Milwaukee to Chamapign - Day 16
Today was mostly spent in Milwaukee on another really beautiful day. We had breakfast in the 3rd Ward, an older area of downtown that has now been nicely renovated with restaurants, shops and residential units.This was followed up by a trip to Miller Park for a baseball game - Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals. Miller Park is a nice ballpark with a retractable roof that thankfully was open today. I did think the concourse areas were a little cramped compared to Minute Maid Park, but otherwise a good place to see a game. Before heading south out of town, we took the advice of several people and visited the Lakefront Brewery. We did a mini-tour there with a really crazy, fun tour guide and tasted and bought several of their very good beers. We visited with some local folks and also some with Houston connections. It then turned out (as if by magic) that we were very close to a pizza place recommended by a Texas friend who was in Milwaukee the previous week - we got a pizza to go and ate it in the car as we drove to Champaign, IL to get some miles behind us. Note - the six pack of beer we bought here adds to the other 4-5 we previously bought and are carrying home. This is along with maple syrup and lots of cheese. I am not sure the cherries will make it back home.
Downtown Milwaukee.
3rd Ward "street" art. Looks like contractor marks, but I think it's graffiti.
There was a lot around.New residential going in 3rd Ward. Beautiful day on July 9, but I think "Heated Indoor Parking" is a warning sign!
I think the reserved parking sign ruins Dave's cred as a paintball guy.
In these northern tier states, I have noticed many open, flowery tattoos like this. Many more than back home. Or maybe it is just a new trend.
Brewers fans.
Milwaukee art.
Lakefront Brewery.
Crazy tour guide at Lakefront Brewery. It was a 30 minute tour/show.
Some locals we met at the brewery thought this pizza place was a chain! Obviously not. (So if you Milwaukeeians see this - go there!) Zaffiros Pizza specializes in thin crust pizza and it was good.
On the road
Milwaukee ride.
To get a start on destinations south, we drove through the outside of Chicago. I had thoughts of driving through the Chicago Loop on Lakeshore Drive, but the traffic map there was lit up like a Christmas tree, so we took the outer interstate loop around town instead and headed to Champaign, IL.