Many of us travel more for business than for fun. But there's no rule saying your business trip can't be fun, too. In the political lexicon, there's a
saying, "No serious crisis should go to waste." It's often referred to as "Rham's Rule" after Obama's ex-Chief of Staff. I have "Mike's Motto" instead: "No
business trip should go to waste!" I've always practiced this philosophy, even in my previous career as strategic consultant in the oil/gas industry. On my
way back from Caracas, I stopped off in Aruba, and in Athens on my way back from Riyadh—or I'd take some extra time to poke around Dallas when I was
visiting.
I can hear the objections to this idea now:
1. "I hate touring around a place on my own," or, "I just don't feel it's right not including my spouse/family." Not an issue. Trends in travel indicate
more and more businesspeople are taking their spouses or families along on appropriate trips. And if that's not possible, you really can have fun on your
own. Try it sometime.
2. "I don't get enough vacation days." Stats tell us that most Americans, especially in executive positions, leave lots of vacation days unused each year.
3. "It's the expense." Well, your employer has already picked up a big part of the cost. And finally;
4. "Most of the places I go for business are boooring!" Maybe not!
Early this November, we were invited to the second Republican debate in Milwaukee—not exactly a business trip, but it was to a place we perceived as more
for business than pleasure. We're usually focused on more exotic, far-flung destinations to explore.
Nevertheless, we did a search at VisitMilwaukee.org, and after poking around a bit, decided, "Hey, this place may be worth checking out more." So rather
than doing the usual business routine—fly in, rent a car or grab a taxi into town, go to our meeting, turn around as fast as possible and escape—we
booked an extra night at The Brewhouse Inn & Suites, an eclectic, all-suites boutique hotel housed in a repurposed part of the Pabst
Brewery compound, and spent two extra days exploring Milwaukee.
We're using Milwaukee as an example here. It's the kind of place you might visit on business, but there's a whole other side to this city. And boy, what a
great decision it was to stick around and check it out. We learned a lot, saw a lot, and sampled some great ethnic fare. In short, we had a blast!
The Surprises Start
We began by getting the lay of the land with a drive through town and then north along the shores of Lake Michigan. We were impressed by how green and
beautiful the lakefront is. It's home to parks, duck and swan lagoons, museums, a large yacht basin protected by an extended breakwater, a historic
lighthouse, a really nice beach—at least, it must be in summer—and lovely residential areas with old mansions on bluffs overlooking the lake. All this
is connected by biking, running, and walking trails.
For an eye-opener brunch, we stopped at Colectivo Coffee, a trendy food emporium set in a historic Milwaukee River Flushing Station overlooking the lake.
Back during Milwaukee's industrial heyday, this building's function was to pump fresh water from the lake to clear out everything you can probably imagine
that went into the river. All its gear is still functional and occasionally exercised, but what a great "steampunk" repurposing of an old building. We
learned that putting old buildings to new uses is something Milwaukee is really good at.
On our way back to the city center, we drove through the Brady Street neighborhood, with its smorgasbord of ethnic populations—Italian, Polish, Irish,
and, of course, German, the predominant cultural influence in Milwaukee—and plethora of eateries and shops that cater to each heritage. Our next stop was
along the atmospheric, cobblestone Old World 3rd Street for some edible souvenirs, like cheese from the Wisconsin Cheese Mart and sausages from
Usinger's, where a line of clients poured out the door. Both places will leave you salivating.
This historically German neighborhood offers an American branch of Munich's famous Hofbrauhaus that rocks on any given weekend evening. Gail and I also
enjoyed a delicious and well-served dinner of sauerbraten and schnitzel at Mader's, a vintage and elegant family-run dining room that has been serving
traditional Deutch fare for more than 100 years.
History with a Twist
In fact, the two things that impressed us most about Milwaukee are its cultural diversity and its diverse architecture and the preservation of that. Having
prospered during the "Gilded Age," the city is a showplace of turn-of-the-19th-century architectural styles: Milwaukee's City Hall (1895),
Flemish Renaissance; the Mackie Building (1879), Victorian; the Mitchell Building (1876), French Second Empire, like much of Paris; the Milwaukee Public
Library, French/Italian Renaissance; and the Wisconsin Gas Building, a masterpiece of Art Deco topped by a symbolic neon flame that changes color with the
weather. Many of the city's impressive buildings used cream-colored brick of local manufacture, from which Milwaukee got its nickname, the "Cream City."
Another neighborhood that escaped the wrecking ball of "urban renovation" and found new life is the Historic Third Ward District, formerly a warehouse
district just south of city center and now a hip six-block area known for its art galleries, boutiques, theaters, diverse restaurants, and Public Market, a
smaller takeoff on San Francisco's Ferry Building Marketplace. And Milwaukee really has taken advantage of its river frontage, building a beautiful and
scenic River Walk along the banks of the Milwaukee River through much of downtown. It's decorated with colorful plantings and artwork and lined with shops,
cafés, restaurants, and pubs. In the summertime, boats ply up and down the waterway, adding to the color.
Blended in with the old are lots of attractive modern buildings that fit in perfectly. If you're into glitz and gambling, Milwaukee offers the Potawatomi
Casino on the fringes of town. It also has a 1.75-mile Skywalk System for getting around without having to negotiate bad weather. However, nothing is more
futuristic than the new lakeside Milwaukee Art Museum. This glistening white building with its articulating wings that spread wider than a Boeing 747's
looks like it's going to lift off for a flight over Lake Michigan at any moment. The interior is bright, airy, and equally dramatic in design.
Unfortunately, the permanent collection—considered among the finest in America for decorative arts and German expressionism—was closed for renovations
and additions during our visit.
However, we found a number of other worthwhile museums and attractions to take in. Many of those, given that Milwaukee was made famous by beer, tune into
the history of brewing and its modern-day practice. The Best Place—"Best" was the original name of the Pabst company—at the old Pabst Brewery compound
offers a unique "Beer History Tour" and exhibits lots of retro beer memorabilia. Touring the Pabst Mansion, a gingerbread Gilded Age creation, makes you
feel like you've stepped back in time. Of course, you can tour other operating breweries, both large, like Miller, or crafty, like Lakeshore Brewery, where
we enjoyed a lively tour and sampled a generous amount of its delicious, award-winning brews.
While I'm fond of beer, especially craft ones, there's nothing like a "hog" to get the adrenaline flowing in a Baby-boomer. Unbeknownst to me prior to this
trip, Milwaukee is the home of Harley-Davidson. In fact, the city's Harley-Davidson Museum is the Mecca of Harley riders and fans around the world. It
tells the story of the company's founding in 1903 in a shed in Davidson's backyard, its growth and development through two World Wars and depressions and
recessions, its near demise in the hands of conglomerate AMF (American Machine and Foundry) in the 1970s, and its repurchase in 1981 by an investor group,
carrying right up to modern times.
The museum exhibits an impressive—and very shiny—collection of more than 350 bikes spanning its history. Included is a reproduction of the famous
"Captain America" bike ridden in the film Easy Rider. Throughout, it plays up the mystique of Harleys as they've appeared in movies and momentous
occasions and made themselves part of America's identity. For the "gearhead," there are exhibits of engines and other mechanical displays. And "wannabes"
can sit on various Harley models for photo ops.
Gail came away from the experience excited about buying a metallic-red Harley Tri Glide Ultra, a three-wheel bike and a "bargain" at about $35K. Note: I've
been relatively unsuccessful at getting her to ride behind me on scooters in tame places like Bermuda! But the Harley-Davidson Museum has that kind of
effect on you.
Speaking of effects, I think I've lost Gail. She was so enthralled with Milwaukee that she wants to move there. And we haven't even experienced it in
summer when it's alive with festivals! You never know what you might find, or lose, or what will happen when you extend a business trip to dig below the
surface of a destination.