Milwaukee Monday

I mentioned in my post on Friday this online "blog party". When I first read about it I wasn't quite sure what I'd do. In fact, I was driving to work one morning, thinking about it (because that's about the only time I have to myself to think of such things) when I looked up while at a stop light and saw this:

The sign at the left changes periodically. When I took the picture it said "There's no whispering in this museum." Another time it read "Our curator can beat up your curator."

That's right - the new Harley Davidson museum. And I realized - there is so much going on in Milwaukee this summer that I really don't have to write anything original at all. I can simply tell you about all that'll be goin' on here in Brew City. You'll wanna be here for the real party.

So...here we go. We'll try chronological order. Forgive me if I jump outta line.

First - you must see the Bodyworlds Exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum. I did see the exhibit myself and its in no way disgusting or disturbing. Featuring real human bodies preserved via a unique process, to say its amazing would be an understatement. Specimines offer a glimpse into the body's muscular, cardiovascular and nervous systems. It will be on display here until June 1.

Summerfest runs from June 27 to July 6 this year. The World's Largest Music Festival is in its 41st year. If you're unfamiliar with this festival, you may live under a rock there are 11 stages of music performances free with the cost of admission to the grounds, and a 12th on a "main stage" for which you need to buy a ticket. Artists already on the ticket to play the main stage (the Marcus Ampitheatre) include Rush, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw and Tom Petty. But don't be fooled. Artists who can draw huge crowds on their own play the other 11 stages, and while there is one concert each day in the Marcus Ampitheatre, each of these smaller stages feature multiple artists throughout the day so that you can see two or three decent acts on any given evening. (Last year we saw The Cars, or what's left of them.) Want one better? Henry Maier Festival Park, the 90 acre parcel of land where Summerfest is held is right on Lake Michigan. Ahhh...I can feel the cool lake breezes on the hot summer air now. (Its about 20 degrees here this morning.) More inclusive schedule to be released in the near future. (And the best part? the park is about two blocks from my office building. I can go have a b-er-soda and a pulled pork sandwhich over my lunch hour and hear a pretty good cover band.)

Milwaukee ain't "The City of Festivals" for nothin'. Just about each weekend of the summer you can find a unique ethnic festival down at the same lakefront festival park as well as dozens of smaller church festivals. You can eat funnel cakes til your brains turn into powdered sugar. Polka your ass off. Cuz there's always polka here. Its easy to dance to so we don't mind. (In heaven there is no beer...)

Oh, and hey, guess what? Same lakefront festival park, August 17 - 27 is the Harley 105th Anniversary Celebration. It'll be smaller than the 100th, but no less fun. Don't have a bike? We don't care. Just to show you how much fun we had will have, I'm posting a bunch of pictures from Harley's 100th to show you just how bike crazy this city got. See the New Zealand plates? Yeah, there were lots of examples like this. In the business district where I work. Normal count for number of motorcycles seen on a week day? .5 That's right. .5 Not even one. Usually.


The next pic is of bikes parked near the Milwaukee Art Museum. Since getting the Calatrava addition a few years back, it now looks like a big ship. Fitting, given its also on the lake front. Looking at their site it doesn't seem that they have any good exhibits this summer, though if you're fans of whomever Gilbert & George are you'll be in heaven. But if you're in the area you can watch them open or close those big wing-lookin' things each day at opening or closing time of the museum. And the Museum Cafe is a great little place for lunch. Been there many times. You sorta feel like you're in the belly of a ship, looking out over the lake.

Another Harley 100th pic. In the background are the US Bank building, two of Northwestern Mutual's headquarter buildings and that lower white one that I don't know the name of.

In between all this - go see a game at Miller Park. While the roof that we're still paying for leaks, chances are it won't be on you. The Brewers had a pretty decent season last year and opening day in Milwaukee is less than a month away! (Though don't go lookin' for tickets to that - they've been sold out for months. After all, tailgating is like breathing in this city. You just do it.) Fireworks go off when the Brewers score and good ol' Bernie Brewer goes down the twisty slide. And did I mention? You won't want to miss the racing sausages. Make sure to visit that link - you can read their bios and book them for your next event! You'll also need a shirt to wear while singing "Roll Out the Barrel" and "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".

And what could POSSIBLY make all this any better you ask? Better than stopping at the Milwaukee Public Market for some local goods, or taking your kids to the Betty Brinn Children's Museum? A guy who walks his minature pony twice a day. And the Fonzie statue. Don't forget the Fonz.

So the fun continues tomorrow. Even if you don't stop in my fair city any time soon, stop back, read more of my crap tomorrow.