Grohmann Museum in Milwaukee Captivates With Incredible Paintings and Sculptures Detailing the History of Work

 

Grohmann Museum located on the campus of the Milwaukee School of Engineering houses an incredible art collection somewhat hidden away from main tourist sites. We have passed by this amazing museum many times on our visits to Milwaukee. Looking for a new adventure this past week. we finally visited. Wow -- we were missing quite a treasure trove of incredible art!

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Spring Hiking and Birding at Wehr Nature Center in Franklin, Wisconsin

 

Wehr Nature Center Presents a Wealth of Trails in a Thriving Nature Haven Near Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Hiking the trails of Wehr Nature Center in Franklin, Wisconsin offered us a tranquil start to the day while admiring a cornucopia of birds, a sprinkle of wildflowers, a calm lake, and the rush of a waterfall. During our first amble along the natural and boardwalk trails of Wehr Nature Center, we immediately became enchanted. 

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Conservatories and Butterfly Enclosures of Chicago and Milwaukee

 

Conservatories and butterfly enclosures in both Chicago and Milwaukee treat to summer experiences during the depths of winter. When I need a little green uplift, I like to wander the paths of one of our local conservatories or butterfly enclosures. I am sharing a list of my favorite indoor greenspaces in the area to help you enjoy a little winter adventure with vibrant flora:

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Hum of Frogs and a Prairie Bouquet at Havenwoods State Forest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

An urban state forest finds its home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Havenwoods State Forest represents the only urban forest in the state of Wisconsin inviting natural lovers to a spectacular oasis in an urban area. While hiking the trails of Havenwoods State Forest, we felt buoyed by nature discoveries we encountered in the preserve. We truly felt nestled away from hustle-bustle despite being in Milwaukee.

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Serendipitous Art Wandering at Lynden Sculpture Garden in Milwaukee

Serendipitous Art Wandering at Lynden Sculpture Garden in Milwaukee

Serendipitously on a trip to Milwaukee, we discovered a cache of outdoor sculptures at Lynden Sculpture Garden. We  initially visited Milwaukee to see if the home on Ivanhoe Place where my grandparents lived so many decades ago still stood. We located the home and snapped some photos for them. We  had intended on walking along the lake nearby after. However, I opted to do a quick Google search to see what points of interest popped up nearby. My interest piqued when I stumbled on a local sculpture garden. Then, I learned that admission was currently waived for the time being. Destiny! 

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Hiking Around Milwaukee on the Oak Leaf Trail

Oak Leaf Trail in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Consists of a Vast Trail System:

Oak Leaf Trail in Milwaukee and the surrounding areas provides a system of varied hiking experiences. The system of trails contains miles and miles of trails basically forming a loop around the city with offshoots. The system truly provides for a wealth of Milwaukee hiking adventures and we just brushed the surface with our recent hike.

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Hiking Near Milwaukee: In Search of Seven Bridges Trail at Grant Park in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Hiking Over Bridges and Up and Down Bluffs at Grant Park in South Milwaukee, WI

When searching for new trails to hike, I stumbled upon Seven Bridges Trail. What isn't to love about bridges melding with nature? Unbeknownst to me, my husband was scoping out trails in Grant Park in South Milwaukee. Turns out, we were looking at the same destination because Seven Bridges Trail is in Grant Park. So, one beautiful morning we drove up to South Milwaukee, Wisconsin to enjoy some Milwaukee hiking.

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Lakefront Brewery Celebrates Local in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Lakefront Brewery Celebrates Local in Milwaukee, Wisconsin 

With my new found love of craft beer, my husband and I have been having fun exploring craft breweries both near and far. We discovered we had a free weekend day without our daughter, so we opted for a road trip to Milwaukee to explore Lakefront Brewery.

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Exploring Natural History and Culture at the Milwaukee Public Museum

Exploring Natural History and Culture at the Milwaukee Public Museum 

Milwaukee Public Museum fascinates visitors with quite a cache of natural history exhibits, a theater and a planetarium. Our first visit to the museum was punctuated with with incredible discovery after incredible discovery. Before we knew it, we had spent 3 hours at the museum and there were still more exhibits to see. So, a visit is quite a thorough experience that easily invites future explorations!

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Sprecher Brewing Co. Brewery Tour {Milwaukee}

Sprecher Brewing Co. Brewery Tour

Sprecher Brewing Co. definitely has a fantastic idea for a winter day -- visiting for a brewery tour! One particular chilly day last month, we ventured to Milwaukee for a little adventure including a brewery tour in nearby Glendale.

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Colectivo Coffee and Black Cat Alley in Milwaukee

After our adventure down memory lane at the Mitchell Park Domes in Milwaukee, we went in search of locally roasted coffee and popped into Colectivo. In addition to our hot beverages of choice, Colectivo has a decent menu of breakfast items, sandwiches and wraps. Plus, they have tempting fresh baked goodies from Troubadour Bakery. As a family of famished explorers, we ordered a selection of sandwiches. I, of course, ordered my traditional mocha latte which I can say was delicious!

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Mitchell Park Domes in Milwaukee: Inviting Nature Exploration Year Round

Mitchell Park Domes in Milwaukee, Wisconsin feature summer all year round.

**Please verify any admission changes due to COVID before visiting.

Mitchell Park Domes in Milwaukee truly offer a splendid warm weather oasis throughout the year. This especially becomes enjoyable during rainy, snowy or cold days. When my daughter was younger, we took quite a few adventures to Milwaukee on cold days to enjoy the warmth and greenery of the Domes. We would couple the visit with a jaunt to the Public Market because who could resist? This week, we realized that it had been so long since our last visit. So, we seized on a free day to take a trip to Milwaukee.

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Renewal and Rejuvenation at The Brewhouse Inn and Suites Milwaukee

**Thank you to Visit Milwaukee for hosting our visit. No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

One over arching theme that we saw during our journey in Milwaukee was one of renewal. Much like any community in America, Milwaukee has seen the constant ebb and flow of societal and economic changes. Perhaps one of the most pronounced examples of this was the closing of the Pabst Brewery in 1996 and its resurrection as a stunning hotel just last year.

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Experiencing Germany Without Leaving Milwaukee at Mader's

**Thank you to Visit Milwaukee for hosting our visit. No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.
 
 Mader's in Milwaukee brings a little Oktoberfest to the world every day. Walking into Mader's is like stepping into a piece of Germany without leaving the city. Greeted by Mader's German chalet look when we drove up, I knew that we would love Mader's and it would always easily live on as a fond childhood memory for our daughter.

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Milwaukee Food and City Tours Expose an Epicurean Wonderland in Walker's Point, Milwaukee

**Thank you to Visit Milwaukee for hosting our visit. No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Walker's Point is an up and coming neighborhood in Milwaukee and an epicurean dream. The area has emerged as an incubator for culinary exploration both for those developing new creations and those indulging. We were fortunate to have some time to walk around this area during our visit along with a guided tour by Theresa Nemetz of Milwaukee Food & City Tours.

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Hands-On Investigative Learning at the Discovery World Science and Technology Center in Milwaukee

**Disclosure: Thank you to Visit Milwaukee for hosting our visit to Discovery World Science and Technology Center. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% our own.

On vacation, keeping the kids engaged can prove to be a challenge. Cue the Discovery World Science and Technology Center in Milwaukee where kids benefit from a range of inspiring hands-on experiences. Particularly intriguing to our family was Discovery World's large wing specializing on aquatic life, understanding the Great Lakes, the water cycle and more about the vital resource. We have been to a number of aquariums before, but have never been to an attraction that so thoroughly explains the water cycle of the Great Lakes region!

What kid wouldn't want to control a dinosaur?

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Exploring the Roots of Milwaukee in the Third Ward

The Third Ward is full of character!

**Disclosure: Thank you to Visit Milwaukee for hosting our visit. Our tour of the Third Ward was complimentary in order to facilitate our review. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

The real way to explore a city is on foot and we received a true treat wandering through Milwaukee's Third Ward on a Milwaukee Food and City Tour. The Third Ward area is certainly an area not to be missed by families and is a wonderful location to begin your foundation of Milwaukee history.

A peaceful walk along the RiverWalk.

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The Safe House Brings Mystery and Intrigue to Families in Milwaukee

Who goes there?

**Disclosure: Thank you to Visit Milwaukee for hosting our stay in this lovely city. No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Secret gems to be uncovered. Unique history. Amazing buildings with stories tucked inside. Engaging family experiences. Authentic flavor and beat of its own. We found all of this on our recent trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and over the next couple of weeks we will reveal these treasures to you. With our wealth of discoveries in mind, I cannot think of a better way to begin our new series on our Milwaukee visit than by reporting on one of the city's biggest mysteries: the Safe House.

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Summer Road Trip Milwaukee: Milwaukee Inspiration and the Wisconsin State Fair July 31-August 10

Milwaukee Art Museum via Wiki Commons

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

About once a year, we love to take at trip up to Milwaukee. A couple of winters ago we visited the Mitchell Park Conservatory to visit the famous Domes and walk through a tropical rainforest in the middle of winter! How amazing to walk through a tropical landscape without jackets in the middle of a Midwest winter!}We also love to sample the Milwaukee culinary scene and visit the Milwaukee Public Market. This week, I spent some time browsing Visit Milwaukee's website and they have a nice itinerary section to inspire some road trips. They even have a Milwaukee Scavenger Hunt to help your family explore the city. I know my daughter would totally love a huge scavenger hunt! Of course, they also have a geocaching tour as well!

If you are thinking about visiting Milwaukee this summer, the Wisconsin State Fair may provide some extra incentive! The fair runs for a whopping eleven days (July 31-August 10) and will have a large range of entertainment. The fair will have a huge Wisconsin products pavilion--you know I am huge into local products so this sounds like heaven! There will also be animals, music, demonstrations, other acts and much more! An interesting fact about the fair---350,000 cream puffs are consumed each year. Wow!

For more information on the fair, you can check out Visit Milwaukee. I think the Scavenger Hunt itinerary gives a good framework for launching a family trip to Milwaukee no matter the time of the year. The Harley-Davidson Museum, Discovery World and The Domes--there is something for everyone in your family. And, who can miss the bronze statue of the Fonz?

Image via Jimmy Emerson on Flickr

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The Mitchell Park Conservatory (The Domes)--an Oasis in Milwaukee

Winter can be pretty tough sometimes--cold, dark, and quiet. On a recent trip to Milwaukee, we found a location that can bring back a little bit of "spring" to you and make the long days of winter a little more tolerable. The Mitchell Park Conservatory, lovingly called "The Domes," provides an oasis where tropical birds fly, flowers bloom, and you can walk through nature without your jacket on in the middle of winter.

When we first drove up to The Domes, my daughter let out a shriek of excitement. She was amazed by the three domes and quickly noted that there were brightly colored lights atop each. She could not wait to go exploring!

We entered The Domes and found everything to be easy to navigate and the staff to be friendly and helpful--big pluses when traveling with children! Upon entering there is even a place to hang up jackets--something you may want to do before exploring the Tropical Dome!

After picking up some scavenger hunts (one for each dome!), we headed for the Tropical Dome. When we entered the Dome, we were immediately greeted with warm weather, lush and colorful vegetation, and birds singing. A nice change of pace for a winter day! We were amazed by the number of plants in the Dome--they seemed to be in every nook and cranny. There were even some in small pots hanging from the trees! Signs throughout the forest identified plants and trees. Also, there were some with more detail about specific plants. Additionally, there was a box that my daughter could wind up  in order to listen to a description of the Dome. We spent quite some time in the Tropical Dome because there was so much to see and learn about!

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