Our Weekend Guide for a Milwaukee Getaway

We celebrated 12 years of marriage this past July. To say this post is overdue would be the understatement of the century. Don’t judge. There were things and the such that prevented me from writing this post. It must be noted that we could not get a sitter to save our lives so guess who we took with? Yes, you guessed it…we celebrated our anni with our little ladies and while romance was not exactly on the menu, I can tell you that we had a great time exploring Milwaukee on a much different level that had everything and anything to do with our kids’ ages. So let’s dive in shall we?

STAY: We stayed at the Kimpton Journeyman Hotel. It was perfection. I will never stay anywhere else again. Well, that’s kind of a lie because I was between the Journeyman and Saint Kate Arts Hotel, which, I still plan to try out but I digress. Back to the Journeyman, it was sexy and chic with great amenities in the heart of the Third Ward. (this is the hip neighborhood to stay in btw. best restaurants, shopping and bars) The first floor of the hotel had an incredible lounge, pool tables and a contemporary bar jutting off the lobby. The rooms are spacious, clean and comfortable. Not to be missed: happy hour on the rooftop. It’s the place to be and it just so happened that our anniversary fell on Air & Water Show weekend which pairs nicely with an Aperol Spritz!

EAT: We travel to eat, frankly. Let’s break it down day by day.

Day 1:

Lunch - Sweet Diner. Sex and the city brunch + lunch vibes with a charismatic staff and clean aesthetic. I ordered a giant salad heaping with fresh veggies.

Dinner - Tre Rivali. We were craving Italian and it did not disappoint. Beautiful fish and the freshest pastas. We all loved it and the som was knowledgeable. P.S. this restaurant is connected to the hotel. Super easy!

Day 2:

Breakfast - We grabbed the hotel complimentary coffee and chose from a small counter of pastries, bars and fresh fruits daily.

Lunch - Another stroke of luck. Jack found the MKE Food Truck Fest. It was AMAZING. We indulged in Argentinian, Asian, Latin…it was awesome. I cannot recommend it enough and it was free.

Dinner - Third Coast Provisions. Their specialty is seafood. It’s very intimate and impeccably designed. This was our fancy, celebratory dinner with the girls. Also a little pricier but plated beautifully. Loved their wine list and cocktail pairings as well.

Day 3:

Breakfast - Toast. This disco friendly brunch spot is loaded with the classics from french toast to heaping skillets. It’s a fantastic comfort food spot.

DO: We walked everywhere. Park your car for the weekend and start exploring. It was a hot weekend hence we popped in and out of shops and markets. This is one of the reasons why the Third Ward is the best part of town. It has a more youthful but historic vibe.

Not to be missed is the Public Market. This Midwestern Seattle look-a-like is loaded with artisinal cheeses, fresh meats and seafood not to mention baked goods, wine counters and more. It’s fantastic spot for a mid-day snack.

My other favorite activity was going to the Milwaukee Art Museum. The architecture alone was worth the visit. Multiple floors and periods of art, vast hallways and a scrumptious little cafe situated on the lake front - you can’t beat it. Perfect for all ages, too.

The thing about Milwaukee is that it’s loaded with culture, diversity and history. I feel like we’ve underestimated this town for far too long. It took us 1.5 hours to drive there on a Friday afternoon making this an ideal getaway destination no matter what season it is. The other huge surprise was how much their food scene had grown since our last visit. It was rather difficult to make a dining decision in the best way possible.

The other recommendation I have is to follow the VISIT Milwaukee Instagram account. Here you can find a super helpful visitor account that shares not only monthly events but weekly events as well. I got a lot of ideas when I started my research.

That’s the scoop! I could have stayed another night because there was SO much to do but perhaps that means we need a winter visit in 2023!