Monday, June 18

Big blow - McKinley Marina

Usinger's - German Town

Calatrava wing - Milwaukee Art Museum

At 6:00 am we looked out across the Port Washington Marina -the winds had increased over night, the skies were black and lightening bolts could be seen in the distance.  We would need to delay our start until things  calmed down.
As Port Washington was on the southern edge of this front we had a window of opportunity 2 hours later and decided to make a quick 26 mile run to Milwaukee.  Other than occasional fog it was a fairly smooth ride and we were able to tie up at the McKinley Marina in Milwaukee before all hell broke loose.
As it turned out the really bad stuff stayed north -  however by three in the afternoon it was blowing a steady 25 - 30 mph.  Even the tourist cruise boats were staying in the protected Milwaukee Bay and not venturing out into Lake Michigan.
Like so many other communities that we have visited,  Milwaukee has a terrific lake/river fitness path that provides easy access to the city sights.  One of the most magnificent is the Santiago Calatrava wing of the Milwaukee Art Museum.  It dominates the Milwaukee Bay shoreline with its graceful, sculptural design and moveable  217-foot wingspan sunscreen that unfolds and folds twice daily.
Next we visited the Historic Third Ward - the restored warehouse district of the city - home to the Milwaukee Public Market which features artisan Wisconsin products.  With strong winds & temps near 90 degrees, it felt great to get off the bikes and indulge ourselves in a leisurely lunch at a local sidewalk cafe.
What trip to Milwaukee would be complete without visiting German Town and more specifically the acclaimed Usinger's.  In a city that claims to be "The Bratwurst Capital of the World" - they are the Best of the "Brats".

Nasty early morning weather - Port Washington, WI

We could not help but notice that McKinley Marina is almost filled to capacity - a far cry from the empty marinas we had become accustomed to earlier in our Loop journey.