Play in the City

Last Call.

Over time I've learned that all good things come to an end.

I was informed last week that VISIT Milwaukee has decided to stop all blogging and direct that energy toward a video blog. The goal of the vblog is to demonstrate the things that Milwaukee can offer meeting attendees while representing the free spirit and unconventional attitude of Milwaukee’s culture.

As this is the case, this will be my final post for Play in the City.

A lot went on behind the scenes and I’m extremely thankful for the personal relationships I’ve established with outsiders, locals, fellow bloggers and city businesses via email and comments within this short year.

It has been an exciting experience and I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to write for VISIT Milwaukee and I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished with the site. In only a little over one year after taking the helm, readership has increased by over half, escalating hits from an average of about 200 to nearly 500 clicks per day!

I really love Milwaukee, I feel it’s still an underrated and unacknowledged city and I’m not quite ready to stop telling people about it. While I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to see where the next few years will take PITC, I’ve decided to try to keep the momentum going by starting a new blog, Between the Bars.

So, to all of my loyal readers and friends, thank you. It has been a great journey – albeit far too short. Please remember to stop by my new blog and say hello.

Thanks again, Milwaukee!

Hog Heaven

Harley-Davidson is one of Milwaukee’s iconic companies.

Since 1903, the H-D headquarters have been located in Milwaukee. It’s only natural that Milwaukee would host Harley-Davidson’s first and only comprehensive museum. Sure, this isn’t a novel idea, but it definitely is about time.

After two years in the making, the Harley-Davidson Museum finally opened its doors to the public last weekend. The two story building is chock full of 105 years of H-D history and pays homage to the extraordinary people, culture and famous products that turned the company into the icon it is today.

The Harley-Davidson Museum is built on a 20-acre reclaimed industrial site in the Menomonee Valley that up until now used to be a barren brown field. Its unique, urban design reflects Milwaukee’s industrial past and Harley-Davidson’s history of manufacturing.

Yesterday, Eric and I drove to the site and came up to three buildings that, because of their architecture with cross-bracing girders, columns and frames composed of galvanized steel, resembled the layout of a small group of factories. Along with the tons of steel, there was a lot of black and orange paint (the Harley colors) and plenty of brick. Still, the place isn’t too themed or too contrived – it’s genuine and distinctively Harley-Davidson.

We followed a mob of motorcyclists along the broad, orange asphalt roads leading us closer and closer to this extraordinary neighborhood within the city. We were then directed by a man waving an orange flag toward rows of free parking at the back of the museum that’s sectioned off just for cars. We parked near one of the giant orange hoppers that are original to the site and were coincidentally previously painted orange.

We headed to the building with the enormous solid steel, four-sided Harley-Davidson logo suspended in its open tower. Nearly one month ago, I purchased advanced tickets online to check out the new museum on Saturday – I figured there would be a high demand to see it on opening weekend. We arrived at the museum only five minutes before our scheduled time at noon. Even though they only let a select amount of people in every 15 minutes, it was still quite crowded.

On our way toward the entrance, Eric stopped to ogle the assortment of motorcycles parked “Sturgis style” (one motorcycle on each curb and two parked in the center) in the thousands of spots lining the crossroads of Fifth and Canal Streets. Although the museum obviously targets motorcyclists, it still resonates well with Harley fans, riders and those new to the H-D brand and culture.

Blogger's Choice Awards

A loyal Play in the City reader and blogger friend nominated me for the Blogger's Choice Awards.

To be honest, I don't really know what that means. BUT! I think it's pretty sweet anyway.

I'm not expecting to get 944 votes like the most popular nominee; in fact, I'd be quite okay with five. So, if you feel inclined, just click on the following icons to cast your ballot for Play in the City.

I'd be grateful.

A Photographer. Me?

Several months ago I was contacted via email by several people that were part of the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, a.k.a. Friends of the Domes, and those who were working to build a new and improved website for the Milwaukee gem, its members and potential visitors.

Apparently, they read my post about my trip to the Domes back in November and were impressed with the way I photographed the exotic plants and vibrant flowers found in each Dome (YAY!). Thus, they asked if I would allow them to use several of my images for their future website. Naturally, I was thrilled and without hesitation, I hooked them up!

The site is now finished and as it turns out, all of my photos were used! Just head over here to check out the new website and have a look at my photos!

About 99 to 95 percent of the pictures found in the Show Dome, Arid Dome, Tropical Dome and Outdoor galleries online were from my camera! I must say, it's pretty cool to see my work on display somewhere other than Play in the City. I hope they keep them up for a long time!

South Shore Frolics

Milwaukee has been dubbed the “City of Festivals.” However, I’ve noticed that even though we have such a celebrated nickname, many of Milwaukee’s festivals have become homogenous.

Formerly known as the “South Shore Water Frolics,” this three-day festival is one of the oldest festivals in the city of Milwaukee and, unlike many, it still embraces the same simplicity, charm and character as it did years ago.

On Sunday afternoon Eric and I spent a little over an hour perusing the South Shore Frolics festival offerings that spanned several blocks in the quaint neighborhood of Bay View.

Located in the picturesque South Shore Park, the 59th annual South Shore Frolics boasts typical Milwaukee festival entertainment – food, beer, live music, fireworks, people watching – paired with classic, hometown charisma that’s expressed through the yearly Friday Fish Fry, movie on the beach, kid’s games, and one of the city’s best parades.

The afternoon was beautiful as we drove the 15 minutes from my place on the East Side to Bay View with the windows down in my new car. We easily found street parking and made our way toward the blaring live music and droves of people.

I was surprised at first by the crowd that afternoon, but then it donned on me that perhaps attendance didn’t suffer here like at Summerfest – which they blame on the tough economy – because this family-friendly festival is FREE!

Eric and I strolled along the beautiful tree-lined paths that were scatter with food vendors and children’s games. I caught myself laughing at the kids beaming each other square in the head with enormous water balloons. They reminded me of when my older brother used to ambush my sister and me while we played outside as kids.

I digress.

Our first stop was the 10th Annual Classic Car Show where we inspected the Novas and Chevelles with glossy paint jobs and their hoods popped. Many of the car owners were spending the late afternoon tailgating, grilling up brats and cracking cans of beer as locals peered through the windows of their four-wheeled babies and gushed over their hefty engines.

Decisions, Decisions.

Milwaukee comes to life every summer, offering a wealth of things to do. In fact, there’s so much going on this weekend that I'm finding it difficult to pick and choose.

With Milwaukee's summer festival season still moving in full force, this weekend brings Bastille Days, Gathering on the Green, Greek Fest and South Shore Frolics – all great events. Additionally, after a long and anticipated wait the Harley-Davidson Museum finally opens to the public while the Brewers head into the All-Star break with a three-game series against Cincinnati. Plus, there are a number of farmers markets that I’d like to check out this weekend as well.

What’s a blogger to do? I’ll let you know what I decide.

Have a fun weekend!

Fireworks Light Up the Lakefront

One of the highlights of summer for me is Fourth of July weekend.

Yep, it’s great to have an extended weekend, but what makes the holiday extra special are the blazing fireworks that light up the pitch-black sky on July 3.

Each year Milwaukeeans are dazzled by a spectacular Independence Day celebration that’s performed one day early by Bartolotta Fireworks Company and hosted by US Bank.

Milwaukee’s US Bank fireworks show was an honored tradition for my family and I until my parents moved north to West Bend. But this year, after a four-year hiatus, I decided to relive one of my favorite pastimes.

I took the day off of work to head to Lake Michigan’s lakefront and I met up with my friend Lizzie at her place near Brady Street to gather up some last odds and ends. We figured that since we were the only two who could get out of work, we’d secure a spot early in Veterans Park and hold down the fort until the rest of our friends could get there.

See, you’d be crazy to assume that you can show up at 6 p.m. and score a place to watch the show. Already by 4 p.m. Veterans Park was brimming with thousands of families and friends, locals and visitors who were grilling out, picnicking or just relaxing as they anticipated the night’s spectacular.

From McKinley Marina to the Milwaukee Art Museum, the entire lakefront looked like one enormous camp ground as hundreds of tents and campers scattered the once bare terrain. Many of these people camped out over night and declared their seats by roping off a large plot with police tape – that got a little ridiculous if you ask me.

Lizzie and I made a quick run to Pick ‘n Save to get a couple of snacks to munch on – fruits, veggies, chips – and some beer, and then picked up two #6 sandwiches at Jimmy John’s on Brady Street. We filled a couple of coolers and found several blankets, and then we made the short hike to Lake Michigan to stake out our spot.

'I Hart New York!'

If you’ve been to a Brewers home game lately, you probably have noticed all of the Miller Park staff wearing the “I Hart New York” T-shirts.

That’s because right fielder Corey Hart is in the running for the final National League spot in the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, and the team’s campaign is underway.

The good news is that reports on Wednesday night said that Hart was holding on to the lead in the Monster 2008 All-Star Final Vote.

Although, Hart is currently the frontman and online and text voting runs through 4 p.m. CT today, Hart still needs every vote he can get. According to the league, "David Wright of the Mets and Pat Burrell of the Phillies are mounting significant challenges.”

So what can we do to ensure his victory?

There are two ways for fans to vote for Hart – online by clicking here or via text messaging. To text in your vote, just send “N2” to 36197. (This might explain it better.) Of course, standard text messaging rates apply if you choose to use that form of balloting.

There’s no limit to the number of times you’re allowed to cast a vote either, so vote often!

In my opinion, Hart is the most well-rounded Brewer, but the most underrated as well. Brewers fans rallied to put Braun in the starting lineup for the All-Star Game, and now we need to rise up again to get Hart to New York. He deserves it!

Needless to say, I’ve been text messaging so much that my thumbs are sore. On my lunch breaks I’ve also been voting countless times. Undoubtedly, other Brewers fans are doing the same! Plus, at the game last night I had a change to vote again. The Brewers set up a polling station in the Associated Bank Kids Area at Miller Park for all four of their home games this week.

According to other news sources, Hart, Wright, Burrell, Aaron Rowand of the Giants and Carlos Lee of the Astros are the five National League players vying for the final spot on the All-Star team.

The winner will be announced on MLB.com shortly after balloting concludes this evening. Until then, keep voting for Hart!

FYI: I obviously didn't take the photo, but I don't know where it originally came from.

Strawberries Mean Summer in Cedarburg

I love the smells of summer. From freshly cut grass and warm rain to sunscreen and mosquito repellent, there’s nothing like a familiar scent to make you realize that summer is indeed here.

Perhaps this is why over 100,000 people make it a point to visit Cedarburg for its extremely popular Strawberry Festival each year – they long for the refreshing summertime fragrance and flavor of home-grown strawberries. After all, strawberries mean summertime here in Wisconsin.

This charming, free festival has been running for 23 consecutive years, providing not only succulent strawberries, but also a multiplicity of arts and crafts, music, food, and family entertainment that’s found in the heart of Cedarburg’s historic downtown district.

Cedarburg has always been one of my favorite getaways. The city’s downtown is beautifully preserved and the 100 or more buildings offer a wonderful array of specialty stores, restaurants, spas, museums and historic inns, not to mention, a packed calendar of festivals and events. It’s no wonder why this destination beckons me back at least a few times each year.

Last autumn, Eric and I went to Cedarburg’s Wine and Harvest Festival and as you can tell we had a blast! That’s why we both were enthusiastic about spending the day at the Strawberry Festival despite still being a little jet-lagged from our flight home the day before.

After zigzagging through the residential streets surrounding the festival area, we finally found parking on one of the side streets only a few blocks away from the barricaded main stretch. As we walked along the sidewalk, we noticed an ominous blanket of clouds rolling in our direction and over all of the tents and stands and stages making up the festival grounds.

“No, Mother Nature. You will NOT spoil another event!” I shouted as I pointed toward the sky.

No Summerfest

I didn’t go to Summerfest.

Truth be told, this is the first year I haven’t attended and for some reason I feel badly about it.

I mean, not going to Summerfest is sacrilegious in the minds of some locals, and since I consider myself to be a "Milwaukee blogger", well, I probably should have made more of an effort to get to one of the largest music festivals in the Midwest. Now I have nothing interesting to write about (I kid, I kid).

Anyway, Scott kindly gave me two free Summerfest tickets, so I intended on going Wednesday night and then again on Sunday afternoon. Well, Wednesday night summoned torrential rain and, really, it wasn’t worth getting soaked, so I chalked that night up to a rainout and planned to make it up on Sunday. Then, Sunday rolled around and it was so gorgeous outside that I was forced to spend the entire afternoon poolside. I swam and got some sun...Man, it was terrible.

Naturally, I feel really, really awful about missing the "Big Gig" this year.

Did you have a chance to go? If so, feel free to share your adventures with all of us wayward readers in the comments section. I’d love to hear what you faithful Summerfest-goers did.

As for me, there’s always next year.