Looking for a place to get away on less than half-a-tank of gas? We took the kid up North last weekend to Milwaukee for a couple of nights. A former resident as a teen, I was anxious to get them to the lakefront for Summerfest. (I prefer it to the Taste, always will, and nothing will ever change my mind.) Here’s what I can tell you:

The Milwaukee Hilton is conveniently located just off the highway in the downtown district, within walking distance of the Summerfest grounds (there are additional festivals all summer long), the Riverwalk and the Third Ward. A bonus for the kids was the hotel pool, which is really a small-scale water park. As part of our two-night stay, the kids got wristbands and were able to go nuts. (Warning - the rope/lilypad crossing? Ripped my kids hands open. And the lifeguarding is sporadic. My youngest was whizzing down the slides for more than an hour when they switched up, and the next set of guards told her she was too little and had to take the swim test. Wha?)

The Safe-House is a really fun restaurant/bar that’s family-friendly, provided you’re not there at 11 p.m. for the bar scene. You have to find it first (Psst…it’s on Front St. between Wells and Wisconsin, behind the International Exports, LTD. door), then get by the guard, who’ll ask you for the password. If you don’t know it, you’ll have to perform an embarrassing task to get inside, all of which is captured on closed-circuit TV for everyone to laugh at. The kids had a blast checking out all the spy memorabilia inside, and the food wasn’t half-bad.

Summerfest is always a blast, and very kid-friendly from about 12 p.m., when the gates open, until about 8 p.m., when the crowd becomes decidedly more adult. And that’s OK, because by then, you’ve had your fill of all things fried and brewed, and the kids are beat. Upcoming events worth checking out? The State Fair is in early August, on the west side of town, and is excellent. Get the cream puff. Seriously.

Miller Park was our last stop for the weekend tour, to watch the Brewers take on Pittsburgh. I feel as I can still be a fan of both the Brewers and the Cubs, as when I lived there, the Brewers were still in the AL. It’s a beautiful stadium, and the crowd outside before the game is a colorful one, to say the least. My kids witnessed about three different drinking games before we got inside to our seats - tailgating is serious business in Milwaukee.

All in all, a fun weekend not-so-far-away from home, and fairly inexpensive. If you’re looking for a night away, it’s worth considering.

Technorati Tags: Milwaukee with kids, Summerfest, Wisconsin State Fair, Milwaukee Brewers, Miller Park, Milwaukee Hilton

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 at 11:22 am and is filed under Thoughts(t) , Kids(t) , Check this out!(t) . You can leave a response.