Mid-Winter Getaways In Wisconsin And The Upper Midwest

Air Date:
Heard On The Larry Meiller Show

Larry Meiller finds out where to go in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest for a fun winter getaway.

Featured in this Show

  • 3 Food-Focused Winter Diversions In Milwaukee

    Cold weather can build up an appetite. A food-focused getaway can be a tasty way to cure cabin fever, and according to a local travel writer, Milwaukee has a lot to offer.

    Mary Bergin is a Madison-based travel writer specializing in Wisconsin and Midwestern destinations. She shared some ideas for what people can do in and around Milwaukee to take their mind off of the brutal winter weather:

    1. Take a food tour.


    Milwaukee Food & City Tours offers a tour along the city’s Riverwalk, a pedestrian thoroughfare that’s home to a number of restaurants. Vincent Desjardins (CC-BY)

    Bergin said that Milwaukee Food & City Tours are an easy and delicious way to enjoy what Wisconsin’s largest city has to offer. She said that the half-day tours are organized by theme or area, and offer a fun way to experience the diverse canvas of Milwaukee’s food scene.

    For example, on a bakery tour, visitors learn the history of different baking traditions while sampling everything from Sicilian fig-filled buccellati to Polish paczki.

    2. Sign up for a cooking class at the Milwaukee Public Market.


    Milwaukee Public Market in the city’s historic Third Ward offers cooking classes to the public. Noonch (CC-BY)

    For those who want to increase culinary knowledge and learn some tricks of the trade, the Milwaukee Public Market in the city’s historic third ward hosts a variety of cooking classes.

    Some are demonstration classes, while others allow participants to try their hand at the preparation. Classes on the schedule for March range from Korean street food, to using maple syrup, to knife skills.

    Before or after class, shopping in the market itself can be a fun sensory experience as well.

    “The vendors are on the first level, and there’s a nice big classroom above them,” Bergin explained.

    3. Visit a brewery.


    Lakefront Brewery is just one of many breweries and distilleries in the city that offers tours and tastings. Chrisopher Garrison (CC-BY-NC-SA)

    Of course, there is a reason that Milwaukee is called Brew City. There are several breweries and distilleries that offer public tours, often with tastings. The new-to-the-scene Brenner Brewing Company even offers a yoga class at which beer is served.“>

    BONUS IDEA: Coffee brewing class.

    Also in the beverage category, Stone Creek coffee offers classes for the home brewer of a different sort. Classes in March include Intro to Espresso Theory and Intro to Small Brew Methods.

    For more ideas of how to enjoy Milwaukee through food and drink …

    Edible Milwaukee offers suggestions and event information.

    TravelWisconsin.com lists other Milwaukee-area cooking classes, as well as food and beverage tour ideas for the Milwaukee area and other parts of the state.

Episode Credits

  • Larry Meiller Host
  • Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
  • Mary Bergin Guest