1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. & Canada Before You Die (72 page)

Lake Geneva Cruise Lines offers mansion tours, which provide informative narration about estates like Green Gables (the original getaway for the chewing-gum Wrigleys) and Stone Manor. Or sign on for the company’s U.S. Mailboat Tour, one of the last such marine postal services in the country.

Along with all its elaborate private homes, the Lake Geneva area has some indulgent lodging for its guests as well. With the distinction
of being the only hotel property directly on the lakeshore, the Geneva Inn resembles a grand English country house; it offers rooms with private balconies and grand lake views. A different kind of experience can be had in the elegant rooms at Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, located on a self-contained 1,300-acre complex with its own airstrip, a new spa, ski hill, waterpark, and two award-winning golf courses, the Brute and the Highlands.

W
HERE
: 72 miles north of Chicago.
Visitor info:
Tel 800–345-1020 or 262–248-4416;
www.lakegenevawi.com
.
L
AKE
G
ENEVA
C
RUISE
L
INE
: Tel 800–558-5911 or 262–248-6206;
www.cruiselakegeneva.com
.
Cost:
tours $22.
T
HE
G
ENEVA
I
NN
: Tel 800–441-5881 or 262–248-5680;
www.genevainn.com
.
Cost:
from $155.
G
RAND
G
ENEVA
R
ESORT
: Tel 800–558-3417 or 262–248-8811;
www.grandgeneva.com
.
Cost:
from $159 (off-peak), from $259 (peak).
B
EST TIMES
: 1st weekend in Feb for Winterfest and the National Snow Sculpting Competition; Aug for Venetian Festival on the waterfront.

Where Politics and Produce Mix

Madison, Wisconsin

Every Saturday morning from April to early November, approximately 300 farmers and other vendors from throughout south-central Wisconsin line the Capitol Square for the Dane County Farmers’ Market, widely
considered to be the largest producer-only farmers’ market in the country. The fabulous sun-dappled setting—an eight-block green that skirts the Wisconsin State Capitol—certainly contributes to its popularity, but quality and authenticity are key: Only Wisconsin vendors are permitted, selling locally grown produce and meats, artisanal cheeses, and homemade baked goods. No flea market tube socks here. Not only is the market a fine place to shop for groceries, it’s a microcosm of free-spirited Madison—a happy melee of Birkenstocks, baby strollers, coffee carts, street performers, nonprofit organizations with petitions, and politicians vying for handshakes.

Join the throng circling the Capitol counterclockwise (always counterclockwise) sifting through piles of sweet corn, sampling aged cheddar, and loading down their backpacks and bike baskets (the city’s much-used bike trail system is one of the most extensive in the country) with everything from homemade pesto to fruit preserves. Different types of produce appear as the growing season evolves, and several vendors offer organic and unusual heirloom varieties. Food products like jam, jerky, farm-raised trout, and, of course, endless varieties of cheese are available spring through fall. The market is the place to sample a local favorite, a bag of surprisingly delicious fresh cheese curds—“guaranteed to squeak!” as one vendor promises passers-by.

Renowned chef Odessa Piper has long been a fixture at the market, for years scanning the stalls for ingredients that would later show up on the evening’s menu at L’Etoile, the award-winning restaurant she founded on Capitol Square. Piper was an early proponent
of “regionally reliant cooking” and sustainable farming, reflected in L’Etoile’s impeccable dishes. New proprietors took over the restaurant’s operation in 2005 and have maintained its commitment to locally grown, organic produce, and to the nearby farmers’ market. Piper, appropriately, now serves on the market’s board of friends.

W
HERE
: Wisconsin Capitol Square. Tel 608–455-1999;
www.madfarmmkt.org
.
When:
Sat, mid-Apr–mid-Nov; smaller market Wed, mid-Apr–mid-Nov.
L’E
TOILE
R
ESTAURANT
: Tel 608–251-0500;
www.letoile-restaurant.com
.
Cost:
dinner $53.
B
EST TIME
: Depends on what crop you’re after, but Wisconsin sweet corn in Aug is hard to beat.

A Moving Masterpiece on Lake Michigan

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Experiencing the works of art at the Milwaukee Art Museum begins long before you walk through the doors. As you approach via a pedestrian bridge, you see the 90-foot-high glass-walled reception hall capped by a
stunning white cone composed of 72 steel fins that unfurl into wings stretching more than 200 feet from tip to tip. Situated on the shores of Lake Michigan in downtown Milwaukee, the enormous moving sculpture looks like a gull taking flight.

Renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava designed the museum’s Quadracci Pavilion and its unique roof. Unveiled in 2001, the project complements existing museum buildings designed by noted architects Eero Saarinen (1957) and David Kahler (1975). The Quadracci is the first building in the United States designed by Calatrava, whose résumé includes the Olympic stadium in Athens and the new transportation hub at New York’s World Trade Center, slated for completion in 2009.

The Milwaukee Art Museum’s movable brise soleil (sun-shading structure) opens up during the day, and folds over the tall, arched structure at night or during bad weather.

The buzz over the addition has brought renewed attention to the museum and its diverse collections, which include everything from a 16th-century Brussels tapestry to modern and contemporary art by Warhol, Miró, Kandinsky, Picasso, and others. Among its most notable permanent collections are one of the world’s premier collections of 20th-century Haitian art and 22 works by Wisconsin native Georgia O’Keeffe, in the largest dedicated O’Keeffe gallery outside Santa Fe, New Mexico (see p. 749).

W
HERE
: 700 N. Art Museum Dr. Tel 414–224-3200;
www.mam.org
.
B
EST TIMES
: The wings open when the museum opens, close when it closes, and flap open and closed each day at noon, weather permitting.

Waterfront Celebrations of Music and Culture

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

For much of the summer, Milwaukee’s Lake Michigan lakefront is alive with music and the wafting aromas of ethnic cooking. It all began in 1961 with Summerfest, an 11-day celebration of music and food that gets bigger
and better every year. Yesterday’s tents have been replaced by a dozen permanent stages, including the 23,000-seat open-air Marcus Amphitheater. One of the largest music festivals in the world, Summerfest welcomes everything from classical to hip-hop, from upand-coming garage bands to some of the biggest names in show business. Booths run by more than 50 area restaurants give everyone their fill of local specialties too: Milwaukee classics include a sauerbraten sandwich from Mader’s or frozen custard from Culver’s. Local breweries are major sponsors of Summerfest, and beer tents abound throughout the 75-acre waterfront grounds. Other activities include a comedy cabaret, sports demonstrations, a casino pavilion, an arts and crafts market, a kids’ activity tent, and more.

Before and after Summerfest’s early summer run, the Henry W. Maier Festival Grounds (named for the mayor who started Summerfest) thrum with the energy of nine weekend ethnic festivals that reflect Milwaukee’s melting pot heritage, each with its own music, food, dance, crafts, traditions, and pride. Beginning in mid-June and running through mid-September, you can sample pierogi at Polish Fest (late June), twirl to a tarantella at Festa Italiana, savor sauerbraten at German Fest (both in late July), marvel at an Ojibwa powwow at Indian Summer (early September), and more.

W
HERE
: Henry W. Maier Festival Grounds. Tel 414–273-2680;
www.summerfest.com
(other festival info is also on the Summerfest website).
C
OST
: Summerfest from $8, Marcus Amphitheater shows extra; prices vary for other festivals.
W
HEN
: Summerfest is 11 days in late June–early July.
B
EST TIME
: opening night of Summerfest for the Big Bang fireworks show.

Brew City, U.S.A.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Ahardworking populace of German immigrants is responsible for Milwaukee’s sudsy heritage. In the mid-1800s, the city was home to dozens of breweries, iconic names like Blatz, Schlitz, Pabst, and Miller
among them. By the early 1900s, Milwaukee was producing a third of the nation’s beer. Today, although competition and industry consolidation have lessened Milwaukee’s
dominance (only Miller Brewing Co. remains headquartered here), beer and the brewing heritage still remain a linchpin of the city. The city’s pro baseball team, after all, is called the Milwaukee Brewers … and they play at Miller Park.

Until 1952, Miller used 600 feet of caves—enough to store 12,000 barrels—to store their beer.

Miller’s Milwaukee operations still sit on the original land purchased by Frederick Miller in 1855. Tours blend historical stops with modern demonstrations of the beer-making process; highlights include the Miller Caves—used to store and ferment beer before mechanical refrigeration—and a look at its modern brew-house, high-speed packaging line, and shipping center. Tours conclude with free samples at Miller’s Bavarian-style tasting room and outdoor beer garden.

Wisconsin’s first microbrewery, the Sprecher Brewing Company, provides another look at suds in action, with free tours and tastings of its 10 beers and its much-loved root beer. Along with traditional tours, the locally owned, highly acclaimed Lakefront Brewery, along the Milwaukee River near downtown, ups the oompah factor with a Friday Night Fish Fry complete with polka band. This is about as Milwaukee as it gets. On summer weekends, the
Brew City Queen
tour boat lets guests make a day of touring and tasting, with a four-hour cruise along the Milwaukee River and stops at the Lakefront Brewery, the Rock Bottom Brewery, and the Ale House.

For a glimpse at the wealth generated by Milwaukee’s beer barons, visit the Pabst Mansion downtown. The Flemish Renaissance mansion was built in 1890–93 by Captain Frederick Pabst. It’s a study in opulence—20,000 square feet, 37 rooms, 14 fireplaces, Milwaukee’s first central heating and electricity, and intricate woodwork, including carved panels that once adorned Bavarian castles.

M
ILLER
B
REWING
C
O
.
: Tel 800–944-5483 or 414–931-2337;
www.millerbrewing.org
.
S
PRECHER
B
REWING
C
O
.
: Tel 414–964-2739;
www.sprecherbrewery.com
.
When:
Fri–Sat.
L
AKEFRONT
B
REWERY
: Tel 414–372-8800;
www.lakefrontbrewery.com
.
When:
closed Sun.
B
REW
C
ITY
Q
UEEN
: Tel 414–283-9999;
www.cafevecchio.com/riverwalkboat
.
Cost:
$25.
When:
Sat–Sun.
P
ABST
M
ANSION
: Tel 414–931-0808;
www.pabstmansion.com
.
B
EST TIME
: Fri for the Friday Night Fish Fry, when beer-battered perch and cod is served up at restaurants and taverns throughout the region.