Day 7-8: Chicago and Milwaukee

Day 7: Chicago to Milwaukee

Wayne: So, do you come to Milwaukee often?
Alice Cooper: Well, I'm a regular visitor here, but Milwaukee has certainly had its share of visitors. The French missionaries and explorers were coming here as early as the late 1600's to trade with the Native Americans.
Pete: In fact, isn't "Milwaukee" an Indian name?
Alice Cooper: Yes, Pete, it is. Actually, it's pronounced "mill-e-wah-que" which is Algonquin for "the good land."
Wayne: I was not aware of that.

Pics: Millenium Park (may at the “The Bean”), another Butterfield Horse, reform synagogue on outskirts of Milwaukee

Up early for another fitness center jaunt, then we have breakfast in the hotel restaurant: whole wheat pancakes with yogurt, yogurt with granola and fruit, one de-caf, $44 (and now THB is seeing the wisdom of daily trips to Fox and Obel).

Our last stop in Chicago is one of the best: a parks consultant that worked on Millennium Park on behalf of Mayor Daley gives us a walk-through. First we sit on the risers inside the Gehry pavilion, hearing gossip and background of how the park came to be, how Gehry was selected, how the art was chosen, and how friends of the mayor and big donors (most money came from bonds on the parking garage revenue and locals) influenced the outcome.

Then we stroll slowly around, getting more insights and picture opportunities. The Bean as the locals quickly dubbed it is really called Cloud Gate (by Anish Kapoor, the creator). Nobody calls it Cloud Gate; if you google The Bean up it comes with a map to the spot as the first entry. It is the number one attraction now in Chicago (maybe in the US?) and there are a number of pics included of THB taking his own picture. Next up: the Plensa fountain, another huge winner, where “faces” are coming out of the led-towers and then water spurts out of the mouths after 6 minutes of display. This may be the number two attraction in the US; when you add it to the Gehry Pavilion (known for its great outdoor sound – they have started to give two free concerts a day in the summer to meet the demand), you have what has now become the best urban park in America (maybe the Highline in NY? We haven’t been there yet…is it a national park? In the National League?). With the new wing of the Art Institute, this is close to as good as it gets….and the weather is terrific: 60s, clear, trees in bloom…awesome, dude!

Box lunch on the bus as we head to Milwaukee: tuna sandwich, huge bag of chips (not finished), potato salad (not eaten), gigantic cc cookie, warm iced tea, included.

We reach the first Milwaukee stop, the Lynden Sculpture Garden. Docents have been arranged to lead us around, THB lasts 2 minutes at the very first piece (Henry Moore) and realizes that having someone else explain art is not going to work, so heads off (DB joins THB after realizing that it is very cold and we can whip around)…see how fast the weather changes: in the space of about 50 words or 2 hours and 90 miles. It is now in the 50s and dropping, with a strong wind picking up.

In the bus, and we cross the highway to our next stop: a reform temple that has built a new synagogue in what appears to be a typical out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere office building. Quite well done, very understated, and pretty wall decorations done by a local artist.

Tour shoreline Milwaukee on the way back, plenty of large, old (not too old) houses, many of which appear to be for sale (between 10 and 20%?). We check in (chickendisk?) at the Pfister, a large old downtown hotel with very wide hallways. Nice room…

Dinner is at Buckleys, and they have opened up just to handle our group. Salads, saltimbocca for THB, mahi-mahi for DB, chocolate cake desserts, and all the wine and beer we can drink, included. Walk back again tonight to the hotel, this is maybe ½ mile at most.


Day 8: Milwaukee


St. Louis is closer to Minneapolis than Milwaukee is. Bud Selig

Pics: Duchamp pieces in progress, the bathrooms at the Kohler Art Center in Sheboygan

We have an early start today so THB decides to give the fitness center a pass. We dine on local pastries set up early for the group before we head to the bus at 8am.

We take the abbreviated (only 1.5 hour) tour of the Kohler Factory, which includes a stop to talk to artists in residence. Kohler sponsors two at a time, and they donate a piece to Kohler and the Kohler Art Center. One of the two residencees turns out to be a guy we saw in Omaha where he was in the midst of another residence, working in wood making odd furniture. This time he’s working on a porcelain piece of his father standing amidst a table (so the furniture theme is continued!).

The next stop is at the studio of Beth Lipman, a well-known glass artist who at one time was in charge of the Kohler residence program, right down the road from her residence (the one she lives in). We see several involved pieces in progress and hear a lot about the thinking behind the pieces.

Afterwards, we take a short ride into Sheboygan for the best meal of the trip, at Il Ritrovo. Mixed green salad (odd greens) with small mozzarella balls, tomatoes and a sharp dressing, two types of pizza (margherita and arugula with prosciutto), pasta shells with ragu, and cookies. Pizzas are terrific, as is the salad. A real find here, great local tip.

From lunch, we take a short walk to the Kohler Art Center, where the assistant curator lead us around, primarily through a set of galleries focused on memories. Very interesting…sorry, no photos, because the only place you were allowed to take the pictures was in the bathrooms, all of which were done by artists. Oh, there are lots of pics of the bathrooms, continuing a theme of travelsofthb. You want bathroom photos, THB has taken them.

Dinner at Carnevor, the practically self-titled steak place around the corner from the hotel. THB has steak, the others some form of fish or ravioli. Total with drinks and wine: $140