Bill and I arrived in Milwaukee on Wednesday afternoon. We got set up in the RV Park at the Wisconsin State Fair Park, the only RV park in metro-Milwaukee. You can only imagine what an RV park run by an organization, whose primary responsibility is to run the state fair, might look like.
But here we are all set up in what I am sure was just another parking lot of the state fair.
After getting settled in, we drove to Bill’s sister’s house to see her and her husband, John. Bill and I thought we were having dinner with Kathy and her family, but as it turned out, the dinner was with several 1st cousins and all but one spouse. Kathy, Kip and Bill were joined by cousins Fred and Tom and their spouses and Anne, whose husband Vijay was back in Portland.
On the way to dinner, we stopped and picked up Anne, Over the years, Bill and I have visited Anne and Vijay in Portland. We have seen them more than any of the other cousins.
This was a very nice surprise. Bill and I enjoyed seeing Anne again, and spending time with Fred and Tom. Our little dinner with the Jacobs/Housiaux clan turned into something a little broader. We all met at a Mexican restaurant called, Los Paisa. Someone with better spanish will have to explain the meaning and the grammatical construction of the name. Rest assured, there is a lot going on in that name. The food was good, and everyone seemed to like it. It is located in the space that was an old Milwaukee Speakeasy.
We arrived in town the same time the annual class reunion for University School is being held, so there is lots going on, so to see everybody, we had breakfast with Kip and dinner with Kathy, both at our trailer, then breakfast with John Housiaux this morning.
Breakfast was at a place called Blue’s Eggs. I misread it and thought I had found a solution to my long standing “brown egg” issue. Go to a place called Blue Egg, there shouldn’t be any brown egg issues there. In any event I had a fantastic dish called “Creamy Polenta,” which was polenta, roasted mushrooms, braised kale with fonduta sauce, topped with two poached eggs. Yummy!
Of course, what am I likely to do when I am in a place for a few days? Go for a bike ride. Yesterday, I rode the Hank Aaron State Trail, which passes right by State Fair Park, to the Root River Parkway, then across town on the Drexel Connector, with a stop at Water Street Brewery, Oak Creek for lunch with Bill, and then up the Oak Creek Trail to Lake Michigan and finally up South Kinnickinnic and 2nd Ave back to the Hank Aaron Trail
All told, 43.84 miles
The Oak leaf Trail System refers to a county managed trail system,joining most of the trails in Milwaukee County.
I haven’t mentioned Mouse recently, but know he is great, taking it all in stride.
He doesn’t ever seemed stressed by the driving or changing scenery. Although there is not a lot of interesting trees and plants here.
Bill and Mouse on a morning walk
This evening we met Charlie and Erin and their kids CJ and Eliza and Julie and Jeremy and their two, Lucy and James at Estabrook Park Beer Garden and adjacent playground area.
We had fish and chips, hotdogs, healthy snacks from home and beer. It was nice chatting, but soon the real reason for being here was apparent.
Checking out the Milwaukee River
We had a great time with the two families. Since Bill and I don’t have children, it is especially satisfying to spend time with our nieces and nephews and their children. We experience great joy when we get the chance.
John and William- On the Road Again 