Day Trip: Milwaukee River Adventure
The day started early, with a cloudy sky overhead. My boyfriend, Mike, and I had come to my home town in Northwestern Illinois the night before. My mom was already in the 
kitchen making sandwiches for our lunch on the river, with coffee brewing behind her. She immediately put us to work on getting everything ready to go. We were going to drive up to the Milwaukee River in Kewaskum, WI (just north of Milwaukee) to kayak. My mom and dad invited us to join them on this day trip a couple of weeks earlier and we gladly accepted. We left the house at about 8:00am and arrived in Kewaskum close to 10:00am. It rained the whole way up but by the time we got there, the sun was shining. We dropped off bikes at our end point so Mike and my dad could ride and get the car when we were done, and drove up to the start of our kayak journey. We launched the kayaks right after a dam in the river, with our lunch, water and extra clothes packed into the back compartments. A few fisherman saw us off as we started paddling down 
river. We didn’t see many other people for the rest of the 9 mile excursion. The river was still and shallow, and reflected the green, freshly-leafed trees that hung over it. We were all silent as we glided through the water, taking in the scenery. We passed through a golf course, which we were reminded of frequently as we passed random golf balls nestled into the sandy bottom of the river for the rest of the trip (my dad had about two dozen of them rattling around in his kayak by the time we reached the end). It was a perfect day to be out on the river; the weather was warm and the sun was out. The trees 
offered shade when we needed it, and it was too early in the year for there to be many mosquitos buzzing about. We spotted a multitude of wildlife, including turtles, frogs, fish, assorted waterfowl and other feathered friends, deer, and a snapping turtle the size of a car tire (you’ll have to take my word for it because I was too scared to get close enough to take a picture). We stopped a little less than halfway through to have lunch on the muddy, rock-laden shore, propping our kayaks up on the mud to make them stay put. We had our picnic lunch, sitting on the rocks. After lunch, we got back in out kayaks and took off again, only to come upon a “strainer”. This means that the river was blocked by fallen trees, branches and debris, and in this case it was completely blocked. We had to pull our kayaks out of the water and across a patch of tree branches and old, rusty barbed wire to put them back in, past the blockage. Once we hit our stride again, we hit another strainer, though this one allowed us through a small opening between fallen trees. It required some fancy maneuvering but we all got through without too much effort. Soon after we went through the strainer, we passed the most picturesque farm right on the river.
The red barn was reflected beautifully in the water, and was open on one side so we could see the cows it housed. At one point, the current became stronger, and it was just as we came upon a fork in the river; which we later found out was more of an island. The current led me right into one side of the shore, which resulted in me getting stuck on the rocks there. Mike pulled me out, but in a way that had me getting pulled 
swiftly backwards on the current towards I didn’t know what. It was an exhilarating task to try and right myself before we reached the upcoming bridge, which I did, clumsily. After the bridge, the river became quite shallow, and we all got stuck on the rocks a few times. Towards the end of our journey, we saw an abandoned factory fit for a horror movie set, which contrasted sharply with the peacefulness of the river. We passed it and imagined the plots that could take place there. We took our kayaks out just before another dam, and Mike and my dad rode off on the bikes to get the car. My mom and I unloaded the kayaks and brought everything over towards the parking lot to load into the car. We sat down to wait and had a good talk, taking in the sunshine and
enjoying each other’s company. Once the car was loaded, we drove off to Cedarburg, WI for dinner. Cedarburg is quite possibly the cutest town in 
Wisconsin, I’m almost sure of it. It is right on the river, and its main drag is lined with cute shops, restaurants, wine bars and a beautiful City Hall across from an equally beautiful church. We landed at Morton’s Wisconsin Restaurant for dinner, and it was the best place to end out beautiful day. It was the quintessential Wisconsin bar/restaurant with the specials written on w wipe-off board and the walls covered in booze signs and posters. We were all starving from our kayak adventure, so we got burgers and beer. I ordered a Spotted Cow, which is an excellent ale by New Glarus Brewing, which is only available in Wisconsin (totally worth the trip in itself). The food was delicious and just what we needed. We took the long way back to the car so we could stroll along the river a little more. Cedarburg definitely deserves its own trip, which I will have to plan soon. Once we were on our way home, I passed out against the car window. The day was absolutely perfect, between the gorgeous weather, the amazing company, and the serene scenery, I wouldn’t change a thing.
wanted to explore. It looked beautiful from the outside, and I couldn’t wait to see what it had in store for us. We valeted the car, and dragged our luggage in towards the front desk. When we checked in, the front desk staff wished us a happy anniversary and informed us that we had a room upgrade, which was a wonderful surprise. We schlepped all of our luggage up to the room (working at a hotel makes me reluctant to ask for help when staying at other hotels). It was a beautiful room with a huge bed covered in cloud-like linens and a comfy arm chair in the corner. As soon as we settled in and started unpacking, there was a knock at the door. The front desk manager had brought us a bottle of complimentary champagne to help us celebrate. We toasted ourselves and got ready for dinner. The bathroom was gorgeous, covered in marble, with a huge tub and a big enough vanity so we could both primp. Once we looked presentable, we headed went out on the town. Michael had made dinner reservations at a trendy restaurant that a friend had recommended to us, called 
out in our Friday night finest with the humidity weighing down on us like a damp wool blanket. By the time we got there, my freshly straightened hair was frizzed beyond belief but the scent of the restaurant was so enticing that it didn’t matter. We were seated at our table (a rustic wooden piece amongst a sea of identical tables), and were immediately situated with water and fresh bread rolls. We both ordered local beers and decided to order spicy fried alligator and the boucherie plate, which included a daily special of charcuterie and accouterments. The food was so delicious and flavorful. For dessert, we decided on peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream and coffee to pull us up from our food coma. The peaches tasted so fresh and the coffee hit the spot; we were ready to get back out there and explore. We wandered around the warehouse district, which was an interesting mix of industrial buildings and clubs. When we passed the Harrah’s casino, we decided to go in and each gamble $5 with the hopes of doubling our vacation budget. Surprisingly, that didn’t happen, but it was definitely an experience. Smoking was allowed in the casino, which made the air cloudy and thick. The personas of the gamblers ranged from little old ladies to cigar smoking hit men. We gingerly picked our way through the dime machines and lost all of our allotted money, then snuck back out with our heads down. After that, Michael and I decided that a night cap was in order, so we picked a bar at random and sat at a high top by the window. True to form, I had a gin and tonic, and he had a Jack and coke. We discussed our plans for the rest of our trip and people watched from the window before heading back to the hotel for the night.
We woke up the next morning to rain streaming down the windows. Michael made some coffee and we decided to venture out anyways. We huddled close under the umbrella and hurried from awning to awning. New Orleans looks so romantic in the rain, so it was an enjoyable stroll despite the weather. We walked over to Bourbon Street and marveled over the long-standing architecture that contrasted beautifully with the bright neon signs that marked each bar and club. Along the way, we realized that this particular weekend was Southern Decadence, a festival widely known as the “Gay Mardi Gras”. The banners, which hung from balconies everywhere, promised an exciting 
weekend. We took a lap around the French Quarter and stopped in many a voodoo shop. The oddities in the shops were all the same, but each one drew us in anyways. Once we had come back to Bourbon Street, we stopped in an unremarkable restaurant with delicious gumbo and crawfish beignets. Once we had refueled we were ready to explore more. It was still raining when we left the restaurant. We continued our wandering, peeking into the alleys that stood perpendicular to the main streets. They contained a number of things, including petite restaurants and art galleries. We stopped in the “famous” Spirits on Bourbon and tried their resurrection cocktail, served in a plastic skull complete with blue strobe light pulsing underneath. Because of the open container laws in NOLA we were able to take our drinks to go and walk towards the river. In the rain, 
the Mighty Mississippi looked brown and depressing. We turned around to walk back inland and ended up in Jackson Square, where a statue of Andrew Jackson stood in the middle, while the St. Louis Cathedral loomed behind it. The scene was truly stunning. A cobble stone alley ran adjacent to the cathedral; walking down it was like strolling through history. On the opposite side of the alley was William Faulkner’s House, where he wrote his first novel. The first level of the house now contains a quaint book store full of the classics. Throughout Bourbon Street and The French Quarter are small restaurants that solely serve alcoholic slushies, jello shots and pizza; aka the only things you will ever need. Michael got us two hurricanes (add an extra shot for $1, why not??) and we continued our jaunt. The streets of The French Quarter are lined with beautifully colored houses and buildings that made for a beautiful back drop to our boozy walk. We soon found ourselves in Louis Armstrong Park, named, of course, for Mr. Jazz himself. The park was gorgeous, with a stream running through it and statues of great musicians scattered throughout. We played “Only You” on my phone as we took in the loveliness of the park.
complete with blue strobe light pulsing underneath. Because of the open container laws in NOLA we were able to take our drinks to go and walk towards the river. In the rain, the Mighty Mississippi looked brown and depressing. We turned around to walk back inland and ended up in Jackson Square, where a statue of Andrew Jackson stood in the middle, while the St. Louis Cathedral loomed behind it. The scene was truly stunning. A cobble stone alley ran adjacent to the cathedral; walking down it was like strolling through history. On the opposite side of the alley was William Faulkner’s House, where he wrote his first novel. The first level of the house now contains a quaint book store full of the classics.
Michael got us two hurricanes (add an extra shot for $1, why not??) and we continued our jaunt. The streets of The French Quarter are lined with beautifully colored houses and buildings that made for a beautiful back drop to our boozy walk. We soon found ourselves in Louis Armstrong Park, named, of course, for Mr. Jazz himself. The park was gorgeous, with a stream running through it and statues of great musicians scattered throughout. We played “Only You” on my phone as we took in the loveliness of the park.
On the way back to our hotel (we decided we needed a nap before we went out for the night), we stopped at a corner store/mecca of delicious drunk food called Verti Marte. I had heard about this place from a local, which almost guarantees its five star status. We had the Jazz Sandwich, which was topped with shrimp, ham, turkey and veggies and it was heavenly. We ate it as we walked back to the hotel to nap, rally and head back out into the madness.
along with dollar bills and small samples of personal lubricant and the costumes ranged from creative and cute to one lone leather strap. We went to Maison Bourbon first, to hear some live jazz. The music was excellent and 100% worth the pricey and boring drinks. After a while, we moved on to the next bar, which featured “Huge Ass Beers”, a 32oz domestic beer of your choosing. We took to the streets, huge beers in hand, and wordlessly people watched. It was quite the spectacle. We ended the night at Mango Mango, the slushy/pizza joint, and I have never had a better tasting slice of pizza at 3:00 AM.
rebeccawanderlusting 