Milwaukee Road Trip

 

I tend to get cabin fever really badly. Especially living in a small apartment. That being said, Luis and I like to get out as much as possible, so this week we decided to go on a mini-roadtrip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We currently live halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee, so it's great to be able to choose between which city we want to explore. There's something about taking a trip (no matter how big or small) that gives you this incredible rush.

So we packed up the car and headed north!

My original plans were to visit a vintage shop called Heir Apparent. I heard of them through a magazine and wanted to visit for myself. However, on the way there, we realized that I-94 (the major interstate highway running North and South) was rife with construction and I missed our exit. Twice. But we kept on trucking and headed for the lakefront. I noticed that the Milwaukee Art Museum is currently featuring a Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition!! I freaked out because I love his posters of Paris and dancers at the Moulin Rouge. He had such a playful and provocative view of Paris.

Mais non! Is she showing a stockinged leg?? An example of Toulouse-Lautrec's work.

Milwaukee's lakefront is so lush and there are bike path's everywhere. Something else that Milwaukee has everywhere? Free parking... Chicago could take a hint. 

We soon left the path to walk along the streets. There are so many beautiful, old buildings, brick apartments, and lakefront views. Luis and I kept pointing out which was our favorite and talking about how much we'd love to live there.

  

 

As we were on our walk, we saw that someone had painted the name "Loki" onto the steps leading down to the lake. Luis and I just saw The Avengers so we thought it amusing. 

We soon heard the pangs of hunger resound in our tummies... We knew exactly where we wanted to eat: Alterra at the Lake. It's very bohemian and shabby-chic, if you will. The building itself used to be a water pumping station on the lakefront that was renovated into a cafe/restaurant. They left some of the pumping equipment inside the cafe that you look down into and see where the water used to come from. You can see a photo here.

Luis started off with a Mocha Shake while we waited for our food to arrive. 

They have two menu's: one that changes seasonally, and the other for their deli favorites. I got a Peanut Sweet Potato bisque that was served with crushed peanuts on top. 

But lunch wouldn't be complete without my favorite Rosemary Chicken sandwich. It also has melted cheese, spinach, tomatoes, and a mysterious (but tasty) sauce served on ciabatta bread.

Wooden bar stools at Alterra

Afterwards we walked along the lakefront and watched boaters come in and out of the harbor before heading home. It was such a beautifully relaxing day and we were so happy to spend it together. Where are some of your favorite places to visit or travel to?