An Ode To Milwaukee, WI

I know I promised to tell the story of how Milwaukee was the inspiration to theALTERNAtraveler project, so here ya go:

Back in the spring of 2004, two friends (Chrissy and Chryssa) and I decided to take a weekend away in Milwaukee, WI. Through word of mouth, we had heard of a fantastic bar called Art Bar and had decided to go check it out, with no other plans in mind. We drove up to Wisconsin on a Friday and had one of the best weekends ever; we were all on tight budgets, but that didn't stop us from finding many hours of fun. Our plans were formed along the way, throughout our weekend, and changed frequently. We talked to as many locals as possible and took their suggestions, even stopping our car by a group of strangers on the street to ask where the best coffee shop in town was. It was our willingness to speak with people everywhere that made our trip so wonderful. In two days and two nights, we ended up visiting the Art Bar (amazing place!), walking along the beach, having a martini or two (at the Velvet Room), drinking from a fish bowl, hanging with pro soccer players, enjoying coffee concoctions with names like "The Kevorkian" (at the Fuel Cafe), and ordering pizza at 2:00 AM - all local fun at reasonable prices in a short span of time.

The following year, I returned with two different friends (Brown and Courtney) and had another great weekend of "winging it."

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Milwaukee area, it ain't no Disneyworld; point being - it's not the destination that matters, it's the motion of the ocean... it's up to you to take advantage of the location and all it has to offer, because believe me, EVERY town has something to offer. You might have to dig a little, and throw out that old rule about not talking to strangers, but you can find entertainment anywhere when you eyes and ears are open.

Why do I consider Milwaukee to be the father of theALTERNAtraveler? It was the first trip I ever made without an agenda, without knowing anyone in the town, and without any inhibitions. Once you get the first time out of the way, it only gets easier from there...