Living in Chicago is an amazing experience. And not one that we are interested in being done with anytime soon. That being said, the city can be exhausting. It is 24/7/365 excitement. Work, parties, Chinatown, Little Italy, the sirens, the lights, the wind, the list goes on and on. These things considered, combined with the fact that I worked out of town for a week, had three days at home, and then was back on the road, Eric and I decided to take a weekend out of town last weekend.
Our first stop was Milwaukee. If you're a Chicagoan like us, and you're looking for a great place to spend a day, or weekend, let us recommend Milwaukee. (Author's Note: We lived in Milwaukee {aka MKE} prior to our move to Chicago, so yes, we are biased.) When we lived there a lot of people wanted to compare MKE to Chicago, say "MKE is like the stunted little brother of Chicago." But no. That's not fair. Milwaukee is a charm of a little-big city (think Reno!). There is culture, small business, a city market, a lovely riverwalk, amazing theaters, an NBA team, and great event venues. If you're a reader, you absolutely must visit Downtown Books located right downtown on Wisconsin Ave. (Yes, I know when you click on the link it will say Milwaukee St.; it is on the corner.) Moving on. Milwaukee was merely a pit stop (to say hi to our MKE Besties!) on our way to Kohler, WI.
Kohler is 50 miles north of MKE on 43, so the whole trip will take you about 2.5 hours from the City. (We live on the very southern edge-drive time may vary from other areas.) Kohler is also home to The American Club. We were refered to this particular hotel by a work acquantaince who warned us that it might be a bit pricey. It wasn't too bad (I'm guessing after being there that it is the down season, and we would never be able to have taken this trip from April - October).
{The lovely resort.}
The American Club is running a package for about $300.00. This package included a king size bed suite, strawberries and champagne, and brunch at The Wisconsin Room on Sunday morning. Absolutely amazing!
{So you've all seen a bottle of champagne, but look at those amazing strawberries!}
Because of the time of year, and the fact that it was dark most of the time we were there, we weren't able to capture for you the beauty of this place. The hotel was built to house the employees of the Kohler plant (you know, they make faucets!). It's old, and full of hallways and fireplaces and libraries. Outside are phenomenal gardens, full of swings, small tables, benches, trees, and what I imagine would be flowers (again, during April - October, so it's possible we will never know!). Saturday night Eric and I spent a large amount of time sitting in the gardens enjoying the sheer silence. Exactly what we were looking for in our 24 hour escape from the City.
