Milwaukee by Bike

Fourth of July in Milwaukee. With bike trails skating in and out of the city from every direction, the opportunity for urban adventures beckoned. We were visiting Mike's brother and sister-in-law. I listened as Mike's brother talked about the Oak Leaf Trail, a large path that cuts in and out of Milwaukee, offering lakefront views and intermingling the best of Milwaukee's natural and urban settings.

The city was expected to set off 10,000 pounds of fireworks. Lakeshore State Park, a space full of prairie grass and a perfect view of the skyline was virtually empty of people as we parked our bikes along the big boulders skirting the lakeshore. About 300 yards away, the lakefront was packed 20 and 30 people deep, filled with tents and grills and dogs and kids. I looked at our quiet surroundings with glee, as if we'd discovered a secret hideaway. The fog seemed to have gotten even thicker as the evening wore on. It was only evident that the show had started due to the thunderous booms across the lake.  Nothing but a cloud of light was visible as they exploded in the sky.

As the fog enveloped the downtown area, we steered our bikes through the haze.  We were looking for  a clandestine bar called The Safe House. 

The Safe House is usually located by word-of-mouth as there is no sign, however there is a secret password required to enter.  It sometimes involves hula hoops. You just have to experience it for yourself.

Everything looked a little weird and distorted inside.

Secret room that rotates around and dumps you out in another room. Allright, I've said enough.

The night wore on. We biked through the lower East Side into a little neighborhood and entered the self-described "townie, dive bar" Wolski's Tavern. We had fun. We did not close Wolski's.

The urban safari continued the next day back along the lakeshore and then on to the historic Pabst Brewery.

The historic Pabst Brewery was in operation for 150 years and last operated in 1996. We enjoyed the most recent renovation which was the Brewhouse Inn and Suites. We enjoyed the restaurant part, not the suites, which were amazing and dreamy. 

 When faced with a sunny patio and an icy cold Pabst, well day drinking becomes the right choice every once in awhile.

We found our kindred spirits that weekend with Mike's brother and sister-in-law, pedaling side by side through the streets of Milwaukee. We rolled through neighborhoods and listened to street noise and coasted through bike paths and felt the wind on our faces. Though I'm really just a destination biker, I've come to realize that many experiences are just more fun on a bike. 

"When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the human race."

                                                                     --H.G. Wells