• Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Wonder Quests
  • Travel Hacking: How I Travel For Free & Cheap
    • Travel Rewards Credit Cards
    • Point Rewards Credit Cards
    • Hotel Rewards Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • 0% APR Credit Cards
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Snapchat
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

The Wonder Luster

For Those Of Us Whose Dreams Won't Die Between 17 and 65.

Life is wondrous! Feed your lust for life with the tools & inspiration to help make it a great one.

Meanderings in Milwaukee…Summerfest, Harleys and Local Happenings #VisitMKE

Travel | July 4, 2015

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Disclosure Policy.

Bastille at Milwaukee Summerfest

If you’re into the summer music festival scene, Milwaukee needs to be on your list of cities to visit.  In the past, I’ve avoided Coachella while in California and totally avoided Lollapalooza in Chicago.  It was just too hot, too crowded and too expensive.  I’m not one who likes to fight with a bunch of drunken, high, idiot teenagers, and some 30+ somethings who are acting like teenagers, except usually with pricier cocktails and better seats.

Summerfest is staple of Milwaukee and runs like clockwork, without the same problems temporary festivals face.  Additionally, the community of Milwaukee is ingrained with Summerfest, gearing up to feed, transport, house and enchant visitors, unlike the reluctant locals that find themselves hosting other festivals.  While the festival has wrapped up for this summer, you might want to put a note in for next year on your 2016 calendar, I suspect the lineup will include some great acts like this year that you won’t want to miss!

Milwaukee Summerfest Fireworks

Summerfest kicked off this year with a gorgeous and lengthy fireworks display.  The festival housed some great acts this year- the Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Kings of Leon, Carrie Underwood and I got to catch Bastille and Keith Urban.

Milwaukee is home to an impressive art museum and is also the birthplace of the Harley-Davidson (swoon…someday!) with a restaurant and museum to peruse.  As a social media manager by trade, I was super impressed with the brand that Harley-Davidson has built and an inclusive culture they’ve fostered around the love of the motorcycle.  I was also super stoked to see a selection of the museum was dedicated solely to female fans of the bike.  Chicks on motorcycles are cool.  I want to be one, it’s true.

Harley Davidson Museum MilwaukeeThe Harley Davidson Motorcycle Museum in Milwaukee Wisconsin VisitMilwaukeeWomen of the Harley Davidson Museum- Milwaukee Wisconsin

The Milwaukee Art Museum was probably one of my favorites- a spot I’d want to go back to again!  The exhibits housed some pieces from my girl Frida Kahlo, Van Gogh and just really great pieces.  Little ones roamed the halls in summer immersion programs (kids need art..NEED)  and in the mornings, the giant wings on the museum open up to welcome guests.  It had a unique, inclusive vibe and really cool pieces, while still being close to the Summerfest activities.

The Milwaukee Art Museum Wings Milwaukee Art MuseumThe Milwaukee Art Museum

If you’re looking for good food and shopping in Milwaukee, you won’t be disappointed.  While there are plenty of great spots to stop and sip, including Lakefront Brewery and Central Standard Distillery Company (the gin was awesome, I bought a bottle to take home!) there are great spots to stop and shop as well.  The Milwaukee Public Market is a quaint collection of booths and eateries that will have you salivating.  I stopped for a big brownie, coffee and some sushi- but there were wines, sandwiches and cheeses to enjoy, something for every palate and some great things to buy and take home.

Milwaukee Public Market The Milwaukee Public Market WisconsinWines and cheeses at the Milwaukee Public Market

Feeling hungry?  You should check out Pizza Man. I love that place, and so does Milwaukee. It’s yummy and has been around since the 70’s for a reason..it’s just good!  For a Chicagoan, we have something to say about pizza- everyone in Chi-Town has their favorite joint, an opinion on who makes the best deep dish (I’m a Lou & Gino’s girl), but Pizza Man is a Milwaukee staple.  It was so yummy!  Stop in for pizza, pasta and some wine, you won’t regret it.  We sampled pizza with cream cheese and artichoke hearts.  Yes…it was delicious!

Pizza Man Milwaukee, WI Pizza Man MilwaukeeA cliché that was proven true- Milwaukee is home to some awesome cheese.  To which, we ate a lot. We drank plenty of beers.  We noshed on desserts and ate delectable french toast slathered in goodness.

I haven’t been kayaking before, but finally got the chance to in Milwaukee and it was awesome. Needless to say, I want to try kayaking again when I visit Austin..I’m hooked!  The Milwaukee Kayak Company offers a fun excursion while in Milwaukee.  Fellow kayakers also smuggled in a six pack of Spotted Cow (also a must when in Wisconsin) into their boat for some fun river time, but we kayaked sober (probably out of necessity so I don’t hurt myself or others).

Milwaukee Kayak Tours

While you’re in Milwaukee, you’ll need a place to stay. We stayed at the Potawatomi Hotel, which is brand spankin’ new. It was built last year, and while connected to the hotel, it also boasts a few really great dining spots, cafes and a gift shop for those of us who don’t gamble!  We got to try some fine dishes at the Dream Dance Steak, including kangaroo….Yup, I ate kangaroo in Milwaukee. Kangaroo, it should be on your list.  While you’re there though, you can enjoy some luxe offerings including Kobe beef and seared fish, you can have quite a time and a long, tasty meal.

Summer in Milwaukee is a delicious experience.  You’ll enjoy mild weather, fun outdoor activities and really friendly people…so you can see why Chicagoans flock to the city for weekends, concerts and fun excursions.  Even if you’re not rooted in the Midwest, it’s a city you should experience for the art, the food and the people!  Have you been?

I had a terrific time visiting Milwaukee and seeing the local sights. From Summerfest, to the Harley-Davidson Museum, to the food, it was a great time.

I was invited with a group to experience Milwaukee as a media guest.  A big thanks to Visit Milwaukee for facilitating the visit. All opinions expressed here are my own and are not indicative of those held by Visit Milwaukee or any other entity featured in this piece.

Life is wondrous! Feed your lust for life with the tools & inspiration to help make it a great one.

« They Say Travel Changes You… Reflections On My First Trip Abroad
Why You Should Take a Cruise As A Newbie or Solo Traveler »

Welcome!

Because you were born for more than putting your dreams on hold between 17 & 65. Reclaim your sense of adventure, become financially free & live your dream life before you retire. Learn more >>

We're on this adventure together to reclaim your life despite a 9-5! Get inspirational guidance on your own amazing journey with my weekly email.

Being stuck in a loud and unfamiliar airport due to cancellation or delay blows. Here are some tips how you can utilize airport layovers to get through it!

How To Best Utilize Airport Layovers

Being stuck in a loud and unfamiliar airport due to cancellation or delay blows. Here are some tips how you can utilize airport layovers to get through it!

See how I did with my first Wonder Quest: Whole30. (Spoiler alert: it was super difficult and I also got a scary diagnosis.)

Whole30: My Surprising Results From Not Eating Junk For 30 Days

See how I did with my first Wonder Quest: Whole30. (Spoiler alert: it was super difficult and I also got a scary diagnosis.)

Women traveling solo: don't let the naysaysers and your own self-limiting beliefs stop you. This trip will teach you so much, including these 4 things.

Women Traveling Solo: Why I Recommend It

Women traveling solo: don’t let the naysaysers and your own self-limiting beliefs stop you. This trip will teach you so much, including these 4 things.

Follow the adventure on Instagram

Kyoto. ✨obsessed✨ we already want to go back Kyoto. ✨obsessed✨  we already want to go back 😍 #travelblogger #familytravel #familytravelblogger #travelwithkids  #japan #kyoto #japantravel
Traveling with kids is no easy feat, but it’s ab Traveling with kids is no easy feat, but it’s absolutely rewarding. I was told once that you don’t take vacations after kids, you simply parent in a new place- and while that’s true, it’s the kind of parenting we find the most rewarding because it’s helping both kids and adults grow, stretch and experience new things together.

Some days, it’s just easier to survive parenthood by staying home and getting through it- but if you yearn to see the world, and you feel you can’t because it’s not the right time to travel with kids at whatever age, I encourage you to reconsider when it would be “perfect” and do it anyway.

Husband and I dreamed of seeing Japan since we were kids, and what a gift it is that we could live our dream with a family in tow.  Will they remember it? No. But we sure will, and that matters too. 🩷✈️🌎 

#familytime #familytravel #familytraveltips #familyadventures #travelwithkids #travelwithme #travelhack #travelhacking #traveling
Planning an international flight with your baby or Planning an international flight with your baby or toddler? Get a bassinet! Usually (not always) it won’t cost you extra, and you’ll be able to safely let your baby snooze while you enjoy a beverage on your next long haul flight.  Since bassinets have to clip into the bulkhead, there’s only about 4 seats, and one area (two bassinets total) that can accommodate a bassinet per flight- so call your airline early and add it to your reservation!  This was a lifesaver for our @delta flight from Tokyo this spring, but not all airlines offer it (though most international, long haul flights) will!  Happy travels! ✈️🩷🌎. 

#familytravel #familytrip #travelwithkids #travelwithbaby #travelblogger #instatravel #familyadventures #travelhacking #travelhacks #familytraveltips #traveltips
You took your babies to Japan??! Yep! We did. Life You took your babies to Japan??! Yep! We did. Life is short. Pandemics happen! We waited for nearly 3 years for Japan to open back up and now we have 2 under 2! 

There is no perfect time to travel. There are advantages to each development stage- so if you have the ability to go, go. Perfectionism be damned! We took a 1.5 and a .5 year old- and while we had some jet lag, we had a great trip.  Slow down, lower your expectations and just enjoy the world school you get to experience through the eyes of a little one!  Plus, if they can fit in your lap it’s cheaper to travel!! 🤑 

We saved $10 a paycheck for several years and used reward points for our hotel. Traveled right before busy Sakura season and had less crowds and less cost! Happy travels ✈️🌎🩷
Getting married wasn’t the best of my life, it g Getting married wasn’t the best of my life, it gave me the best days of my life.  Happy two years of being contractually tied to me, dear husband. I adore you and can’t wait to plan our next adventures! ✈️🌎🩷

Copyright © 2023 · The Wonder Luster · designed by Archer Creative

Copyright © 2023 · The Wonder Luster Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact