Every time I go to Milwaukee, I remember I need to make this short trip from Chicago more often. I recently spent some quality time on Milwaukee’s lakefront.

The Milwaukee Art Museum is one of the largest in the country. In addition to more than 3,000 beautiful works of art, the museum itself is a sight to behold. The Quadracci Pavilion features a wing-like structure that opens to a span of 217 feet during the day. It folds over the tail at night or during bad weather. Watching this open or close is one of the biggest tourist attractions.

The Bronze Fonz is another popular attraction. The life-sized sculpture of Fonzie (Henry Winkler) features his iconic “double thumbs up” pose.

The Riverwalk Boat Tours offer several different tour options, including a Wild Wednesday Craft Beer Cruise. Every week a new brewery is featured, with a brewery representative discussing the beer and offering samples.

Of course, every trip to Milwaukee includes a stop at the Mars Cheese Castle on the return. Cheeses and cheese products surround you in this cheese paradise. I might have overdone it on the samples, but I was in cheese heaven.

With the Cubs and Brewers potentially meeting in the playoffs, I might be making another trip in the near future. I’m already hoping for that.

—John Wroblewski, distribution specialist