Days 12-14: Milwaukee
The ferry arrived in Milwaukee just as the sun was setting. As we hadn’t yet arranged for a place to spend the night, we debated skipping the city altogether and riding 20 miles south to find a camping spot. A light rain started to fall, so after sending some futile last-minute CouchSurfing requests, we booked a room at the Ramada Inn downtown.
We showered at the hotel, and, having just spent several hours on a ferry instead of on bikes, were feeling energetic and ready to experience some Milwaukee nightlife. I found a great thread on the Milwaukee sub-reddit and made a list of everything we should check out during our stay. One bar on the list, The Safe House, was just around the corner.
The Safe House is a spy-themed bar. There’s a doorman to whom you whisper the password; a bookcase then opens to grant access to the bar. If you don’t know the password, you must suffer a hazing ritual; to your further embarassment, a live video feed of the entranceway is broadcast on every TV in the bar.
Inside is essentially a playground for adults. All the drinks are spy-themed, and many come with souvenir pint glasses (Erin took home the Spy’s Demise glass). There are secret rooms, crazy mirrors, and telephone booths into which you can enter codes to play recordings. One of several bars is tended by a magician, who we watched perform card tricks, swallow a balloon, and generally entertain the audience.
Upstairs was a couple enjoying some drinks by themselves. They overheard us talking about our trip and we made introductions and small talk. They were Milwaukee natives, yet were also first-timers at The Safe House. We decided to all go out for dinner (and more drinks), having just arrived at the bar after the kitchen closed for the night. Unfortunately, we were in too much of a hurry to find the secret exit.
We walked over a small bridge to Rock Bottom Brewery with our new friends, Tony and Allyssa. The food and conversation were both great. Apparently, they didn’t get many opportunities to hang out with other couples, so they greatly enjoyed our company. We checked out a few more downtown bars until I showed my hand by ordering a gin & tonic. This usually means I’ve had enough to drink for the night, so Tony dropped us off at the hotel.
Judging by the list we made of things to do in Milwaukee, it was clear we’d be staying at least another day. So while Tony and Allyssa were at work, we checked off the items on our list.
We relaxed in the grass along the coast, near the science center and other attractions. Then we made our way south, checking out the Pabst mansion, touring the Lakefront brewery, and grabbing a bite to eat at Alterra Coffee on the way.
As the sun went down, we hopped from bar to bar on Kinnikinnic Avenue, where some of the more hip establishments are located. Eventually, Tony got home from work and invited us to stay for the night. When Allyssa joined us, we enjoyed more drinks and some dinner at Cafe Centraal, which was supposedly named the most bike-friendly restaurant/bar in Milwaukee.
To conclude the night, we drove to a more residential area where Tony remembered finding a speakeasy called At Random. We eventually arrived, and were the only patrons there to keep the older couple running the place busy. The drink list was similar to that of the Velvet Tango Room, but the atmosphere was terribly dated (and obviously, the Velvet Tango Room wouldn’t have been empty). I took it easy (due in part to the $10 cocktails) and ordered a large drink that included ice cream.
On the way out of town in the morning, we rode over to an Einstein Bros. Bagels for breakfast. Conveniently, Allyssa was working there at the time, and Tony also stopped in for a visit. We enjoyed a good breakfast, said our goodbyes, and hopped on the highway heading south…
