The Great American Road Trip
- Brian Klein
- Aug 20, 2018
- 23 min read
We took our first child on a road trip when he was just four weeks old and have been traveling as a family ever since. Although we have now grown to three boys and a dog. So when we had the opportunity to visit Albany this summer for a wedding, we opened up the thought of executing our own Great American Road Trip. The nice thing about this trip, besides making it to Albany on time for the wedding, was that we had absolutely no agenda, no timeline and could do wherever we wanted.
Working in hospitality marketing, I have spent the bulk of my career trying to find that "silver bullet" on how to target and engage the family traveler. Almost 40% of all vacations taken in 2017 were road trips (up significantly vs 2016), so embarking on this supercharged family vacation was my chance to validate many of the travel assumptions I had been preaching to Clients over the years. How did consumers make decisions? How did price/budget impact what they did, where they went? How did they search for information on attractions, find hotels on the fly, get from Point A to Point B? And what was important to them when traveling? I was always taught that your travels were one of the only things someone could never take away from you and the ability for me to take the family out on the open road, while having the ability to stop, pivot and actually get out and explore (along with our dog) and spend some quality time together as a family was key in this decision to drive versus fly. Flights were also over $500 each, so that helped persuade us too:)
Over the course of this journey we touched 12 states, traveled over 4,000 miles and had the chance to explore some of our nation's greatest treasures. I have always prided myself on getting out and observing the consumer in its natural setting so I could better understand their mindset....but this was the ultimate test. Now a lot of you are probably saying how crazy it sounds to take an almost four week road trip, but this was one of the easiest trips we have ever taken and quite possibly one we could never match again. So what did we learn on this trip?
Prepare - While the idea of jumping in the car with no agenda sounded pretty awesome, it was a bit harder (although not impossible) to manage...especially with three kids and a dog. But given all the technological tools available today, it was much easier than when I used to go on road trips with my parents. You don't need to have everything planned to the "T" but packing a cooler with sandwiches (and plenty of snacks), understanding what your hotel points balances are, loyalty numbers, locations, pet policies, etc, and at least having a basic understanding of what you might want to do in a city will help. The last thing you want to do is waste time trying to make decisions.
Be in the Present - Almost every vacation I have been on previously has been interrupted by work. When you solely are focusing on the people you are with and truly living in that moment, time slows down and you enjoy it. In the days when it is hard to truly "check out" you need to remember to stop and smell the roses and be present in the moment. You will thank me.
Traveling with Kids Requires Patience - Sometimes things go wrong and there is nothing you can do about it. Sometimes your 7 year old will unbeknownst to you drink an entire 64 oz water bottle...and you will need to stop to pee 9 times within an hour span. Remember that this is part of the adventure and the memories you are creating....and that patience is a virtue.
Focus on Experiences and Making Memories, Not Buying Stuff - Sure every kid got their $10 vacation stipend (and it burned a hole in their pocket), but we were traveling to fill their memory bank with experiences and excitement, not their bookshelf with crap.
Be Thankful - Traveling in a car with your family can be stressful. But embrace the chaos and enjoy your time together because in a few years your kids won't want to be with you. We have a sign in our kitchen - "you call it chaos, we call it family"...and this is exactly how we roll..and I am totally thankful for it and every minute we spent together.
Below are some highlights of the trip and ideas on how to travel with a family, where to go, what to do and how to do it while on a budget. Planning a trip to any major city is never an easy feat – choosing from the incredible number of sights, many things to do and endless options of delicious food can be overwhelming. And this becomes even harder when you are visiting some of the top travel destinations in the United States. New York City is one of the most expensive cities in the world, Niagara Falls is crazy expensive, Chicago is up there and trying to visit any of these locations on a budget can add even more anxiety to the planning process. The good news is that there is plenty to see and do (well mostly see) without breaking the bank.
THE ROAD TO ALBANY
It was approximately 1,300 miles from Kansas City to Albany, but this was one of the neatest trips I have ever been on. Our journey took us through St Louis, Indy, Columbus and Pittsburgh. But what surprised me the most were some of the cool things along the way that we saw. The St Louis Arch, the gym from where Hoosiers was filmed, West Virginia (yeah I had never been there), Penn State University and Beaver Stadium (the third largest stadium in the world with a capacity of over 107,000), Cooperstown, and so much more. And these were just what we saw signs for. I am sure there were more hidden treasures along the way that we missed like the world's largest ball of twine. This really was a great trip. I just wish we could have stopped and explored some of these cities a bit more (versus just driving through them) but we had a wedding to get to.
Albany became state capital in 1797 because of its geographic centrality to the original colonies and its strategic importance in the fur trade. These days it feels that the city is struggling to return to its grandeur of yesteryear's based on the disrepair reflected in the number of abandoned buildings adorned with a white cross sign on a red background. This said, the City of Albany definitely surprised us and there ended up being plenty of things to see and do - making this Hudson Valley gem worth more than a casual look.
The bulk of our time was spent around The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza which was a beautifully laid out complex of state government buildings all situated around a central reflecting pool. Over 10 buildings make up the complex including the Cultural Education Center, The Egg (a gorgeous performing arts building), a number of symmetrical Legislative Office Buildings, and the State Capitol which was one of the city's most beautiful buildings...and I have to say the neatest capitol building I have ever seen.
The wedding we were attending was at the New York State Museum so we had ample time to explore this venue between events. This museum celebrates New York's cultural and natural diversity. The museum is home to four million scientific specimens such as fossils, minerals, gems, plants, insects, a working carousel and more. But what it doesn't tell you about in the guide books or literature are the great views of the plaza afforded from its front steps.
While the bulk of our time was spent downtown, there were some other cool things that we saw while in town which were all rooted in the history of our country including the USS Slater, a Navy Destroyer that was moored on the Hudson River. This ship was part of World War II and saw plenty of action against the Nazis. Another interesting attraction was the home of Elizabeth Schuyler who you might remember was the wife of Alexander Hamilton. This said, there are a lot of hidden gems around the city that are rooted in our nation's history.
We did have the chance to get out and experience a couple of fantastic restaurants during our stay. One diamond in the rough that we stumbled upon was the Orchard Tavern located in West Albany. A city landmark since 1903, this restaurant was originally built to serve men working on the railroads and in meatpacking shops and has been serving up great pizzas, pub fare and fantastic chicken wings ever since. Orchard Tavern was one of the oldest taverns in the city. Keeping with the tavern theme, we also enjoyed The City Beer Hall, a great beer hall and gastropub in downtown Albany. This multi-leveled restaurant has lots of hidden rooms and patios to sample some of New York's finest microbrews from the likes of Brooklyn Brewery, Brewery Ommegang, Captain Lawrence Brewing and Southern Tier Brewing.
Usually I celebrate the hotels and resorts we get to stay at, but for this trip our hub was the Marriott Townplace Suites Hotel and that is all I have to say about that. Not a lot of choices in Albany, but for your visit, I would suggest you pick somewhere else.
"And They're Off At Saratoga." Located about 30 minutes north of Albany, was the gem of a town - Saratoga Springs - which was home to the famed Saratoga Race Track. And what was even more fun, was that while we were in town it was Opening Day at the Race Track. This famed 350-acre racetrack features thoroughbred horseracing during its six-week season from late July through early September. Though one of the sport's premier events, the races took second place to people-watching and all the opening day festivities. I felt like I was at the Kentucky Derby given all the seersucker suits and crazy hats. Saratoga Race Track is the oldest race course in the USA and had plenty of old fashioned charm coupled with modern day amenities.
I would never had thought of a racetrack as a family event until I went to Saratoga. We brought our 7, 10 and 12 year olds to the races. There are certainly a lot of die hard gamblers chain smoking but it is extremely family friendly. The food stands are fantastic - more than just pizza and hot dogs. There are clam chowder stands, and Hattie's Fried Chicken and Beef sandwiches and raw seafood bars. Besides watching the horses race, the kids also loved watching the horses as they got paraded through the picnic areas on their way to the track. There was also a kids area where they could dress up as a jockey, color and learn more about horses and the industry. And they could get plenty close to the racing, meet the jockeys and truly get immersed into the experience. I never heard a single “I’m bored” any of the time we were there.
New York City is one of my favorite places to visit in the world. Having lived in NYC and visited fairly regularly, I understand that planning a New York itinerary is no easy feat. And no matter how you slice it, a trip to NYC is always an expensive proposition. But we just spent five days in the city and were able to really get out and live the destination for less than $100 a day. Now we had one thing going for us in that we didn't have a crazy high hotel bill given we were staying with family, but when you take into account lodging, meals, and entertainment, not to mention cabs, subway rides and treats - the cost of a day in NYC can skyrocket. Below are ideas on how we experienced NYC on a budget and still kept it fun for the family. NYC has a ton to see and do and just like Rome, you can't see it all in one day. So we broke our trip up to visiting sites in Lower Manhattan, Midtown, the Upper West Side, the Bronx and then had a miscellaneous day where we just let the boys lead the charge.
BROOKLYN
Our home base for the week was our family's flat in Brooklyn. If Brooklyn was its own city, it would be the third largest city in the United States. The borough is three times larger than Manhattan island and it takes quite a bit more time to get around on the subway. 20 years ago when I lived here it was an inexpensive alternative to Manhattan. But over the years Brooklyn has seen a sweep of gentrification and is now the hip place to live (and super expensive). Nonetheless, there are a lot of great nooks and crannies to explore in Brooklyn, so if you have time, we highly suggest you get out and take in the sites.
LOWER MANHATTAN
There is so much to see and do in lower Manhattan...and the key word here is see. Not everything you do in NYC has to cost money. Our explorations took us all over the city, but our first stop was Battery Park and riding the Stanton Island Ferry to get a close up glimpse of Lady Liberty herself. The Staten Island Ferry is a free ferry ride from the Battery to Staten Island that departs every 30 minutes. While the Statue of Liberty Tours take you over to Ellis Island and the Liberty Island and gives you and up close look, the Staten Island Ferry affords you sweeping views of Manhattan and extreme close ups of the Statue of Liberty...and doesn't cost a cent.
Wall Street
Wall Street is at the center of Manhattan’s Financial District – and standing at the corner of Wall Street and Broad Street is the New York Stock Exchange, one of the world’s top financial markets. But in this area are several other key landmarks including Federal Hall (where George Washington was sworn in as the first United States president in 1789), the Charging Bull sculpture which was installed following the stock market crash of 1987 and most recently Fearless Girl statue which was installed to represent the power of women in leadership for an investment fund called State Street Global Advisors. Also in the area is Trinity Church which was originally built in 1698 but destroyed a number of times over the years, This church is currently being rehabbed, but there is a pretty awesome graveyard with some key revolutionary heroes buried there including Alexander Hamilton and William Bradford. A hidden gem that we stumbled upon was the Natural Museum of Indian History (part of the Smithsonian), located in the Alexander Hamilton Customs House. This museum features changing exhibitions about Native cultures in the Western Hemisphere. This museum also had some pretty interesting things for the kids to do within their imagiNATIONS Activity Center which taught them about the Mayan Culture, bridge making and how elements from the Native Americans impact our daily life. While not necessarily at the top of most visitors "to-do" list, this was a pretty neat museum...and free.
Having been in NYC on 9/11 this memorial always tugs on the heartstrings a bit as I reminisce of years past when I watched the twin towers fall and saw firsthand almost 3,000 people killed by this terrorist attack. In place of where the Twin Towers once stood are now two reflecting pools matching the footprint of the World Trade Center. Etched in the railing surrounding the pools are the names of the victims who died during the attacks. Coupled with the reflecting pools is the September 11 Memorial Museum which displays artifacts linked to the events of 9/11 and presenting stories of loss, compassion and recovery. Towering over the previous twin tower site is the Freedom Tower, One World Trade Center, which stands 1,776 feet tall and is supposedly the strongest building in the
world with over 45 tons of steel and concrete at its core. Visitors can take an elevator to the 102nd floor to view NYC from the clouds...or get the same view by looking out your window as you fly into the city. Another cool building which has emerged recently is The Oculus which was designed by Santiago Calatrava (who also designed the Art Museum in Milwaukee) which was designed to look like a dove in flight. The unique building, which functions as a train station and a mall cost an astounding $4 billion to build and is just magnificent.
NEIGHBORHOODS
New York City is a melting pot of cultures and ways of life. While almost every culture has its own "area" of town, two of the most popular are Little Italy and Chinatown. In 1910, 10,000 Italians lived in the area of Lower Manhattan nicknamed Little Italy. However over time this population has dwindled away and now mostly functions as a tourist trap for those who enjoy trying to follow in the footsteps of famous NYC Mafia bosses and who enjoy the best Italian food this side of the Atlantic. Manhattan’s Chinatown is a thriving community of Chinese people. Our boys enjoyed exploring the neighborhood and trying to decipher the Chinese symbols and dried fish products overflowing from markets. Chinatown is truly a feast for
With over 6,000 animals situated within its 265 acres of parks, the Bronx Zoo is currently the largest urban zoo in the U.S. While The Bronx Zoo is arguably the world's most famous zoo...I have to personally say that I think the San Diego Zoo is much much better. Located in the heart of the Bronx at the southern end of Bronx Park, the Bronx Zoo is easily accessible via public transit or by car...but from our flat in Brooklyn it was 29 subway stops away and took over an hour to get there. Definitely bring things for the kids to do on the train.
While a visit to the zoo is sure to leave a lasting impression - there is definitely a lot to see and do, I can't say I was super impressed. While we were there on a Wednesday (which is free admission day), I felt it was extremely expensive (both the normal daily admission and food) and they nickel and dimed you so that you could get into the core exhibits (i.e., gorillas). And while they definitely have many more animals than the zoos my family regularly frequents in Kansas City, St. Louis and Milwaukee I have to say that besides the Komodo Dragon, there wasn't much that truly impressed me here or I that couldn't see at other regional zoos.
If your kids are like mine, the number one thing the boys wanted to find here was Rexy and the Easter Island statues from the Night at the Museum movies...but I was also excited to visit this world-famous museum featuring over 33 million specimens. And just to manage all expectations, the museum doesn’t look at all like the movie. You could spend days at the American Museum of Natural History exploring every exhibit, however our family "b-lined" to the fourth floor to visit the dinosaurs exhibit which housed the most extensive and complete collection in the world. Some of our favorites were the 65-million year old T-Rex, Stegosaurus, Triceratops and a 121 foot long Titanosaur (which filled an entire room). This dino exhibit was absolutely incredible. Other items on our hit list were the African mammals, the Easter Island statue and the magnificent replica of a blue whale. This museum certainly did not disappoint, and we saw a lot of other interesting exhibits about nature, world cultures, space and history along the way. The only thing to watch out for is that your family doesn't succumb to museum fatigue:) While the admission fee was a bit steep, this museum participates in a "pay as you want" program so you can just pay what you can with no questions or funny looks.
MIDTOWN
This is where my career in NYC began and is also the center of the city where so many tourists first fall in love with NYC. This is also where I learned that New Yorkers do not look up. Ever. But this honestly is one of my favorite things to do, no matter which city I am in. Not because I find endless wonder in a tall building, but because you never know what you are going to miss. So many buildings throughout the city were crafted years ago when craftsmen actually took pride in their work and added the extra molding, the extra plaster work or added that extra gargoyle. NYC has over 6,400 skyscrapers with over 100 being 60 stories or taller. Some of our favorite buildings are the Chrysler Building, Empire State Building, Grand Central Station and Flatiron Building but there are also some pretty awesome buildings that are springing up on a monthly basis including the ICA Building, 100 11th Ave and everything going up in the new Hudson Yards which is where the High Line spits you out at the north end of the park.
Times Square
Times Square is a place that most New Yorkers go out of their way to avoid. But it honestly is still one of my favorite places to visit and not because I work in Advertising and like seeing who is currently buying space at almost 4 million dollars a year just so they can get their message in front of the 100 million + people that walk by. Nicknamed “The Center of the Universe,” Times Square is probably the busiest, most congested area of the city (an estimated 330,000 people walk through Times Square each day) and brand name shops line the streets...but I still love it and the people watching.
Build around 1860, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is the largest Neo-Gothic Catholic church in North America (taking up an entire city block) around 50th and 5th Ave. St. Patrick's is just breathtaking and has dozens (well over 3,900 panes) of stained-glass windows, gorgeous supplementary altars surrounding the perimeter of the cathedral, and provides endless opportunity for exploration and reflection. One hidden feature that most tourists would love to know about is the bathroom camouflaged as a confessional at the back of the church. Can you find it?
Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 buildings (around 48th and 5th Ave), originally designed and developed in the 1930s by the Rockefeller family. Besides being a great location for people watching, some of the most popular buildings within this complex are the Top of the Rock and its observation deck, Radio City Music Hall (home of the Rockettes), the Prometheus statue which during the holidays sits above the ice skating rink and below the gianormous Christmas Tree and this is also where Saturday Night Live, The Today Show and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon are filmed.
Most people don't think about visiting a library when on vacation, and to be honest, I worked just down the street from this building and never visited it once. The main branch of the New York Public Library opened in 1911 and is probably best known for its two lions that adorn the front doors and its cameo in Ghostbusters. One could get lost here, but some of the neatest places to visit were the children's library on the first floor where you can see the original Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animals that influenced the book, the Rose Main Reading Room which is lined with thousands of books, the Maps room and room 228 where supposedly a Russian spy was grabbed back in the 1990s.
Behind the library is Bryant Park, one of my favorite places to just "vege" in Midtown. Adorned with chairs and tables, you can check out games to play and watch any of the countless live music performances. When we were in town, it was Thursday which meant it was time for the Broadway in the Park performance where over the lunch hour, four Broadway shows were performing 3-4 songs from their show. It truly was magical to watch. But there is always something happening at the park and you never know what you are going to encounter.
Usually The MET is the museum that most people flock to in NYC, but I have to tell you that The Museum of Modern Art was pretty spectacular and home to some of the most famous works of art, from some of the most famous artists of all time. Luckily we were visiting the museum with our resident Art History major - Aunt Molly, so it was fun to have her lead the way. Some of our favorite pieces we saw on display were:
The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh
The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali
A huge rendering of Water Lilies by Claude Monet
Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth
Campbell’s Soup Cans by Andy Warhol
Besides these priceless works of art, there certainly were some weird things too like a snow shovel hanging from a ceiling and a cage full of sugar cubes, but luckily Aunt Molly was there and able to decipher what these weird things all meant...and that it was the mindset of the beholder to determine what was art. Admission was $25 a person, but kids were free.
The High Line is NYC’s elevated-tracks-turned-park that hovers above the Meatpacking District in Chelsea. From 1934 until the 1980s, trains ran along the tracks on Manhattan’s west side transporting meat and other goods from the industrial zone. When the use of the trains became obsolete, the tracks were set to be demolished, but residents took up the cause to turn the relic into usable green space. Throughout the modern park are art installations, amazing viewpoints and a few remaining railway tracks, which can be seen running through flowerbeds. It is definitely a great walk (about 1.5 miles) going south from the Chelsea Market to the Hudson Yards.
An iconic 'Bucket List' location, nothing compares to the grandeur and spectacle of the Niagara Falls. Even though over 90 percent of the visitors go to Niagara Falls Canada you can still enjoy yourself on the New York side of the border. I had heard that both sides have their pluses and minuses, but given we had three small boys and a dog with us, we chose to view the falls from the New York side of the border. But will have to say, I was impressed with what I saw across the river. It certainly looked like there was a lot more to do on the Canadian side. When you
visit, it's not hard to see why people still travel from all over to see it... the waterfalls are insanely massive, and even from a distance are quite impressive. While standing in line for the Maid of the Mist tour, I was able to learn quite a few things about Niagara Falls. Like the Niagara Falls State Park is the oldest state park in America, established in 1885 at the Niagara Reservation. Over 8 million visitors explore Niagara Falls State Park annually. Niagara Falls is comprised of three waterfalls - the Horseshoe Falls (also known as the Canadian Falls), American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. Over 700,000 gallons of water flow over the falls every second....which sounds pretty incredible, but the power of the falls is causing them to erode as much as 6 feet per year.
The Maid of the Mist - the famous historic boat tour which has been around since 1846 is the best way to see the Canadian side of Niagara without actually going into Canada. The boat tour starts off near Rainbow Bridge and then makes its way right past American and Bridal Veil Falls right into the vortex of the Horseshoe Falls curve letting passengers experience the power of the falls up close. This was definitely worth the wait and effort. We would have loved to have spent the night in Niagara Falls, but unfortunately hotel rooms were crazy expensive and besides the Falls, we weren't necessarily impressed with the city....so off we went and continued our journey.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
From Niagara Falls, we drove along the coast of Lake Erie through Cleveland, South Bend and Chicago before making a pit stop in our old stomping grounds of Oak Park to enjoy some incredibly delicious deep dish pizza from Edwardos. Oak Park is a suburb of Chicago about 7 miles west of downtown, and is known for its many Frank Lloyd Wright houses and amazing way of life. Oak Park was named one of the top places to live by both Regional and National publications.. You are close to Downtown Chicago, have great public transportation options, but in your own little bubble. Oak Park was home to Ernest Hemingway, McDonalds Founder Ray Kroc and Homer Simpson (AKA Dan Castellaneta).
MILWAUKEE
We have been visiting Milwaukee for almost twenty years (my wife is from Milwaukee) and is one of our favorite cities to visit. Milwaukee is just 90 miles north of Chicago, but miles away from ordinary. Milwaukee is the festival capital of the world (hosting hundreds of festivals a year including Summer Fest the largest festival in the world) but what I always love doing when in town is participating in the city's beer-steeped history by drinking local beers or visiting a brewery. Milwaukee isn't a city just for hipsters and singles. It is a great city for families to get out and escape as well. Milwaukee is easy to get around and feels safe....but has that big city feel with lots of eclectic neighborhoods, world class attractions and a great restaurant or bar on every corner. And best yet, it is affordable. Coming from Chicago (and hitting the North East on this particular trip) it was nice to be able to settle into a great city we were familiar with and could revert back into our Midwestern values.
Some of our favorite things to do with the boys includes simply getting out and exploring. Milwaukee was settled back in 1848 when Jean Baptiste established a fur-trading post in the area because of its great access to Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River. Milwaukee is a very historic and architecturally focused city with new buildings going up fairly frequently. One of the boys favorites is the Milwaukee Art Museum designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava (who also did the Oculus in NYC) as they are always checking to see if the "wings" or 72 steel fins that act as a sun screen are out. While we have never been inside the art museum, it features over 30,000 pieces of artwork including masters like Picasso and Monet as well as one of the largest Georgia O'Keefe collections in the world (who is from Wisconsin). Frank Lloyd Wright (who lived in Oak Park) was also from Wisconsin and has a number of homes and buildings in the area he built in the early 1900s. We also love driving through the Historic Third Ward which is packed with great restaurants, bars and trinket shops artfully displayed. Within the Third Ward is the new Milwaukee Public Market which is more of a gourmet foodie heaven with coffee shops, bakeries, wine, cheese, sausage and seafood shops all peddling their wares.
As previously mentioned, Milwaukee is the festival capital of the world. While we have definitely partaken in our fair share of them over the years, our favorites are Summerfest, Irish Fest, Bastille Days and the Wisconsin State Fair which we were able to experience while in town this trip. The State Fair takes place each August and is packed with live music, spectacular people watching, great items you don't need at the "slice it, dice it" pavilion and the best fair food ever, including everything you ever wanted "deep fried on a stick."
Discovery World Science and Technology Center is one of our favorite places to go. Located within the same complex as the Art museum along the lakefront, this is a fantastic science center which also includes access to the Reiman Aquarium which has 10 tanks of fish including a 75,000-gallon Lake Michigan Tank. Here you can lie on a bed of nails (our boy's favorites), participate in a number of virtual reality simulators (flying around the city like Iron Man is awesome), seeing the Les Paul (another Milwaukee native) guitar exhibit and exploring the countless exhibits teaching the kids about electricity, science, technology and more. This is a great place to explore if you have the time.
While every major city out there has a zoo, the Milwaukee County Zoo features over 3,000 animals all situated within a 200-acre park setting and is one of our favorites to visit. It is small enough that you can take your time and see everything, but just large enough to have a great variety of animals to see.
Our kids have now outgrown this place, but Betty Brinn Childrens Museum was always one of our favorite places to explore when we were in town. Located downtown, this place is simply your typical kids museum and is dedicated to providing hands-on experiences that will keeps kids occupied for hours. This place is great for the 4-8 year old range and is fairly inexpensive to visit with admission around $8.
A couple of our ever favorite places to visit are:
Basilica of St Joeaphat - modeled after St. Peters in Rome, it is one of 35 basilicas in the US, but unlike other basilicas this one was built in 1903 by immigrants who used materials from a demolished Chicago post office.
And when it is time to eat, Milwaukee never disappoints with its eclectic variety of food options. Some of our families favorites are:
SAZ'S - From BBQ Baby Back Ribs and Pulled Pork Sandwiches to the Combo Platter that made them famous packed with Chive fries, fried cheese curds and huge mozzarella sticks, Saz's continues the award-winning tradition it kicked off in 1976 – providing “The Finest” in food and service to Milwaukee. We absolutely love it here and visit Saz's every time we are in town.
CAFE CORAZONE - This Bay View Mexican joint is just phenomenal. Their house margaritas, tacos and burritos were all delicious and you could tell that everything was made with pride using only the freshest, local ingredients. . Prices were reasonable and the service is speedy and friendly.
KOPPS FROZEN CUSTARD - Wonderful place known for their amazing custard - that’s rich buttery ice cream for those who don’t know. It’s the best you can get hands down. But what’s incredible is that this place also has some of the best burgers in the country! So good.
ANODYNE COFFEE AND PIZZA - Anodyne has great coffee and fantastic morning cinnamon rolls. What you might not expect from a coffee shop is gourmet personal size pizzas made in an in-house brick oven right in front of you.
COLECTIVO COFFEE - It's a really great place to grab and go or sit and talk. The coffee and food have been consistently good in the now 20 times I've been here. It can be a bit noisy when the roasters are working but on the flipside they can be entertaining to watch. If you like the smell of coffee and you work well to the white noise of thousands of coffee beans being tossed around a roaster then this is the place for you!
SAFEHOUSE - If you are looking for something fun and memorable, this is the place for you. That is if you can find it. Following a "SPY" theme, after entering through a secret entrance, you have fun picking agent names and our KGB agent (aka waiter) did an excellent job. He was a lot of fun and made it a better experience. Food was great, and the history of the safe house was cool. The telephone booth at the end was worth the experience.
While our hub for this leg of the trip was Katie's parents house in Bayside, we haven't had too many opportunities to experience the hotel scene, but being a hotel nerd, some of my favorites are The Pfister - a historical hotel built in 1893 and the home to our Presidents when they visit Milwaukee, the Hilton City Center - a historic old hotel built in 1927 and where we stayed our wedding night, and two of the newer hotels in the area are the Iron Horse Hotel and the Kimpton Journeyman...both located downtown.
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