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Milwaukee-Chicago Train Trip Day 4 of 7
Jun. 16th, 2023 11:59 pmFRIDAY
I'd set an alarm for 8 AM but woke up about 7 to pee and decided to turn it off. Gary's alarm went off at quarter to eight. We got dressed and went downstairs to breakfast about nine.
After breakfast we walked from the hotel to the campus of Marquette University where Gary began his undergraduate education (which he completed at SUNY College at Brockport). I took a lot of pictures along the way, most notably the Marquette Interchange with a gnarly entanglement of entrance and exit ramps, as well as the former YMCA tower, the campus gates, the Varsity Theater, and the Church of the Gesu. In search of a place to sit, we passed a big dude seated on a bench in front of a statue which I couldn't identify from the side. As we passed, I snuck a peek and realized it was a statue of Jesus. We ended up seated a few yards away on a vacant bench with a nice view of the mural on the back of the Varsity Theater. After the big dude left, we went to sit on the bench by the statue of Jesus for a moment, then crossed the street and passed under the library bridge to visit St. Joan of Arc chapel. This chapel has a memorial fountain in front of it, because an eternal flame would be inappropriate. 😈
We next visited the nearby library building, where Gary registered at the front desk and we were ushered to the Archives on the third floor. There we were given access to four bound volumes of the Marquette Tribune, covering 1981-1985, in which all of Gary's movie reviews for the paper (nearly 30) were included. We spent a couple hours there reading the reviews and other pertinent information like the promotion of hockey from club to varsity (didn't happen), the raising of the drinking age, and the establishment of a Marquette Police force (who were definitely in evidence today).
After the library we ventured further west for lunch at Real Chili, where Gary had many late-night and early morning meals. The nice-looking dude working the counter wore a bright red shirt which read "Real Chili: it's not just for breakfast anymore." The chili was tasty, and reminded me more of Rochester hot sauce or Dixie BBQ's "The Man" sauce, with its dark color, fine texture, and visible chili oil, than Cincinnati chili. I ordered medium spicy; Gary chose mild and there was also hot chili available for an extra buck a bowl. The spaghetti was cut into short pieces so one could still eat it with a spoon rather than a fork.
After lunch, we walked another block west to WISN television studio, then returned to Wisconsin Avenue to catch the free (sponsored by UMO Mobility) Connect bus rapid transit (BRT) to the Milwaukee Art Museum. On the way we passed James J. McCabe S.J. Hall, which at first read to me as a retail partnership like Sears Roebuck, but I later figured out it was a dorm named for a Jesuit priest. On the walk from the BRT station to the museum, we passed the old Northwestern Mutual Life building which has copper-clad upper floors behind marble columns. The copper fixtures around the front doors have been restored and are shiny, but the remaining cladding is green.
When we reached the museum, we got wristbands which provided admission to the museum exhibits as well as the outdoor Lakeshore Festival of Art. As we were admiring one of the exhibits, a young black docent / security guard complimented us on our beards and bemoaned the fact he has been unable to grow one. We exited the museum building from the East End doors, walked along the lakefront, then returned to the museum via the Cafe doors and made our way upstairs to view the outdoor booths. Curiosity satisfied, we exited the festival via the outside gate and re-entered the museum to take the elevator to the footbridge connecting the museum with the city across a busy highway. We ended up taking the elevator down to the parking level (lowest of four) before picking up two ladies on the café level one above and riding to the top level with them. This resulted in some light banter about us being elevator operators.
When we arrived at the BRT station to return to the hotel, a disheveled man with frizzy hair like Bob Ross sat in the shelter babbling quietly and incoherently to anyone who would listen. He did not board the bus with us when it arrived. We purchased ice cream bars and Powerade in the lobby and relaxed in the room.
About six we went downstairs to the "kick back" reception in the bar area of the hotel. There was a long line for the bar, so we each had only one glass of wine and instead filled our glasses with soda from a fountain. From there we took the Hop to a restaurant in the Historic Third Ward we'd seen on the way from the train station, called Benelux. Gary had a salad with grilled shrimp; I had a watermelon salad and bacon-wrapped meatloaf with mashed potatoes. The food was delicious, and as I told Gary, one could tell that by noticing my eyes closed as I savored each bite.
From the restaurant we caught the Hop two stops north to City Hall Station and explored the area. There had been a water main break directly in front of City Hall so the street was closed to vehicle traffic. From there we walked north another block toward a festival in a nearby park. The "Cha-Cha Slide" ("Everybody clap your hands!") was playing at the festival and Gary bopped along with the music as we walked toward the river, drawing attention from some folks we passed at a valet parking spot. From there we followed the Riverwalk on the east side of the river back south toward the hotel. Along the way we were confronted by a homeless man who was looking for food or money while he picked up trash. We had a brief and relatively pleasant conversation under the circumstances, and Gary gave him $5.
When we reached the hotel we purchased drinks and Snickers ice cream bars from the pantry in the lobby, and kicked back in the room for the night. I had to use the bathroom and severely tested the capacity of the toilet with an embarrassingly large specimen. After six flushes failed to dislodge it, Gary suggested I leave it alone and later managed to get it to move with a simple trick and five more flushes. Afterwards Gary was convinced I was an elephant, at least in the solid waste department. (I didn't find that funny at the time but now I'm chuckling.) That settled, I took care of my evening rituals and got to bed about midnight.
I'd set an alarm for 8 AM but woke up about 7 to pee and decided to turn it off. Gary's alarm went off at quarter to eight. We got dressed and went downstairs to breakfast about nine.
After breakfast we walked from the hotel to the campus of Marquette University where Gary began his undergraduate education (which he completed at SUNY College at Brockport). I took a lot of pictures along the way, most notably the Marquette Interchange with a gnarly entanglement of entrance and exit ramps, as well as the former YMCA tower, the campus gates, the Varsity Theater, and the Church of the Gesu. In search of a place to sit, we passed a big dude seated on a bench in front of a statue which I couldn't identify from the side. As we passed, I snuck a peek and realized it was a statue of Jesus. We ended up seated a few yards away on a vacant bench with a nice view of the mural on the back of the Varsity Theater. After the big dude left, we went to sit on the bench by the statue of Jesus for a moment, then crossed the street and passed under the library bridge to visit St. Joan of Arc chapel. This chapel has a memorial fountain in front of it, because an eternal flame would be inappropriate. 😈
We next visited the nearby library building, where Gary registered at the front desk and we were ushered to the Archives on the third floor. There we were given access to four bound volumes of the Marquette Tribune, covering 1981-1985, in which all of Gary's movie reviews for the paper (nearly 30) were included. We spent a couple hours there reading the reviews and other pertinent information like the promotion of hockey from club to varsity (didn't happen), the raising of the drinking age, and the establishment of a Marquette Police force (who were definitely in evidence today).
After the library we ventured further west for lunch at Real Chili, where Gary had many late-night and early morning meals. The nice-looking dude working the counter wore a bright red shirt which read "Real Chili: it's not just for breakfast anymore." The chili was tasty, and reminded me more of Rochester hot sauce or Dixie BBQ's "The Man" sauce, with its dark color, fine texture, and visible chili oil, than Cincinnati chili. I ordered medium spicy; Gary chose mild and there was also hot chili available for an extra buck a bowl. The spaghetti was cut into short pieces so one could still eat it with a spoon rather than a fork.
After lunch, we walked another block west to WISN television studio, then returned to Wisconsin Avenue to catch the free (sponsored by UMO Mobility) Connect bus rapid transit (BRT) to the Milwaukee Art Museum. On the way we passed James J. McCabe S.J. Hall, which at first read to me as a retail partnership like Sears Roebuck, but I later figured out it was a dorm named for a Jesuit priest. On the walk from the BRT station to the museum, we passed the old Northwestern Mutual Life building which has copper-clad upper floors behind marble columns. The copper fixtures around the front doors have been restored and are shiny, but the remaining cladding is green.
When we reached the museum, we got wristbands which provided admission to the museum exhibits as well as the outdoor Lakeshore Festival of Art. As we were admiring one of the exhibits, a young black docent / security guard complimented us on our beards and bemoaned the fact he has been unable to grow one. We exited the museum building from the East End doors, walked along the lakefront, then returned to the museum via the Cafe doors and made our way upstairs to view the outdoor booths. Curiosity satisfied, we exited the festival via the outside gate and re-entered the museum to take the elevator to the footbridge connecting the museum with the city across a busy highway. We ended up taking the elevator down to the parking level (lowest of four) before picking up two ladies on the café level one above and riding to the top level with them. This resulted in some light banter about us being elevator operators.
When we arrived at the BRT station to return to the hotel, a disheveled man with frizzy hair like Bob Ross sat in the shelter babbling quietly and incoherently to anyone who would listen. He did not board the bus with us when it arrived. We purchased ice cream bars and Powerade in the lobby and relaxed in the room.
About six we went downstairs to the "kick back" reception in the bar area of the hotel. There was a long line for the bar, so we each had only one glass of wine and instead filled our glasses with soda from a fountain. From there we took the Hop to a restaurant in the Historic Third Ward we'd seen on the way from the train station, called Benelux. Gary had a salad with grilled shrimp; I had a watermelon salad and bacon-wrapped meatloaf with mashed potatoes. The food was delicious, and as I told Gary, one could tell that by noticing my eyes closed as I savored each bite.
From the restaurant we caught the Hop two stops north to City Hall Station and explored the area. There had been a water main break directly in front of City Hall so the street was closed to vehicle traffic. From there we walked north another block toward a festival in a nearby park. The "Cha-Cha Slide" ("Everybody clap your hands!") was playing at the festival and Gary bopped along with the music as we walked toward the river, drawing attention from some folks we passed at a valet parking spot. From there we followed the Riverwalk on the east side of the river back south toward the hotel. Along the way we were confronted by a homeless man who was looking for food or money while he picked up trash. We had a brief and relatively pleasant conversation under the circumstances, and Gary gave him $5.
When we reached the hotel we purchased drinks and Snickers ice cream bars from the pantry in the lobby, and kicked back in the room for the night. I had to use the bathroom and severely tested the capacity of the toilet with an embarrassingly large specimen. After six flushes failed to dislodge it, Gary suggested I leave it alone and later managed to get it to move with a simple trick and five more flushes. Afterwards Gary was convinced I was an elephant, at least in the solid waste department. (I didn't find that funny at the time but now I'm chuckling.) That settled, I took care of my evening rituals and got to bed about midnight.