Saturday, July 30, 2011

A Three Hour Tour, A Three Hour Tour

I've been on the road a lot this summer, and one visit took me to Milwaukee, a lovely city I'd never really discovered before.

I was going for a meeting. To fly -- $750. To take the boat -- $167. And so I embarked on a "three hour tour." ("A three hour tour.")

If you are singing "Gilligan's Island" as an accompaniment to these words, you'll wonder if "the weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed."

The boat wasn't that tiny, the weather not so rough. In fact, both days were lovely (and among the hottest of the summer, which made the deck with its mighty breezes mighty fine.)

The ferry, I discovered, is a fine way to travel -- a lovely deck if you want to look about and catch the breezes, a fine large cabin with big, cushy seats and a fairly decent -- if overpriced -- kitchen.

Being rather fond of lighthouses, I got to see a few of them.

I was also fond of the kayakers who gave us a wave and frolic as we left Muskegon.

And some of the wonderful boats we saw along the way.

Milwaukee is lovely and I wanted to share a few places I was fortunate enough to visit.

Our meeting group had an evening at the aquarium.

Loved the jelly fish.

There were lots of interesting features here -- a periscope, fish you could pet. I wish those photos turned out!

We also got to tour the Denis Sullivan, a teaching ship.

Our guide, a young teacher, had lively tattoos, a good way with the explanations and was indeed, an asset.

Kerry Lee and I had the opportunity to have dinner at a tapas restaurant called La Merenda.

I loved the bathroom -- especially that Paris map on the wall.

Then she took me to the Alterra coffee company (Milwaukee's home brew and Rick says it is mighty tasty!) where her daughter worked and where I got great stuff for Rick's birthday.

Home again aboard the "S.S. Minnow." And a good time was had by all!

14 comments:

Dr. Kathy McCoy said...

What a great adventure, Jeanie! And a lesson that, in choosing the slower route, one not only saves money but gets to savor sights along the way. Your pictures are great. I feel like I've had a fun adventure, too!

Anonymous said...

A good time was had by all! The evening flew by far too quickly; it was so much fun visiting with you. We must plan another adventure soon!!

Arti said...

Jeanie,

There are just so much to see in your great country. The photos here just show how diverse the attractions can be. Just beautiful! And even the bathroom of the restaurant is stylish and "Parisian".

Annie Jeffries said...

Kayaks! Cool! Jeanie, I promised myself to take a kayaking class next summer. I will have lost a lot of weight by then and will feel much more confident to give it a try. I may only do it once but as bucket lists go, you only have to try something once. :-)

Marilyn Miller said...

How fun to get to explore a fairly new city for you. The boat ride sounds like it could have been rather peaceful just to let the breeze blow and hear the water moving by. I hope the meetings were good too.

Joanne Huffman said...

What delightful photos. I've wondered about taking the ferry.

Janet said...

I think that song will be stuck in my head for the rest of the day! People miss so much when they fly. I'm glad you chose to take the ferry and experience the sights along the way. HB and I loved taking the ferry boats when we lived near San Francisco.

Jennifer Richardson said...

what a romantic way to travel
...thanks for those yummy pics!
(and for the song now stuck
in my head:))
happy trails,
-Jennifer
(come by my new place when you
get a chance!)

Karen Owen said...

I love the photo of the kayakers. It would make a terrific painting.

Nancy/BLissed-Out Grandma said...

I lived in Milwaukee for a few years and loved it. Hope you ate some German food!

Rosa said...

How fun!!

Becca said...

This looks like a nice little adventure - if it was work related, at least you had some nice boat rides :)

Lisa from Lisa's Yarns said...

Very cool! Looks like a great trip. I love pictures of lighthouses!!

I really want to check out Milwaukee. I need to get there while Nora lives close by.

Oh said...

Lucky you - you got to meet up with Kerry?! very cool. and it's always, always good to discover fabulous coffee. You are getting to some cool places, my friend!

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