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My brother and I will be taking a rail excursion the first week of May. The Capitol (bedroom) DC to Chicago, one day in the city and then return the next evening (2 roomettes). While we are going to a Cubs game to check out Wrigley field one afternoon, the other day we plan to ride up to Milwaukee and will have about 3 hours there from about 10am. Appreciate any ideas for exploring the area (rail related of course) as well as a good lunch spot. We'll be interested to try Diner lite on the Capitol. Proabably not quite as good as when I rode it in 1968 and enjoyed a drink in Wawassee before dinner in a real dining car.
Grandma Judy Member # 3278
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All the rail action in Milwaukee is at the Amtrak station. Most anything you will do is at least 5-6 blocks from the station. The new Farmer's Market (copied from Seattle's) is about 6 blocks east on St. Paul (the Amtrak station is at 5th & St. Paul), but is closed on Monday. 3 blocks north on 4th Street is Grand Avenue Mall - but a mall is a mall. You could walk to Milwaukee Ale House (a brew pub on the river with pretty good food) - 5 blocks east on St Paul, 1 block south on Water Street. If you choose this, perhaps a visit to the Eisner Museum of Advertising Art (a real gem of a place!) would be of interest. Check hours at their website. Given your time constraints, you might consider a walk & a cab back so you could go a little further afield. For example, take a cab to Usinger's Outlet Store on 3rd Street. If you like sausage, just the aroma is worth the trip. You could pick up some little smoked sausages for snacking & other delights. Across the street is The Spice House (another olefactory treat). If you're into German food - Mader's is just north of the Spice House. A famous Milwaukee eatery with schnitzel & sauerbraten and everything in between. If you want to be a little more casual, proceed south on 3rd Street to State. Walk east (left) over the river, past the Performing Arts Center to Water Street. 1 block north (left) will bring you to Water Street Brewery (another brew pub with very good food). Just behind on Highland is Rudy's - Mexican food. At this point you are probably at least a mile from Amtrak. If you walk - straight south (right) on Water to Kilbourn, west (right) to 4th street, south (left) to the station.
palmland Member # 4344
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Thanks for the info. The German restaurant sounds good. One thought we had was the Walthers or Kalmbach office. Does anyone know if they have any displays or info for railfans/modelers?
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Grandma Judy - ah, Mader's German restaurant!!!! I remember from elementary school German class ".....Ist das nicht ein Schnitzelbank? Ja, das ist ein Schnitzelbank -- Schnitzelbank, Schnitelbank -- ja, die schoener Schnitzelbank......" So Mader's is still around, eh?
Grandma Judy Member # 3278
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RRRICH - Mader's is definitely still there. The Weinerschnitzel is devine. I'd avoid the pork hock unless your name is Henry VIII.
palmland - I don't think Kalmbach's office is downtown. I think it is in Greendale (or Greenfield? - I mix them up) which would be a very long and $$$ taxi ride. I'll try to look it up for you.
rtabern Member # 4306
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Milwaukee, my hometown.
What is there to do at the station? Well... hmmm... try and not mugged. Real the graffiti in the bathroom at the station. Try and duck as concrete from the Marquette Interchange road work project.
Ok, just kidding.
Nothing too exciting to do right by the station to be honest, but it's a fun rail trip between Chicago and Milwaukee.
You can walk north from the station and check out the Milwaukee Public Museum for a couple of hours on 7th Street (James Lovell). If you walk east, you are in the historic 3rd Ward and there are some good restaurants and stuff there. You could also get a cheap cab ride over to the beach which is also nice too.
Enjoy Milwaukee!
MILW Member # 2538
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Kalmbach's Office is in Waukesha in the Crossroads Corporate Center, it is West of I-94, I believe it is the exit from I-94 after Moorland Road. Walthers is on the North side of Milwaukee. Walthers has a small lobby with displays but is mostly a Wharehouse. So I am not sure that would be worth the Cabride. Kalmbach is basically a Coporate Office with a large lobby that has their current magazines in it. So not sure you would find that worthwhile.
Railfan tour from Amtrak Station.
You might consider some pictures of the Public Service Building In Milwaukee (Wisconsin Energy), that is the former Interurban Terminal for the Milwaukee Electric Lines at 231 West Michigan. Also very close by is a small park which used to be the front lawn of the Milwaukee Road Passenger Station before it was torn down for the Freeway and the current Amtrak station built. The tracks used to curve farther North just East of the Amtrak station and then curved back South just West of the Amtrak station to rejoin the alignment West of the Amtrak station. If you look closely you can see some of the paved over remnants. The Amtrak station IS NOT in a bad neighborhood to my knowledge and I was born and raised and still have family around Milwaukee, it is a wharehouse district. The former C&NW terminal was at the foot of Wisconsin Ave, along the lakefront, approximately where the Art Center is now. the lake side drive is on it's right of way and you can see the former C&NW right of way curve away in the North as a bike & hiking path. This is the route the 400's took until the mid-1960's when the Amtrak station was built as a joint C&NW / Milwaukee Road venture. The Orange and Black vynl seats in the Amtrak station was a Milwaukee Road color choice (if the seats are still there). To the West of the Amtrak station about 3-5 miles on St. Paul is the former Milwaukee Road roundhouse and shops. They are now raised and nothing much is left.
Tourist Tour of Milwaukee walking distance from Amtrak station. Take a tour of the Pabst Beer Family Mansion (google for website address). Maders is a good place to eat too.
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