True, my absence of opinion and post have been somewhat inexcusable, I would like to take a moment, though quite late, and share my opinion of our 2 day, 1 night journey from Chicago, IL to Racine and Milwaukee, WI. Completely worn out physically and mentally from job interviews, home renovations, gardening, contracting oral herpes, travel, graduation party preparation, having one's chain yanked at the immediate care center of Walgreen's, entertaining guests and family, meeting guests and family, Brian somehow predicted that a 2 day get-a-way would be in order to cure the aforementioned ailments. A couple, reunited, became immediately overwhelmed and headed North hoping that a slight chill in the air, the absence of kin, and a room to ourselves would make us feel like adults that just graduated college and were cultivating a distance-based relationship. We drove for what felt like a shorter distance than a commute to downtown Chicago, we arrived to the Hughes House Bed and Breakfast.Hughes House Bed & Breakfast - Racine, WI
Exquisitely furnished for a Bed and Breakfast, we felt at ease to make ourselves comfortable and at home. The home was extremely beautiful and much care was taken to ensure that it would feel like YOUR vacation home and probably much nicer of a vacation home than you'd expected.
While I enjoyed my stay immensely, there were a couple of additional points, good and bad, about the B&B. There's no DVD collection, as stated on the website. Not to say I didn't enjoy every second of Ratatouille playing on television, but it's just not true and I have an issue with falsely advertised accommodations. Maybe I was secretly in the mood for a movie marathon. But let's say I, myself, wasn't in the mood, but some other guest may have been. Maybe I just hate flipping channels and by the lack of a DVD collection, I would have been doomed to channel flipping for the duration of my evening.
Aside from that, I should also make it plain that my standards for room accommodations are extremely high. While our room in the Hughes House met every potential expectation from the luxurious bathroom and accompanying Aveda products to the furnishings, there is one stand out feature I must praise. Because Brian prefers to descend onto his sleeping arrangements, which are hopefully near floor-level, he left out this wonderful feature of our room. The bed in our room harbored the most comfortable mattress I've ever rested my body on. Not only did we have a large, Bombay Company-esque king-sized bed, I've never felt so much as I just melted into a mattress as happily as in our Hughes House room. I prefer an ascent to my bed - a feeling of climbing into into my place of slumber, as though into another sort of reality entirely, that of dreams and this bed was certainly some sort of a Wonderland. This was, by far, my favorite part of the Hughes House.
Unfortunately, I was really disappointed by breakfast and am a harsher critic than Brian. To break it down, "Bed" (check. Best material part of the stay) and "Breakfast" was like whatever. No one ever told us of a check out time and having breakfast at 10ish isn't that unusual. Cold and uninviting, the fruit was sad and over or under-ripe, the coffee was mediocre at best and there were no pancakes. The selection was unimpressive and no effort was made to accommodate our late rising. No offers were made of fresh coffee, warm eggs or anything of the liking. "Okay, where is this Negative Nancy coming from, criticizing so cruelly and expecting so much?" you may ask. Don't be mistaken, reader, the two days spent in Wisconsin deserve much praise, but anything can be as lovely when spent with Brian, so I wanted to delve into reality surrounding travel accommodations. Either way, I would certainly recommend a visit to this destination, but an earlier rise to enjoy both the food and perhaps the sunrise over the lake. Did we mention the beautiful Lake Michigan is right across the street and you can enjoy views from the comfort of a nicely furnished porch and/or to a b
each or park which are both walking distance away? All are great "amenities."Finally, we left Hughes House and enjoyed a stroll through the charming city and downtown Main Street of Racine, the weather was perfect and both Brian and I like boats, marinas and water, so there was plenty to see and photograph. All-in-all, a pleasant stay and a hearty recommendation from my end.
Milwaukee's, WI
What has been eloquently sta
ted through Brian's analysis of Milwaukee requires no further comment on my part. I will state that I agree with Brian's recommendation fully. The Milwaukee Art Museum was fabulous. I loved the exhibits, the permanent collection, the curatorial style, the educational value and architectural inventiveness.Walking around the 3rd Ward was a treat and this modernesque area of downtown offered much in terms of entertainment, food and pleasing sights. I definitely will return to visit the Eisner Museum of Advertising, which was unfortunately closed, but looked really, really awesome. In conclusion, I have a very positive impression of Milwaukee and would be obliged to return there, particularly with the company of Brian. Well planned and executed, Brian. You've definitely managing to make what could have been a
pedestrian, low-key trip into a very spectacular 2 days, lively and enriching. I never thought Wisconsin could be the perfect place to fall in love all over again.The first picture is of Brian, doing one of this things he does best and most passionately.
The second photo is of Brian at the local tiki bar, called Friki Tiki in Racine (a cocktail was quite perfect after breakfast with a view of the marina).
The third is of the art museum... architecturally and innovatively superior.
The fourth is of a brewery in the 3rd Ward. Lovely.
