Exploring Milwaukee

Tuesday, we started with a walk around Marquette University. Students were moving between classes so the hustle and bustle of college life was all around us. It was a beautiful day so, as classes started, students were scattered at various benches and tables, enjoying one of the great remaining days of summer.

In the upper left image, you see the Gesu Church, spiritual center of the university. A little deeper into the campus, we found Dali's The Madonna of Port Lligat at the Haggerty Museum of Art. There we also saw the bronze copy of Michelangelo's sculpture Pieta among a number of fine paintings in their permanent collection. We moved west across the heart of the campus to a nice statue of Marquette and beyond, the Joan of Arc Chapel. We stepped inside the chapel and found a young woman sitting in apparent prayer. It was a nice setting for silent contemplation and communion.

Our lunch plan meant a drive of a few miles north and east to Solly's Grille. Click here to see the video that sparked my curiosity in this butter burger. As we worked our way toward Solly's, we passed through some very beautiful old stone homes along the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan.

Soon we were seated at one of Solly's twin horseshoe counters, chatting with other diners, waiting for our butter burgers. They arrived as advertised, butter running over the side of the meat, soaking into the bottom bun. It was tasty... and a wee bit messy. It's a sandwich that can get a bit slippery if you don't tend to the business of eating. After lunch, we headed a few blocks north to Kopp's Frozen Custard... mmmm, creamy.

After our tasty, filling lunch, we made our way back down the streets along the lake shore. They didn't always afford us a view of the lake but we did get to see this great old water tower. A switchback street winds it's way down to the lake from the base of the tower. A short drive along the beaches brought us to the McKinley Marina where we paused to get a couple pictures and a quick drink of water.

Another mile or so down the shore brought us to the Milwaukee Art Museum. We parked in the small parking garge beneath the museum and were impressed with the natural light that illuminated the space very nicely. Once inside, we were treated to wonderful works of architecture and art.

The large image that makes up the right side of this image is the entry hall. Overlooking the lake, and beneath the great white wings we'd watched open and close the day before, this is a striking space. Along the right side of the hall, a colorful Dale Chihuly glass sculpture stands, practically challenging us to find an angle where the photo does justice to the delicate explosion of color. As we moved down the long hall to the north of the entry hall, the triangular dividers along the long wall of windows overlooking the lake invited more photos. Finally we were in the display halls and enjoyed the varied displays.

After the museum, we drive a mile or so further down the shoreline to the Red Candle lighthouse at the mouth of the Milwaukee River.

On our way to dinner, we took the riverwalk and strolled Old World Third Avenue. Usinger's Sausage shop and the Wisconsin Cheese Mart were two nice landmark buildings in this well preserved portion of the city.

Along this stretch, we ran across a marker commemorating the formation of the American League and the Chicago White Stockings baseball team that later became the Chicago White Sox.