Diamond Jubilee: Lake Michigan, Milwaukee

Lakeshore State Park

I put off a visit to the lake the entire visit to Milwaukee due to gray skies and cool breezes. There remained almost one full day before the train onward, but unfortunately, I didn't catch a break with the weather. If I wanted to see the lake, it was my only chance. For as much as I had come to love the city, its skies didn't love me back.

I walked from the hotel to Lakeshore State Park, which provides an excellent view of the city skyline and expansive, natural views of Lake Michigan. The "steaming Lake Michigan" from the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzerald was clearly never going to be in the cards for my visit.

Milwaukee loves its whimsical outdoor sculptures. My visit coincided with the temporary installation "REbirth"

The flock of swallow sculptures titled "REbirth" is sponsored by the Milwaukee-based Black Box Fund in partnership with the Friends of Lakeshore State Park (FLSP). Sculpted by the artistic movement Cracking Art, "REbirth" features 22 5-foot-tall, brightly colored swallows made of "regenerable" plastic. Cracking Art calls the plastic "regenerable" because each bird is crafted from re-purposed plastic and will subsequently be turned into another iteration of its art. Cracking Art, whose anonymous members are scattered around Europe, derives its name from catalytic cracking, a process that converts crude oil into plastic. Through its art installation, the group aims to "create a sense of wonder that can bring pleasure while highlighting the overwhelming presence of plastic in our lives."

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/newsroom/release/45381

I continued through the park (and fields of lovely wildflowers) past some corporate-sponsored performance venues (very nice) to the city's multi-river outlet into the lake (the Milwaukee, the Menomonee, and the Kinnickinnic). Hoan Memorial Bridge stood out with its bold colors on such a gray day.

The locally famous Milwaukee Pierhead Lighthouse stands squat (and boldly red) at the rivers' entrance to the Port of Milwaukee. I saw several other people taking photos and enjoying the views. That viewpoint appears famous in the city.

Finally, I looked back on the cityscape from the wildflower meadows of the island park (if gray and cloudy). I once again marveled at how blessed Milwaukeeans are to have such a lovely place literally on their doorstep.

July 2021.

I returned to the hotel slowly, passing the Calatrava-designed museum one more time. The train was not until 4pm (if on time). My last day in Milwaukee was slow and at a leisurely pace.

Due to the advance of COVID along my original itinerary, I was headed to St Paul. Minnesota's cases were low (in the days of COVID all such statistics were available "live and online"). I looked forward to visiting yet another city I had not intended to visit. Milwaukee had been a fantastic surprise.

Luckily, I got a seat on the very popular Empire Builder train. The rail pass turned out to be less than user-friendly as each train was assigned a quota of "rail pass seats". That meant that even if the train was not full, the pass was sometimes not valid. Then, the only choice was to buy a ticket outright (thanks Amtrak). Luckily, I scored a rail pass seat as far as St Paul. The train arrived after 11pm, but there was little I could do - in those days the train was just once a day. At least the train came to Milwaukee on time and I would have several hours of daylight as I crossed Wisconsin.

I left Milwaukee happy to have discovered the city - even if the bartender's words still rang in my ears about who could actually enjoy what I had just seen.