Family Fun in Minnesota and Wisconsin, Part 9: Milwaukee

This is my ninth post about our family's visit to Minnesota and Wisconsin. I recommend you begin by reading the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth posts before this one. Because I blog about educational travel, I received complimentary admission tickets, discounts, media rates, and other perks for some of the places we visited. Some attractions we toured are free to everyone. I paid full price for the others. How much I paid for a visit has no bearing on my reviews, as every place I share is something that I fully recommend.

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Family Fun in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

 

We packed a lot into our last full day in Milwaukee. We began the day with the Urban Adventure Quest. As always, it was a lot of fun and helped us notice details that we never would have otherwise. 

Fun fact: One of the founders of Milwaukee, Solomon Juneau, was the cousin of Joseph Juneau, who founded Alaska's state capital. 

Many of the places we visited, both on the Quest and during the rest of our time in Milwaukee, were along the river. Every road that crosses the river is a drawbridge. There are a lot of them. And, at least while were there, there were a lot of boats also. Regardless of whether you're walking or driving in Milwaukee, expect to spend time waiting for drawbridges. 

After completing the Quest, we strolled south along the RiverWalk. It's a great way to get around. 

Every so often, the boardwalk is marked with the width and depth of the Milwaukee River at that point. It's a fun touch. 

We walked through Historic Third Ward.... 

... and went to Stack'd Burger Bar for lunch. The food was fantastic. We shared burgers (which came with Tetris Tots!) and their Classic Twisted Mac. Trevor saw Sprecher Cream Soda on the menu and had to try it. It was just as tasty as their root beer. 

  

Stack'd shares a building with the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which was our next stop. 

The museum has over 10,000 bobbleheads, of which about 6500 are on display at any given time. They cover all topics and genres, and are organized that way within the museum. The biggest category, by far, is sports.  

But practically any other category you can name exists, too. Here are some Supreme Court justices, a chilly Senator, and Mike Pence with a fly on his head. 

Here are some Christmas classics.

I spy Snidely Whiplash, the Jetsons, and the Banana Splits!  

I LOVED Underdog when I was a kid. 

I spy Pat and Vanna!

Looking at the bobbleheads is fun, but definitely do one (or both) of the scavenger hunts that are available at the front desk. One of them has you looking for Waldo. It is not easy to find him!

We had so much fun at the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum!

Next, we walked to the Harley-Davidson Museum. 

I'd wanted to do the factory tour, but they're still closed due to COVID. So the museum was the next best thing. 

I knew nothing about motorcycles, but it was interesting to learn about the start of Harley-Davidson and see some of their earliest models. It took awhile to develop the more modern look of a motorcycle. 

They have a vault that holds every motorcycle ever made. 

My favorite exhibit was about motorcycles in movies and television. 

I also like the hands-on activities.

Dinner that night was Milwaukee-style pizza from Calderone Club. Their recipe comes from the Caradaro Club, pioneers of the style, which has a cracker-crisp crust and is cut into rectangular pieces. It was delicious. 

Tomorrow I'll wrap up the trip and give you a preview of what's next for the deRosiers.