Kenosha Civil War Museum

It was a miserable rainy and cold day. But the company made it so very cheerful in spite of it. When we visited the Midwest this month, we were able to catch up with our friends and colleagues. We lived in Milwaukee for thirty years and it was really nice to see so many familiar faces. I belonged to the Milwaukee Civil War round table, and at one time had an interest in history. So we were treated to a tour of a friend’s brother’s home that is literally a civil war museum - filled with Civil War artifacts. After that we all headed to the Kenosha Civil War Museum and had a personal tour of the museum by the same person who owned his own treasures. This person is a past president of the round table and remains very active in the community by presenting interesting topics to a variety of groups. So the explanations of venues was humorous and well versed. Later in our visit another one of our friends gave us a personal tour of the Milwaukee Art Museum. What more could we ask for? Actually we prefer their company the most - the tours were an interesting byproduct. 

Kopp’s Custard

We used to load up the car with our Borzoi, Tatiana, and take a ride to Kopp’s for a hamburger, chicken sandwich, and custard. Of course, we also got French fries. Tatiana was always enthusiastic because she would get a French fry, and also get to lick a bit of the custard. So when we were in Milwaukee last week, we didn’t have our Tatiana with us anymore, but we drove to Kopp’s to get a small vanilla custard cone. It was a Sunday afternoon and the place was packed, as it always was. We got in line and ordered up our cone and waited a few minutes for our number to be called. Then we stood inside and enjoyed the scenery. We noticed the cows in the back and took a ride behind the store to take in the view. It was exactly as it was when we left thirteen years ago for DC. There aren’t any custard places around here like Kopp’s. It’s just better than ice cream and was a treat to visit. 

Sendik’s in Whitefish Bay

We needed to do a bit of grocery shopping after stopping for lunch at one of our favorites - Harry’s Bar and Grill. I can’t remember where we did our grocery shopping when we lived in Milwaukee. The only name that comes to mind is Sendik’s. The names of the streets are fuzzy to me - luckily we have google maps now. There were Sendik’s in several locations - so we decided to go to Whitefish Bay because we thought the parking might be easier. It sort of was. The store was very busy for a Friday afternoon. For some reason it felt more like Saturday. What I remember most is the meat counter, and the huge variety of brats. In front of the store were pumpkins and mums - the prettiest season here in the Midwest. We are going to be in town for the next ten days or so and wanted to get some fruit, bread, cheese, orange juice, pistachios, cookies, water, diet ginger ale.... we probably won’t be cooking and I’ll probably put on a few pounds since our daily regimen has changed. We are hoping to see some old friends and relax! It’s nice to be in a routine - I always prefer that to last minute activities. So far so good. But we couldn’t live without a few familiar treats. 

Deer - It Feels Like Wisconsin

We lived in Wisconsin thirty plus years a block away from Grant Park on the shores of Lake Michigan. We also had a beautiful white Borzoi named Tatiana. We used to walk in the park, but she also had a fenced in area with a dog house in the backyard. Oftentimes we would catch her having conversations with the deer that crossed through on their way to the park. When we moved to Capitol Hill in DC thirteen years ago, the concrete jungle became home. We saw a lot of dogs, and some wildlife living two blocks from the Capitol. My husband saw a red fox on the Capitol grounds, and there were a lot of hawks or falcons. Sometimes while driving along the GW Parkway and eagle could be seen - and there still is a nest overlooking a golf course in Alexandria on the way to Mount Vernon. Now that we moved to Virginia we take a morning walk in the small park near our house. It reminds us a lot of the wooded trails in Grant Park - except there is no Lake Michigan - but there are foot bridges and streams, cardinals, and chipmunks. Thank goodness we haven’t seen any snakes. This morning we saw our first deer stroll by us. It was alone and stopped for a bit to check us over and we did the same. It felt like we were back in Wisconsin. Wish it wasn’t so darn cold there because it’s really a nice place to live. I often wonder how we ended up where we are now. It sort of has the best of both worlds. 

Deer strolling in the park:

https://www.instagram.com/p/By8DD62BIny/

Take Time for a Roadtrip

We love to drive. But we dislike staying in motels. Consequently, it is not unusual for us to take a couple of days to get to our destination, but on the way home we like to do it in one day. So we will travel fifteen or sixteen hours at a crack to get from Florida to DC and about as much time from Wsiconsin to DC. It's a lot easier in the summer months because it stays light out so much longer, but the downside is that everyone else is traveling too. Fall and winter are a lot less busy. And since I retired in February, we could actually change how we travel - from long weekends to maybe weeks at a time! I still get the sense I need to be back home soon so I can return to work, but that thought dissipates quickly. I most enjoy sitting in the passenger seat and checking out the view. We rarely listen to music or the radio when we are on the move. We would rather chat and exchange nonsense. And with iPads and iPhones, I can always keep up to date with my digital art hobby as my virtual studio travels with me. If you haven't had the opportunity to get on a roadtrip you are really missing out on something. It started a long time ago when we traveled as a family with my parents from the northeast to the south, and all along the eastern seaboard. And ever since then, I'm always looking forward to it.