Even weeks after the finale of "LOST," I can't get the enigmatic series of out of my head. One nugget I learned on the night of last episode was that every scene, except for a handful, was shot in Hawaii. Those visions of London and Tunisia and Paris -- all in Hawaii. Amazing, isn't it, what a special effects department can do.
Which got me thinking: out of context, it can be easy to imagine you're somewhere else, even when you're right here at home.
Few will confuse Milwaukee for Miami or Waukesha for Warsaw, but if you squint your eyes and let your mind wander, there are several places that just seem so, well, un-Milwaukee (in either time or place).
Polling my coworkers, we came up with a bunch. They include:
- Holy Hill: Switzerland
- The Yard at Iron Horse: Las Vegas
- Nomad World Pub: Amsterdam
- Barnacle Bud's: Key West
- The Dunes: Martha's Vineyard
- Villa Terrace: Italy
- Whistling Straits: Scottish golf course
- Paddy's Pub: Ireland
- Greendale Historic Center: Sweden
- Jones Island: Staten Island
- Mitchell Park Domes: The Amazon Rainforest
- Speed Queen Bar-B-Q: Kansas City or Memphis
Back in time:
- Usinger's retail store: 1900s Milwaukee
- Streets of Old Milwaukee: Old Milwaukee!
- European Village at Milwaukee Public Museum: Europe in the "good" old days
Can you think of any other "unMilwaukee" spots? Add then using the Talkback feature below.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
