Farewell to Wisconsin

Bobby Nelson - Wisconsin  2017

House - Chicago  2017

"Really the place to go."

As we drove back from Milwaukee to Chicago we stopped and got some cheese and summer sausage.

In getting to the airport to return the rental car we somehow missed the correct exit and wound up on a nice residential street. Finally the airport, and a taxi into downtown Chicago.

Milwaukee Sightems - 2

Fear (Milwaukee) - Wisconsin  2017

Eat All The Chicken, Self Portrait (Milwaukee) - Wisconsin  2017

View of the Milwaukee Bucks sports area through an alleyway.

Enigmatic sign near Honeypie restaurant.

Honeypie

Honeypie (Milwaukee) - Wisconsin  2017

North 32 (Milwaukee) - Wisconsin  2017

We had dinner at Honeypie. Very good, but the best thing was their Pork Fries*:

"Back to the pork fries though.  There was this one weekend where my girlfriend and I had pork fries for dinner on a Friday and then I went back alone on a Saturday for more.  I was ashamed to tell her, so when I get back to her place, I stash the leftover fries in the back of the fridge.  When I wake up the next morning, I discover the empty carton in the trash.  The visual clue triggers a vague recollection of the night before, of me on the edge of the bed, in my boxer shorts, shoveling cold fries into my mouth, in the dark.  'Did I really do that?' I wonder, 'am I really that man?'  I take a stack of junk mail and cover the empty container in the trash, in hopes she won't notice--in hopes that she won't discover what her boyfriend is really like."

______

Afterwards, a short walk on the semi-deserted street.

*(Shredded BBQ pork, fries, cheese sauce, pickled jalapenos, green onions, bacon)

Flowers (Retzer Preserve)

Black-Eyed Susans (Retzer Preserve) - Wisconsin  2017

Flowers (Retzer Preserve) - Wisconsin  2017

Taken September 13th of this year with an Olympus EM-10 and a 14-150mm zoom lens.

Leon's

Leon's (Milwaukee) - Wisconsin  2017

Frozen custard. Wow!

Pretty good, but somewhat similar to Costco's frozen yogurt.

Milwaukee Sightems - 1

Tacos (Milwaukee) - Wisconsin  2017

Own the Future (Milwaukee) - Wisconsin  2017

Seen on one of our early morning coffee excursions.

Retzer Nature Center

Tree (Retzer Nature Center) - Wisconsin  2017

Queen Anne's Lace (Retzer Nature Center) - Wisconsin  2017

We hadn't planned to go there, but Mike spied a sign on the highway and we all decided to visit.

We ended up having about an hour's worth of impromptu hiking. Very nice!

Madison Sightems

Capitol Building (Madison) - Wisconsin  2017

Students (University of Wisconsin, Madison) - Wisconsin  2017

iPhone photos taken while blundering around Madison.

Gemuetlichkeit Days

Gemuetlichkeit Days (Jefferson) - Wisconsin  2017

Antiques (Jefferson) - Wisconsin  2017

Gemuetlichkeit Days!!

". . . a German-language word used to convey the idea of a state or feeling of warmth, friendliness and good cheer. Other qualities encompassed by the term include coziness, peace of mind, and a sense of belonging and well-being springing from social acceptance." - Wikipedia

Wisconsin Country Sightems

Cornfield - Wisconsin  2017

Road - Wisconsin  2017

The interstate between Milwaukee and Madison, which we didn't want to take, is highway 94. Instead, we opted for highway 18, which parallels 94, going through the country at a much slower speed.

Above photos taken with an iPhone, from the driver's seat.

Milwaukee Fog

River, Fog (Milwaukee) - Wisconsin  2017

Bridge, Fog (Milwaukee) - Wisconsin  2017

Early AM, walking to Starbucks. Not nearly as many Starbucks in Milwaukee as in Vancouver, for some reason.

Maybe that's a good thing!

The tonal variations in top photo are due to Mike using the iPhone panorama mode.

Beer 'n Brats

Brat House (Milwaukee) - Wisconsin  2017

FH Hochmuth (Milwaukee) - Wisconsin  2017

Photos taken in Milwaukee. Although our main destination was Chicago, Mike wanted to take a few days to visit Wisconsin.

Our first meal of the trip was sitting outside for beer 'n brats. Quite good.