Milwaukee Travel Guide - A Festive Getaway on Lake Michigan
Milwaukee Travel Guide - A Festive Getaway on Lake Michigan
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00:00Looking for some happy days?
00:08How about a getaway to a festive city on the shores of Lake Michigan?
00:11Milwaukee scenery, you can't beat it.
00:14A scenic river walk, boat tours, breweries, vintage architecture, nightlife, and museums.
00:24We love the city of Milwaukee, baby!
00:26Let's go!
00:27We're away!
00:47Last week, we showed Door County, and before that, the Wisconsin Dells.
00:51In this, the third video of our four video series of Wisconsin, we take you to its largest
00:57city.
00:58From East Town, to West Town, to the historic Third Ward.
01:02Milwaukee's downtown sits at the confluence of three rivers, as well as Lake Michigan,
01:07which helps to make this one of the most popular cities in the U.S. for festivals and conventions.
01:13Here come some fellow cheeseheads.
01:15Hello!
01:16Hey brother!
01:17In this video, we'll show the variety of ways to explore the waterways in downtown.
01:22As we take you on a boat tour along its scenic river walk, under its many bridges.
01:30And show all the other options for water sport fun, including a donut boat, pedal drinking
01:35boats, and kayaks.
01:37On the lakefront, we'll take you inside of the iconic Milwaukee Art Museum.
01:44Explore the huge Veterans Park, on the shores of Lake Michigan.
01:50Bike on the Oak Leaf Trail.
01:54Show the options for rentals, from bikes to a pedal swan boat.
01:59We'll take you to several eateries, including two really good food halls.
02:03The Milwaukee Public Market, and the Third Street Market Hall.
02:07We'll show the Deere District, where the Five Serve Forum is located at.
02:11Home of the 2021 World Champs Milwaukee Bucks.
02:15And for those explorers of the open road, we'll take you to Milwaukee's second most
02:19popular attraction, the Harley-Davidson Museum.
02:23Oh, did I mention beer?
02:29We'll show a couple of breweries.
02:31Take you inside of American Family Field, where the brewers play.
02:35So, rev up that Harley.
02:43Come with us.
02:44I think by the end of this video, you just might see why people are saying,
02:48We love Milwaukee!
02:51Yeah!
03:02Milwaukee might be one of the most underrated cities in the U.S.
03:07Perhaps because it's in Chicago's shadow, being only 90 minutes north of the
03:11Windy City, which gets all the attention.
03:15Its Polish, German, Italian, and Irish heritage is visible by its vintage
03:20architecture.
03:22Some call Milwaukee a city of steeples, many of which are listed on the National
03:27Register of Historic Places.
03:29There's an app, GPS My City, where you can take a self-guided walking tour of
03:34these churches.
03:36There's the Milwaukee City Hall, when built, was the third tallest structure in
03:40the U.S., only behind the Washington Monument and Philadelphia City Hall.
03:45It was featured in the opening of Laverne & Shirley, a sitcom which ran from 76 to
03:5183.
03:52At the time, along with Happy Days, brought a lot of exposure to the city.
03:58The tallest building in the city, U.S.
04:00Bank Center at 601 feet, and behind that, Northwestern Mutual Tower.
04:07The third tallest structure, 100 East Wisconsin, formerly Pabst Skyscraper, with
04:12old German architecture.
04:18Downtown sits on what is the Milwaukee River Basin.
04:22It includes the Menominee, the Kinnickinick, and the Milwaukee Rivers.
04:25There's also three sections of downtown.
04:28There's East Town, which is everything from Lake Michigan to the Milwaukee River,
04:33north of I-794.
04:35East Town is considered a cultural hub, with the Art Museum, Children's Museum,
04:40Discovery World, and the Marcus Center for Performing Arts.
04:44And there's West Town, which is a cultural hub, with the Art Museum,
04:49And there's West Town, which is everything from the Milwaukee River to I-43.
04:54This includes the Viserv Forum, the 3rd Street Entertainment District, and where
04:59most of the breweries are at.
05:02There's the historic 3rd Ward, which is south of East Town, to the Daniel Horn
05:06Memorial Bridge, which has some of the best areas for art, dining, and nightlife.
05:12While Milwaukee is a big city, it's really a smaller big city, with around
05:17570,000 in the city limits, and 1.6 million in its metro area.
05:22For perspective, it puts it just below Albuquerque, New Mexico, and just above
05:27Fresno, California.
05:29If you compare metro areas, it's just above Raleigh, North Carolina, and below
05:34Providence, Rhode Island.
05:36It's just above Raleigh, North Carolina, and below Providence, Rhode Island.
05:40So, there's kind of a small town feel, yet it's big enough to have great services,
05:45activities, and dining.
05:47With a very walkable downtown, the gorgeous Riverwalk, and its large green
05:52space areas along the lakefront, Milwaukee is known as a city of festivals, where
05:57you can enjoy some great food trucks, as well as entertainment.
06:00So, if planning a visit, you might want to check out VisitMilwaukee.org for other
06:05festival schedule.
06:06I'll put a link in the description below.
06:08We happen to be here during the USA Triathlon Nationals.
06:12Milwaukee's Summerfest is held during June and July, claims to be the world's
06:16largest music festival.
06:27For a big city, traffic moves fairly good, with Interstates 94 and 43
06:31intersecting near downtown.
06:33You can get in and out of downtown fairly easily.
06:36They also have a free light rail system that opened in 2018 called The Hop,
06:41because you just hop on and hop off without needing a ticket.
06:45Alright, let's show you around Milwaukee.
06:55We begin our tour on the lakefront at Veterans Park, one of the areas for
07:00festivals, like the Air and Water Show and Brewfest.
07:03Both usually happens in July.
07:11On the north side of the park is the McKinley Marina and Milwaukee Yacht Club.
07:15Here is the Roundhouse Beer Garden, open during the summer.
07:19A great stop before sailing out on Lake Michigan.
07:24There's Sea Safari Sailing School.
07:28Or at Sea Dog Sailing, you can charter a sailboat for up to 6 guests,
07:32anywhere from $250 to $590.
07:37The Oakleaf Trail runs through Veterans Park.
07:39This is a 135-mile trail that encircles Milwaukee County.
07:51From May to early October, you can rent a surrey bike here at Wheel Fund Rentals.
07:55From $27 to $55.
07:58And they also have pedal swan boats for $30 an hour.
08:02You pedal out in a 14-acre lagoon with great views of the downtown skyline.
08:11With the good winds off of Lake Michigan, Veterans Park is an ideal place for flying kites.
08:16There is Gift of Wings here, where you can buy a kite.
08:19They also have food and ice cream.
08:26On the south end of the park is the War Memorial Beer Garden.
08:35With a pretty good selection of flavored brews, as well as brats,
08:39it is open Tuesdays through Sundays, May through early October.
08:43There's live music on the weekends.
08:56We now come to Milwaukee's most iconic structure, the Museum of Art.
09:01Every morning, Tuesday through Sunday, at 10 a.m., when the museum is open,
09:05the wings open up.
09:07It takes about three and a half minutes to complete.
09:10They flap again at noon and close at 5 p.m.
09:13Thursdays at 8 p.m.
09:15The best place to watch is from the pedestrian bridge that leads to the museum.
09:19This amazing structure by renowned architect Santiago Calatrava,
09:24who has designed creative structures around the world,
09:27including the Polytechnic University that we showed in our Lakeland-Winterhaven, Florida video.
09:33You can walk inside the atrium for free.
09:36The actual museum is $22 for adults and $17 for children 12 and under.
09:42With over 30,000 pieces, plenty for the connoisseur of fine art.
09:49Not yet. That museum's coming in a bit.
09:52There is a cafe accessible from the lakefront at the base of the museum.
09:57Next to the museum is Henry Meyer Festival Park, where most of the summer festivals are at,
10:02and the Betty Brinn Children's Museum, which has a pizza factory cafe inside.
10:08On the lake is Harbor House, a seafood restaurant overlooking the lake.
10:12And next to that is Pier Wisconsin, with a walkable jetty overlooking Discovery World,
10:17which has a science museum as well as the Ryman Aquarium.
10:21It is $22 for adults and $18 for children 3 to 17.
10:32Across from Pier Wisconsin is the pet-friendly Lakeshore State Park with a fishing pier,
10:38and the American Family Insurance Amphitheater, where headlining artists perform at summer fests.
10:44And a little ways out into Lake Michigan is the Milwaukee Breakwater Light.
10:48The best way to see this is on a boat cruise that you can take from the Riverwalk area.
10:58We now explore the Riverwalk area.
11:00Before we take you on the Milwaukee Boat Line Tour, let me show you all the other options for river fun.
11:06This Riverwalk goes on both sides of the Milwaukee River and is still improving.
11:10When complete, it will be over 3 miles.
11:13It divides East Town from West Town and passing through the Third Ward.
11:17All the way to Lake Michigan.
11:19There are 4 lots of ways to enjoy it from.
11:23Across from the Milwaukee Boat Line is the Harp Irish Pub with a nice deck overlooking the river.
11:31At the pub is Petal Tavern that makes stops at 3 or 4 bars,
11:35while getting a little cardio and sightseeing along the way.
11:38Public tours are $35 to $45, or you can charter a tour between $329 and $469.
11:45For up to 16 people.
11:49There's Pere Marquette Park, a nice scenic park along the riverfront,
11:53a quarter mile from the Fiserv Forum.
11:55It is here you'll find Riverwalk Boat Rentals,
11:58where you can charter a 22-passenger boat with a captain anywhere from $430 to $540 for 2 hours.
12:05Or rent a pontoon from $245 to $280 for 4 hours.
12:09Includes up to 10 people.
12:12There's the Milwaukee Duffy Boats that uses an electric engine,
12:16which makes them more quiet, so you hear more of the sounds of the water.
12:20In colder weather they can be zippered up to keep you more comfortable.
12:24They are anywhere from $125 to $249 per hour.
12:28It takes about 90 minutes to do the full Riverwalk loop,
12:31so you probably want at least 2 hours.
12:34Boat MKE offers these unique donut boats.
12:37The circular pattern facilitates great conversations with your friends and family.
12:42They are $400 for 90 minutes.
12:44There's Milwaukee Kayak Tours, also at the Harp Irish Pub,
12:48a couple of blocks from the Fiserv Forum.
12:51$65 for a 2-hour tour, or $44 for a 4-hour rental.
12:55And there's Clearwater Outdoor Rental, located at the Milwaukee Public Market, in the 3rd Ward.
13:01A 2-hour rental is $45 for a kayak or paddleboard, or $65 for a tandem kayak.
13:10There are two yacht-style cruises you can take.
13:13We rode with the dog-friendly Milwaukee Boat Line, aboard the Double Decker Vista King.
13:18This is a 90-minute narrated tour, giving a perspective of Milwaukee's history.
13:23It is $29 for adults, $15 for children 4-12.
13:28There's snacks, soft drinks, beer, and cocktails available on board.
13:32I just love it. Catching some of these sun rays, you know, peace and love.
13:37That's all it is, you know, and a little libation. I already drank it already.
13:43Nice and relaxing. Shows all the beautiful architecture of the city.
13:47Lake Michigan, the beautiful Wisconsin sky, the Milwaukee scenery, can't beat it.
13:55You cruise down the Milwaukee River, out to the Kinnikinik River,
13:59under the Daniel Horn Bridge, and out to Lake Michigan,
14:02passing by the Milwaukee Purehead Light, as well as the Breakwater Light.
14:10And also view the skyline from the lake.
14:17How does traffic in Milwaukee compare to traffic in Atlanta?
14:21Oh, this is no comparison.
14:24We pass by the Sail Loft, a waterfront seafood restaurant,
14:28in the historic Third Ward overlooking the river.
14:31And there is Fonzie, the statue of the star of the Happy Days sitcom
14:35that aired from 1974 to 1984, set in Milwaukee.
14:39The other yacht-style boat tour is Edelweiss Cruises.
14:43They have a variety of themed cruises, like Rock the Boat Cruise on Saturday nights with a DJ,
14:49or a Wisconsin Brat Cruise with brats and potato salad.
14:53Their regular 90-minute narrated cruise is $30 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under.
15:01They also have a Pontiki Boat you can charter for $4.75 for up to 19 passengers.
15:11Viserv Forum, as well as being the home of the Milwaukee Bucks and Marquette University's basketball team,
15:17has hosted the Democratic National Convention in 2020 and will host the Republican National Convention in 2024.
15:24It's no wonder, because this is a pretty happening area, known as the Deer District.
15:29The adjacent building, Gather at the Deer District, has a sports bar and grill, and Good City Brewing.
15:35There's a covered courtyard with a beer garden, Fat Tuesdays, a large screen TV,
15:40and Uncle Buck's, a restaurant and sports bar with elevated outdoor seating.
15:47Now, if you're in Milwaukee and looking for the 3rd Street Entertainment District but can't find 3rd Street,
15:53that is because 3rd Street was renamed Dr. MLK Jr. Drive.
15:57This is where there are several good restaurants with street-side dining, especially with German food,
16:03like at the Milwaukee Brat House with the old German Beer Hall next door and Who's on 3rd's sports bar.
16:10The 3rd Avenue District, Dr. MLK Jr. Drive, ends at Wisconsin Avenue, where the 3rd Street Market Hall is located,
16:17about a mile from the Fiserv Forum and two blocks west of the Riverwalk.
16:22This is a great place to sample a variety of local beers, as they have a self-tapped beer wall that has 23 local brews.
16:29There's game areas to gather with your friends while enjoying a meal.
16:33There's plush, top golf suites you can make reservations for.
16:37A good variety of food, from barbecue to rotisserie chicken, unique tacos,
16:42and the greenhouse where I picked up a sesame ginger salad, getting something healthy after eating all that cheese.
16:50We continue down Wisconsin Avenue, on the left, the Warner Grand Theater,
16:55and further down, the Riverside Theater, one of the most opulent concert halls featuring top recording artists and shows.
17:03You see many skywalks here. Milwaukee has 1.75 miles of skywalks,
17:08allows people to move around the city comfortably, even during colder months.
17:13Crossing back over the Riverwalk, the Milwaukee River, and if you turn right on Water Street,
17:18you come to what is considered one of America's best public food halls,
17:22the Milwaukee Public Market, located just inside the historic 3rd Ward.
17:26There's over 16 eateries and bars.
17:29There's the West Alice Cheese and Sausage Shop.
17:32There's Anadon Company, for deluxe roasted coffee.
17:35There's Omibus, for healthy vegan food, bowls, and smoothies, with a converted VW van.
17:43There's the St. Paul Fish Company, with fresh oysters.
17:47Aladdin, Taste of the East, for Mediterranean food.
17:50There's Margarita Paradise, a Mexican restaurant and bar.
17:54The Draft Patio, a popular outdoor bar and gathering place.
17:58Parking is located just under I-794, and is $6 for 2 hours.
18:08For those born to be wild.
18:12A mile southeast of the Milwaukee Public Market, on the banks of the Menomonee River,
18:17is the Harley-Davidson Museum.
18:19This is a huge complex. Along with the museum, there's a restaurant, a retail store,
18:25and park-like outdoor spaces.
18:27Those with Harleys can park right up front.
18:31On Saturdays, if you have a motorcycle license, you can demo some of the latest Harleys.
18:37The two-floor museum takes you back over 100 years of evolution,
18:41of America's most popular motorcycles.
18:44With interactive exhibits, you see over 450 bikes and artifacts,
18:49dating back to the oldest known Harley.
18:52Seems like they have examples of just about every year.
18:57See how it played a role in American history.
19:01Learn stories of the making and development of these machines,
19:04including seeing how they were used with the post office and the military during the war.
19:09Fascinating.
19:11Maybe I should get one, but then Bella would have to wear a helmet.
19:17The museum is $22 for adults and $8 for children 5 to 17.
19:23You can dine indoors or outdoors at the Motor Bar and Restaurant,
19:28which had a pretty good turkey burger with cranberry.
19:38We now move to what I think is one of the most gorgeous ballparks in baseball,
19:42American Family Field, home of the Brewers.
19:45It is a retractable roof stadium, which opened in 2001,
19:49replacing the former Milwaukee County Stadium.
19:52It's only a 10-minute drive from downtown, right off of I-94.
19:56The large panes of glass allow the grass to grow,
19:59augmented with heat lamp structures during the offseason.
20:13I like the traditional baseball organ.
20:15$8 for this little Brock.
20:17$12 for this baked potato with cheese and broccoli.
20:20That was pretty good.
20:22Of course, with a name like the Brewers, you know you'll find some good local craft brews.
20:27Next to the right field foul pole is Cream City Cocktails.
20:31There's also the Johnsonville Party Deck, the Miller Light Deck in left field,
20:35and the Associated Bank Power Alley Bar above the Brewers' bullpen.
20:39When the Brewers hit a home run, Bernie Brewer slides down the chalet
20:43into a platform in the shape of a home plate.
20:46Anyone over 8 can take a behind-the-scenes tour of the park before the games and slide yourself.
20:52On this night, with the Brewers regaining first place in the Centro,
20:56the fans went home very happy.
21:00Crazy Brewer fans!
21:07Another must-do in Milwaukee is to take a brewery tour.
21:10You have several to choose from.
21:12There's the Miller Brewery that is not far from American Family Field.
21:16This tour is $10 plus taxes and fees.
21:19It includes a guided walking tour of some of the underground caves of the past,
21:23as well as the modern operations of today's brewing process.
21:27It involves six blocks of walking and some stairs.
21:32Many of the brewery tours are in the downtown area between the Fiserv Farm and I-43
21:37in what is called the Brewery District.
21:42There's the Central Waters Taproom, located in a vintage church building,
21:46and they also have a covered outside beer garden.
21:54I did the Historic Pabst Brewery Tour, which is $12 to $14.
21:59Again, you get a free beer at the beginning of the tour.
22:02This tour is more about the history of Pabst Blue Ribbon,
22:05which also helped to create Miller Beer,
22:07and it played a huge role in Milwaukee's history of beer.
22:10You learn about how the Chicago Fire of 1871
22:13really helped to make Milwaukee the beer capital of the world.
22:17But you don't see any breweries on this tour,
22:19just the historic Pabst building and office spaces.
22:23There is Best Place Coffee and Spirits here,
22:25with a nice little courtyard with a statue of Philip Pabst.
22:33There's also Pilot Project Brewing that has a full-service restaurant.
22:38One of the most popular brewery tours, and one that I would recommend,
22:41is doing the Lakefront Brewery Tour,
22:43especially if you're a Laverne & Shirley fan.
22:46You see the factory line used in the shows,
22:48and you see the original chalet used by Bernie the Brewer
22:51that we just mentioned from the former Milwaukee County Stadium.
22:54And they also have gluten-free brews.
22:57It is $12 to $15 for a 45-minute tour,
23:00and they also have good food here.
23:07Coming near the end of our video,
23:09I also wanted to show you the domes at Mitchell Park.
23:12It is $9 for adults, $6 for children 3-12.
23:16Five times a year, these domes transform,
23:18with unique floral shows,
23:20and there's the annual train show,
23:22and the popular holiday show.
23:24Mitchell Park is a nice little park with walking trails,
23:27a large pond, a playground, and a mini Packers football field.
23:33And our last place of interest is Marquette University.
23:36While this, the Church of the Jesu, a Milwaukee landmark,
23:39is not affiliated with the university,
23:41it does minister to the downtown campus.
23:44It was created by Irish immigrants 129 years ago.
23:50Marquette is a private Jesuit research university.
23:53Its campus has some amazing vintage buildings.
23:57It has over 11,000 students,
23:59offers programs in liberal arts, business,
24:02communication, engineering, law, and health sciences.
24:05Its sports teams are known as the Golden Eagles,
24:08and play in the Big East Conference.
24:13Milwaukee is a nice getaway.
24:15Compared to other big cities, things are reasonably priced,
24:18and really makes a nice summer getaway,
24:20or a nice stop on your way to Door County.
24:22There is a whole lot more to Milwaukee than I covered here,
24:26so I'd love to hear your experiences in the Brew City.
24:29We are Tampa Aerial Media.
24:31We film travel promos across the USA.
24:34For stock footage of this video,
24:36or if you'd like to hire us to film your city, region, or resort,
24:40contact us at info at TampaAerialMedia.com.
24:44Also wanted to mention, been using the Canon R7 mirrorless camera.
24:48Really impressed with its image stabilization.
24:51And it's small enough to get into professional sporting events,
24:54without getting hassled.
24:55I put a link below.
24:57Using these links helps me to pay for these videos.
25:00So, we covered the Wisconsin Dells, Door County,
25:03and Milwaukee.
25:04Next, we show you the rest of Wisconsin,
25:07including Madison and Green Bay,
25:10and 25 smaller towns across the state.
25:21From the Brew City, I wish blessings to you, wherever you may be.
25:33♪♪♪