Wisconsin

This past weekend Erin and I flew out to Milwaukee to celebrate one of her cousin's getting married.  As I had never been to Wisconsin before I was interested to see what it would be like.  So on Friday morning we got up early and got to the airport with no problems.  Arriving in Milwaukee in the afternoon we met up with Erin's parents who had rented a car.  Driving through the city on our way out to the city of Brown Deer where our hotel was provided a nice view of the city.  Much of the countryside reminded me of Georgia for some reason with its dense woods and lush green lawns.

At our hotel we met up with Erin's brother, Andrew, and his girlfriend, Sara.  Once we had all checked in we found that the hotel bar was serving martinis and decided to have a drink.  After finishing our drinks we thought it would be good if we went out in search of a walk to do before the rehearsal dinner.  While we were able to find some nice river-side roads near our hotel it soon began rain and walking was out of the question.  So we returned to the hotel bar for more to drink as we played cards and waited for dinner.  The dinner was a delicious Italian meal out at the brides' parent's house where I got to meet much of Erin's extended family.  They were all very nice and we had a great time.  We even had a chance to sit around the fire pit as the rain let up.

On Saturday we got up and had breakfast at a nearby Denny's before heading out to walk around a lake we had driven by the day before.  The area was very nice and green, but with the sky still overcast and the humidity starting to be felt more heavily, it seemed to be a very wet area.  After getting cleaned up we were off to the traditional Catholic wedding just outside of historic Cedarsburg.  Afterwards, as pictures were being taken we had time to wander around the charming city before the reception.  One of our most favorite places was a brew pub down on the river.  In a very relaxing setting Erin finally found a beer that she liked (Framboise) and we all enjoyed the chance to talk.  As the reception was being held at the hotel we were staying at we eventually made our way back there for the festivities.  The new couple looked very happy together as they danced and we got a chance to see a slide-show of pictures from their lives.

For Sunday we had talked about several potential things to do before we all left.  We started out with some geocaching, using a GPS to find a box hidden by others.  While it took us a while to find the cache it turned out to be in a very pretty nature preserve.  We were then on our way back to city to see the Andy Warhol exhibit in the Milwaukee Art Museum.  The museum had some very nice exhibits and some exciting architecture.  It includes an elaborate, wing-like brise soleil which shades the museum (pictured as its opening).

Before too long though it was time to catch our flight.  We said our goodbyes and made out way to the airport.  It was good visiting with all of Erin's relatives and getting to see Wisconsin.  I certainly have a higher opinion of the area now that I've had a chance to see it first-hand.