Fun in Milwaukee

We spent a wonderful 5 weeks back in our hometown of Milwaukee, WI.

It was hard adjusting to life back on land (Yeah right!)

Bill and Jim in the pool, a theme that was repeated daily while we were there.

Wendy with her niece Natalie.

Summer in Milwaukee is packed full of fun events from festivals to concerts in the parks, state fair to baseball, you name it, Milwaukee has it. We were able to enjoy much of the fun!

State Fairs across the country seem to be a competition to see what can be deep-fried and put on a stick. Here I am waiting for my deep-fried macaroni and Cheese on a stick. It was fabulous!

Jim getting starry-eyed over the Maple Syrup entries at the fair. It is one of his favorite food groups!

When in Wisconsin, eat the cream puffs!

Next it was Irish Fest, our favorite of the ethnic festivals held at the Summerfest grounds on the lakefront. This was the band Rising Gael. Fantastic!

Jim shares a beer with Natalie.

Wendy, Kyle, Maggie, Connie and Jill get a lesson on how to play the bohdran, the traditional drum played in Celtic music.

Then it was up to northern Wisconsin for a weekend re-union with college friends. The weather turned cold and rainy but it couldn't dampen the spirits of this crazy bunch. We had a great time telling old stories and re-living the fun we had.

The sun came out the next day so Tim took us for a leisurely boat ride around the lake. We love the Caribbean but there is also something special about a northern lake. There were loons calling across the water and eagles soaring overhead. It's one of our favorite places in the world.

When in Lake Tomahawk go to see a snowshoe baseball game. These teams play in the winter on snowshoes but many years ago they decided to put some sawdust on the field and play for the tourists in the summer. You should see these guys hit, run and field the ball while wearing snowshoes.

This was a special game because Andrew Zimmerman from the Travel Channel show "Bizzare World" was playing in and filming the game for his show. It's supposed to air on October 27th so check it out. You might even see Tim, Jim and I in the crowd scenes if we didn't end up on the editing room floor.

Driving back to Milwaukee, we decided to stop in Stevens Point to visit the Point Brewery. Jim and I graduated from UW-Stevens Point and cut our teeth on Point Beer so this was another trip down memory lane.

Back in Milwaukee and a visit to the South Shore Yacht Club where we set sail from 3 years ago.
Our thanks to the crew from the S/V Tardis for taking us out for a sunset cruise.

Jim & Jan

It was fun to sail Lake Michigan again.

Bailey really enjoyed living in luxury again. This was her favorite morning spot where she could gaze out the door and watch the world go by.

In the afternoon it was a nap on top of this pile of pillows or maybe in the back of a dark closet. She had a few bursts of energy too as she explored the yard for mice.

We'd like to thank everyone for showing us such a good time. Thanks to Muff and Reed and the Hasbrook Lake gang for traveling many miles to come see us. Thanks to Mike and Marcia, our cooking buddies, for the many wonderful dinners and good times. Thanks to my cousins for hosting a great family reunion while we were home. Thanks to my mom, my brother Mike and niece Natalie for all the time you spent with us and to my niece Sophie for traveling to see us. Thanks to all the other family and friends who made time for us. We loved seeing all of you!

And a very special thank you to my sister Connie and brother-in-law Bill who opened their home to us. You always make us feel so welcome and at home. We had a wonderful time with you both. Love you!