In partnership with Wisconsin Vision, we want to help you "See More Life" in our fine city and state. All around us are beautiful sights and scenes – some popular, some exclusive. In this new feature, we'll share some of these – through our lens – and hope that you'll join us along the way by sharing your favorite Wisconsin sights too.
Here are eight locales certainly worthy of a look:
Frank Lloyd Wright’s SC Johnson complex in Racine
Wisconsin-born architect’s SC Johnson administration building and research tower at SC Johnson (aka Johnson Wax), 1525 Howe St. in the heart of Racine – put up in 1936 and 1947, respectively – are unrivaled architectural treasures in the state. They – along with Sir Norman Foster's Fortaleza Hall – are not only a testament to the Racine company's forward-looking philosophy, the admin building and research tower look the way they do in part because of Wright's opposition to their location. People travel from around the world to see the complex, so why wouldn’t you? Read more here.
Lake Express Ferry
So much of Wisconsin’s identity is tied to the Great Lake that abuts the state’s entire east coast. Why not get out on it? One fun way to do that is to take the Lake Express Ferry that departs for Michigan from Bay View a few times a day, in season, offering great views of the city skyline from the water as well as a memorable trip. Watch a video here.
Horicon Marsh
Horicon Marsh is a big draw for bird watchers and nature lovers, who are especially drawn to this natural wonder of Wisconsin in spring (May) and autumn (mid-October to about mid-November). They come to see the migrating birds – nearly 300 varieties have been spotted over the years – who stop off to rest their weary feathers at the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the United States. The trails offer easy strolls and stunning scenery at any time of year. Read more here.
Milwaukee cream city brick buildings
Milwaukee is the home of Cream City brick, which remains tied to the city’s identity long after production of the bricks ended. Take a tour of some of the finest examples and see some beautiful vintage buildings made with the construction material that made Milwaukee famous.
Lake Geneva
Just an hour's drive southwest of Milwaukee, Lake Geneva has plenty of fun for the whole family, and in any season, with great walking trails, beaches and boat tours, as well as camping, dining, shopping, winter festivals and more. Read more here.
Cranberry bogs
Sure, everyone associates Wisconsin with cows and cheese and beer. But drive through the state and you'll spy seemingly endless fields of corn swaying in the breeze, as well as acres and acres and acres of soybeans running through their array of lovely earth tones during the growing season. If you visit at the right times of the year, you'll also see the low, evergreen trailing vines of the cranberry fields in the central part of the state, where the slightly sunken beds are dotted with beautiful pink flowers early in season and flooded with water, painted red by floating cranberries, as harvest proceeds in September and October. Read more here.
Kohler’s historic American Club
(PHOTO: The American Club)
The Kohler Company built The American Club in 1918 as a place for company workers – many of them immigrants – to sleep, eat and find safe, fun recreation, as well as study English and apply for citizenship. The Tudor revival gem is now a full-service resort with fine dining, a world-class spa, golf courses and more. The original building is definitely a sight to see, especially the stained glass Greenhouse in the courtyard. Read more here.
Great lakes that aren’t Great Lakes
While we may not be the land of 10,000 lakes, we prize quality over quantity and there are some great places for recreation and reflection within a quick drive from Milwaukee. Click here to see a list of eight fun options.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
