haunted Milwaukee

A Wisconsin folklorist named Robert Gard once stated that Wisconsin may have more ghosts per square mile than any other state in America. I have no idea if this is actually true or even if I believe in ghosts, but one thing is certain, no place is quite like the state of Wisconsin with its peaceful lakes, serene forests, miles of beautiful wilderness and an eclectic city (Milwaukee). But what lurks beneath the surface of this tranquil state are tales of colorful folklore.

With Halloween fast approaching, I thought this would be the ideal time to share such eerie legends. Of all of the ghost stories and haunted houses in Wisconsin, Milwaukee boasts a great number of ghostly spots.

How was your weekend?

Unfortunately, I don’t have any thrilling recaps from the weekend. I’m disappointed that I had to miss some of my favorite events like Harvest Fair, Oktoberfest and the MIFF, as well as, Party for the Parks. I guess that means I have more to look forward to next year!

Did you get to go to any of these festivals? If not, what did you do over the weekend?

Currently, I’m sitting in terminal A1 at Pittsburgh International Airport waiting for my flight back to Milwaukee. Conveniently, the airport offers free Wi-Fi (when no one else in Podunk, Pennsylvania seemed to know what that meant), so I’m pounding out this update prior to boarding the airplane and before my laptop battery dies.

I've been out of town since Friday for my Grandpa’s funeral in Leechburg, Pennsylvania (a small town 30 miles or so from Pittsburgh). This was the first funeral that I’ve attended, therefore, I found it strange that such a gloomy ceremony could bring family and friends together and turn an uncomfortable event into a bitter-sweet gathering.

It’s difficult living 650 miles away from family, especially during times like this, but yesterday a lot of my relatives who I haven’t seen for many years came to mourn the loss of my grandpa. The somber week was finally filled with reawakened memories and hours of reminiscing as I rekindled relationships with distant uncles, aunts and cousins.

But my issue with death (and funerals) isn’t the most appropriate topic for this Milwaukee blog, so I’ll gladly move on.

While the last two weeks have been challenging for my family and I, I’m ready to move forward. So besides begging Lucy for forgiveness (she hates when I leave her), catching up on piles of work, returning phone calls to friends who think I’ve fallen off the face of the Earth, and controlling the load of laundry that has taken over my bedroom, I’m planning a bunch of fun events to make up for my week of nonexistence.

My calendar is booked with exciting autumn activities such as a mid-week hike around Lake Park with my sister, apple picking at the Apple Holler this Saturday with Eric and getting my “scare on” at Splatterhaus for my friend Lara’s birthday; then I plan to visit the Elegant Farmer to buy one of their brown bag apple pies before the Packers play the Bears on Sunday night.

There’s a lot going on in Milwaukee, so I’m anxious to return home and get out and about again. Until then, wish me a safe flight home and I’ll see you soon, Milwaukee!