Original Article by Beth Blair for VacationGals.com
Hotels are a lot like real estate: it’s all about location, location, location. InterContinental Hotel (139 East Kilbourn Ave. Milwaukee, WI, 53202) in downtown
Milwaukee is one hotel that can brag about its neighborhood. Once you’re done admiring the swanky bar in the lobby, gorging yourself with the offered Jelly Belly candies at the front desk, or sipping fruit-infused water, you’ll realize that the InterContinental is an ideal location for your Milwaukee stay. As long as you don’t mind tying on your walking shoes, we’re talking easy strolls to Pabst Theatre, Old World Third Street, Cathedral Square Park, Milwaukee Art and Natural History Museums, 75-acre Henry Maier Festival Park, Lake Michigan, Veterans Park and Milwaukee Public Market. During inclement weather cabs are reliable, and during the summer the Downtown Trolley Loop is a fun transportation option. As for parking, you can easily valet park your car at the hotel (the valet are some of the friendliest and most helpful we’ve ever experienced at a hotel) and leave it there the entire stay.
Here are some highlights my family enjoyed that were within walking distance of this hotel.
1. Riverwalk. Situated along the Milwaukee River, the Riverwalk is lined with restaurants, bars and shops. Every evening we walked to dinner then enjoyed cruising the Riverwalk while the children burned off the last of their energy.
2. Easy access to many restaurants. I mentioned restaurants on the Riverwalk, but there are plenty of other choices in the area including Calderone Club right up the street. Yes, I gushed about this restaurant recently and it really is that good. Afterward, walk off your meal at the Riverwalk or, if you’re visiting in the summer, relax at one of the many outdoor patios and watch the boats cruise the canal.
3. Usinger’s. It’s really not right to visit Milwaukee and not indulge in a gourmet German style Usinger’s sausage or bratwurst (you can find Usinger’s at the airport, too). Since we could see the headquarters from our room, we knew what we need to have for lunch one day. We discovered a little joint located across the street from the factory called, get this, Milwaukee Brat House. Good choice. We ordered Usinger’s brats on pretzel rolls. I opted for the BBT: bacon, bleu cheese, and diced tomato. Hit the spot.
4. Find The Bronze Fonz! Only a short stroll from the InterContinental is bronze statue of the Arthur Fonzarelli (aka: Fonzie or The Fonz) from the classic sitcomHappy Days. Find it on the Riverwalk at 100 E Wells Street.
4. Starbucks is across the street. My husband and I are, as you may already know, big Starbucks fanatics, and lucky for us, our favorite coffee shop was an easy hop, skip and jump away making it easy to start our day, or race, off right.