We woke to another warm, sunny day in Milwaukee and breakfasted at a family diner in New Berlin – fortunately, we got seated and ordered before the after church crowd arrived and jammed the restaurant.
Our first excursion of the day was the the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservancy. Distinguished by its three distinctive domes, the conservancy was built between 1959 and 1966 to showcase three distinct ecosystems, while also giving Milwaukee residents a place to momentarily escape their harsh winters.
The Arid Dome features desert vegetation from North and South America, Africa and even Madagascar. Bright red and yellow blooming cacti as well as purple succulents that resembled budding flowers complemented the usual dusty brownish green vegetation.
The sunlight shone in though the mesh dome giving the illusion of hiking through the Sonoran desert but at very comfortable temperatures.
The Tropical Dome features over 1000 species of plants from the moist, warm tropics of the world – many fruit bearing like bananas and papaya, but many with exquisite colorful blooms.
The final dome was the Show Dome. This exhibit changes seasonally but was themed to depict a Japanese garden with cuppola, koi pond and flowering vegetation.
The best complement to flowers and sunshine is ice cream. We stopped at The Purple Door highlighted by USA as the best ice cream shop in Wisconsin noted for its unique, artisanal flavors like basil, balsamic vinegar and butternut squash. I didn’t venture into these flavors but did try the newly introduced White Russian which did not disappoint.
Fortified with ice cream, we headed to the Harley Davidson Museum. Although most of our group were not huge motorcycle fans, we quickly realized the museum was a world class facility with a variety of interesting displays for all interests.
I had done some benchmarking work with Harley Davidson years ago in my automotive career and had learned to appreciate their strong adherence to brand. This was obvious in the museum as every display communicated the freedom, independence and style associated with Harley. Even for non-enthusiasts, the displays were visual pleasures.
One of the most wacky and fun exhibits was in the annex – it featured decades of daredevil acts, many using motorcycles. Not sure what part of these risk taker’s brains were in control, but the falls, tumbles and crashes experienced in pursuit of the perfect stunt were incredible to watch! We ended our visit, with lunch on the outdoor patio of the Harley cafe with standard American fare of burgers and beer with deep fried cheese curds for good measure!
The Cafe bordered the walkway along the Milwaukee river. It was breezy so despite the warm temperatures, very comfortable to eat outside and watch kayakers, depending on the direction they were headed, either battle the wind and current or effortlessly glide past.
All too soon, it was time to drop family members at the airport for their flight home. Before heading back to the hotel, we took a short driving tour around the plant and research labs where my niece was interning for the summer, then dropped her off at her apartment. Next morning, I drove with my parents back to Manitowic to catch the 1pm ferry across Lake Michigan. We had time to stop at the Cedar Crest Ice Cream parlor for some freshly made ice cream. No artisanal flavors like Purple Door – but were were able to get generous scoops of caramel sea salt for one third the cost! Such are the joys of rural living!
The trip on the Badger back to Ludington was pleasant and fortunately the lake was calm but we watched angry dark storm clouds tailing us. By the time we passed the North Ludington Breakwater Light and entered the harbor, the western sky was black. The Ludington Light is a 57 ft tall steel structure built in 1924 atop a long concrete breakwater intended to protect the Ludington harborfront. It’s pyramid shape was designed to deflect the strong, powerful waves of Lake Michigan. The light was automated in 1972 and opened to the public for tours in 2006. With the approaching storm, we got an appreciation for the breakwater as waves began to roll over the concrete, soaking the people who were exploring the light.
The Badger docked in the harbor. We watched as picnickers began packing up in anticipation of the approaching storm. Walkers began making their way to their cars or condos.
Once docked, we waited on board, watching cars and passengers unload. Given our early arrival at the terminal, we would be one of the last cars off. The variety of vehicles transported on the ferry continued to amaze – we watched a small fleet of classic cars emerge from the hull.
By the time we exited the ship, it was thundering and lightening. I got my parents to shelter and waited for the car, hoping to avoid the downpour I could see coming. No such luck, but fortunately, I was able to sprint to shelter before getting soaked. The Badger staff didn’t miss a beat unloading vehicles and consequently got drenched. Fortunately, there was a brief lull in the rain when our vehicle unloaded and I was able to reach the car, pick up my parents and leave the terminal before the next wave of rain hit. For a short time as we headed east, we drove out of the storm but eventually we turned north and it caught up with us. The remaining three hour drive to my parents’ home was a nail biter; dark except for the occasional illuminating flash of lightening, heavy rain, winding rural roads. We did make it back safely, exhausted from a long day but energized by a fun trip!