#46 A New State - Wisconsin!

One of my goals is to visit all 50 states and I'm over halfway through.  Lucky for me, my parents believed in the road trip so I did a lot as a kid.  But I still have quite a few to visit.  This summer though, I was able to knock one more off my list . . . Wisconsin!  My family reunion was originally scheduled for Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, but we ended up in the Illinois River Valley instead.  The  good news is, it's only a couple of hours away from Milwaukee, so I decided to head there first.  I was able to pack a ton of things into my two days.

I won't tell you about every single adventure, but I will tell you nothing disappointed.  Milwaukee is a small town city with so much to do!  It is super walkable and the weather was amazing . . .  a great respite from Texas in July.  I stayed at the historic Knickerbocker Hotel on Lake Michigan.  Built in 1929, it has retained its charm and is a great place to stay.

If you know me, then when you look at the things I did, there's probably one thing that might surprise you - the Harley-Davidson Museum.  I'm not a motorcycle kind of girl, so this place wasn't even on my radar.  But I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that every single person I talked to said that it was a must see and since #50by50 is all about new experiences, then I quickly added it to my list of places to visit.  And I'm so glad I did.  I had no idea Harley-Davidson was founded in 1903 right there in Milwaukee.  When you read about the two friends who started the company and how influential Harley-Davidson has been, it really is an interesting story.  Looking at the evolution of the motorcycle, design included, was just as fascinating.

• Milwaukee Public Market & the Historic Third Ward
• Brewery tour and fried cheese curds at Lakefront Brewery
• Pabst Mansion
• Butter burger at Sobelman's
• Harley Davidson Museum
• Milwaukee Brat House on Old World Third Street which was largely settled by the first Germans of Milwaukee
• Frozen custard at Kopp's
• Jewish Museum Milwaukee

The Bronze Fonz

Fried Cheese Curds!

Pabst Mansion

Butter burger at the Original Sobelman's

Frozen Custard from Kopp's

#45 A Twist on Book Club

I love talking books!  I've got a couple of different book clubs and some friends who I know I can always talk with about current reads.  When I was researching different places in Fort Worth to visit, I was surprised to see that the Amon Carter Museum has a book club of sorts, Bookish.  Each quarter they offer a book discussion that is connected to a current exhibit.  I was intrigued by June's offering - read The City of Falling Angels by  John Berendt in connection with their newest exhibit Sargent, Whistler, and Venetian Glass: American Artists and the Magic of Murano.  Doing a book talk with people I don't know is a little scary, but I thought the topic was interesting and it's important to do things out of our comfort zone.  The exhibit was really interesting.  It wasn't just Venetian glass, but the pieces they did show were unbelievable!  A variety of art forms were displayed from the late 1800s to right before World War I.  The book was also super interesting and informative.  It is non-fiction and you really dive deep into Venetian society & history.  If I didn't want to visit Venice beforehand, this book definitely sealed the deal.  I'm intrigued to see what next quarter's book is and how it's related to their exhibits.

#44 A New Country

As soon as I started my #50by50, I knew visiting a new country would be on my to-do-list.  And a country I've always wanted to visit is the Dominican Republic and I was elated I could talk my college roomies into taking a 50th birthday celebration trip to Punta Cana.

We stayed at Bahia Principe Ambar for 4 nights, which of course, was not nearly enough time.  We ended up spending one day at the pool (yay for swim up bars), one day at the beach, and one day on an amazing excursion to Saona Island.

The excursion was an amazing experience!  We took a motor boat to a natural pool in the Caribbean.  It was so crazy to be so far out from the shore and still be able to touch bottom.  The water was that perfect turquoise color and we even saw a couple of HUGE starfish.  From here, we made our way to Saona Island for a Dominican lunch and a few hours on the most beautiful beach ever!  Crystal clear waters and white sandy beaches full of shells and sea glass for my collection.  We took a catamaran back to port, which allowed us to have a slower, more leisurely experience.

    

I would love to go back some day and experience more of the island.  But this trip was all about relaxation and good times with the college roomies.

#43 Being a Tourist in my Hometown

Something I think many of us are guilty of is not taking advantage of the amazing things our hometowns have to offer.  I’ve lived in Tarrant County for 20 years and the city of Fort Worth for almost six years.  But I don’t really know the city of Fort Worth and I haven’t experienced it other than a couple of trips to the zoo as a kid and a few nights out at Sundance Square.  As I worked on my #50by50 list, I knew I needed to include some of my city’s top attractions.

I started my day at the National Cowgirl Museumand Hall of Fame.  If you haven’t been here yet, please put it on your must see list!  

You need just a couple of hours and you’ll get a great look into the history of women who were trailblazers of the West.  I loved Dare to Wear, an exhibit showcasing the gorgeous costumes of women of the rodeo.  The It’s Never Just a Horse exhibit was fascinating as it showed the relationship of many of the museum’s honorees with the horse over time.  The museum is in the Cultural District, which means you could easily visit another museum the same day.  Or, you could move on over to Camp Bowie Blvd. for lunch at one of the many Fort Worth mainstays.  For years, I’ve heard nothing but fantastic things about Lucile’s Stateside Bistro, so I decided that would be my next stop.  I didn’t even attempt anything healthy . . . it was all about trying the yummy fried goodness.  Fried green tomatoes and lobster bites!

As I was leaving Lucile’s I noticed a bakery across the street.  There’s no better way to end an adventure than with a sweet treat.  I am so glad I stopped by.  The blue bonnet bakery, which is housed in an old church, has been a Fort Worth tradition since 1934.  I had a little bit of time, so I ordered coffee & cookies and enjoyed my book to wrap up the day.  Side note:  the butter cookies made me so happy!  They reminded me of my childhood and the cookies the bakery at Skaggs would give us as a treat.