Sheboygeon, WI – Milwaukee, WI – Oct 8, 2021
Ralph factor 2. Not bad seas today. All good but another day just cruising along the shoreline. We are excited to see the city lights tonight. Just a 5 hour trek south to Milwaukee. South, that’s the best word of the day.
There are many choices here for marinas and anchorages. We decide to take the space by the Discovery Kids where an anchorage is available. There is a marina here as well but no water, just power. This area is to the south of Milwaukee Harbour. We found a small grocery store and pickleball. There is a river through Milwaukee that we plan to take with the tender and stop at both of these.
We get HP settled and get Otter, the tender, down to begin our exploring. It is still early, around 2:30. Off we go in Otter and onto the Milwaukee River. What greets us is a huge surprise. This area of Milwaukee is called the Third Ward. It was the industrial age buildings that took us by surprise. They have been converted into condos and apartments right alongside the river. Not just a small area but the entire area. There are restaurants, homes, shopping, boat slips all along here. Old buildings mixed with modern updates to make homes.
I wouldn’t call the river clean though, They don’t do a good job of getting the garbage out so it floats together in spots looking more like a garbage dump than a river. Come on people. Take care of your waterways.
So Scott had already mapped out the pickleball area. It was alongside the river. The city of Milwaukee has made the underpass of a main street a pickleball area with 2 courts. We tie up Otter with a locked cable and head to the market. At the market it is more of fast or fresh food to take out. Okay so we re-think groceries for Chicago tomorrow.
So we head over to the pickleball, under the overpass. What a great concept for use of space. We start to play, just the 2 of us. Then several folks show up and 2 courts are now going. We met some very spunky 20 somethings and played several games with them. It felt so good to play. It has become my mission to find a good overpass in Niagara Falls and hope to sign them on for a good couple courts.
After a good sweat we are back in Otter and heading back to HP. Again passing through the river to the harbour entrance and still finding such great use for brownspace and older buildings.
It was so nice today, weather, boat ride, calm seas and new friends. Now for those city lights which did not disappoint. A beautiful city skyline sitting on the deck after a full day and very thankful. Tomorrow is Chicago!!!
