Play in the City

Christmas in November, Seriously?

Thursday, I was stuck in rush-hour traffic and as usual I was flipping through the radio stations. Then all of a sudden, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Bing Crosby began to blare from my speakers.

Are you serious?

99.1 WMYX (the Mix) has already begun their nonstop Christmas mix – yes, all Christmas music all the time... but it’s only November.

Has Milwaukee forgotten about Thanksgiving?

I find it unfortunate that one of my favorite holidays is celebrated silently and has almost fallen off the radar. People shouldn’t bypass a holiday that’s so important to our heritage for a more profitable day like Christmas. I’m pretty sure this is the earliest I’ve heard Christmas music played on the radio.

The holidays are my favorite time of year and I love the warm fuzzy feeling I get when I listen to Christmas music, but it is November and I’m still recovering from Halloween. Plus, the weather is still warm and there are still colorful leaves on the trees and I’m not ready to think about buying presents or trimming a tree, not to mention welcoming snow.

After talking to the rest of my friends about the matter, I’d be very surprised if the 24/7 set of November Christmas music is being well received.

This is what it looked like outside today:

Apparently, it's not beginning to look a lot like Christmas yet.

The Domes

The Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, or the Domes, is a place I had been to on countless field trips during elementary school.

Even though I'd heard that the Domes were one of the most fascinating places to visit in Milwaukee, I never understood why they were such a big deal back then. For that reason, I never had the desire to go back since my school bus riding days. But what could I have possibly known at the age of five anyway? If I had trusted my childhood impressions 20 years later, I wouldn’t be addicted to coffee either…

The Domes have been part of the Milwaukee scene for decades since the first conservatory was built in 1898, but that was pretty much just a green house that held flowers. In 1959, construction began on the new beehive shaped domes and the last of the three finally opened in 1967. And VOILA! Here we are today.

After an eventful weekend, Eric and I decided to cool our jets and take Sunday at a leisurely pace. After debating what to do, Eric suggested the Domes since he’d never been there before. Considering it would be a tranquil retreat, I was up for it.

It was another warm and sunny autumn afternoon as we headed there. Driving from the  city, the three seven-story glass Domes could be seen from miles away, and upon pulling into the driveway, they were an even more daunting and impressive sight.

Because it was 3 p.m. by the time we got off the couch and made our way there, we had less than two hours to explore all three Domes. Once inside, I was surprised to see that the conservatory was quite empty – it was so quiet that you could probably hear the leaves drop from the trees. I imagine this was due to the unseasonably warm October day, which people probably wanted to enjoy before winter arrives. And since the Domes are open 365 days per year, it’s unlikely that the 200,000 people reported to visit each year would visit all at once and on such a gorgeous afternoon. Regardless, this meant smooth sailing for us with minimal delays and just enough time to see the sights and for me to realize what all the fuss was about.