'Wendella Tours & Cruises' has been in existence since I was a kid, and I am in my 60s now…read more Everyone visiting Chicago should take this tour of the Chicago River and it's surrounding architecture at least once. Everyone who lives in Chicago should take this tour many times, because when family and friends visit Chi-town, they MUST be taken on this tour. Then the more friends and family coming to see you, the more time you take this tour with them. - It's Obligatory. So every time a visitor comes town, I treat them to an afternoon tour on Wendella Tours & Cruises. It's not just that Wendella offers an amazing service - it's that this service is necessary in order to understand Chicago's unique architectural heritage.

Every time someone proposes to go on a Chicago River Cruise I groan. Why would you want to go on a…read moreboat for an hour when I can see the buildings perfectly fine from here? I've already done the cruise, why would I do it again? I end up going along with the group and doing a cruise, and I love it every time. On the river is the best way to experience the skyline of Chicago. You get to see the best of the best and hear history behind it. Even though this is a tourist trap, it is one of the few that I've been on that I actually think it is worth it.

Doors Open Milwaukee is an annual event when over 100 buildings open their doors for free tours…read more Most tours are DIY, but there are many that are docent-led ticketed tours, for more insight. We've done Doors Open for a few years, and in 2017, decided to focus mainly on the clean water industry, which Milwaukee is becoming known for in industry and University circles. Doors Open Milwaukee had a Water Passport, to see if you could hit up all of the sites. Pack some water, a snack, and comfortable shoes, use the helpful PDF guide or app ahead of time to plot out your stops, or pick up a physical booklet on your first stop. Sites we enjoyed in 2017- Global Water Center Milwaukee County Greenhouses UWM School of Freshwater Sciences Mitchell Park Domes An annual event, you can hit up Doors Open Milwaukee every fall. A great annual City event!

Doors Open Milwaukee is wrapping up as I write this, all done for 2016 but if you missed it, don't…read moreworry, it'll be back next year. It's not too early to be thinking about what places you'd like to visit next year. In case this is all new to you, Doors Open Milwaukee is just exactly what the name implies. Many buildings, structures and businesses that aren't usually open to the public throw their "doors open" on the third weekend of September every year. Places might be theaters (Riverside, Modjeska) government buildings (city hall, courthouses, wastewater treatment plant) structures (bascule bridge, lift bridge) cemeteries (Forest Home, Bluemound) Hotels (Pfister, Ambassador) museums (Wadham's gas station, fire museum, Chudnow, MSOE Grohmann) fire houses (Milwaukee, West Allis) and churches of many kinds including the stunning Basilica of St. Josaphat. New on the tour this year was Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, the last commission of Frank Lloyd Wright. Folks in southeastern Wisconsin have been curious about the church since it was built in 1959 and hundreds of people took advantage of the opportunity to see the inside of this magnificent structure. There is a great deal of "right" with DOMKE, although there are a few issues with it, too. One of the more pleasant issues is that there were over 150 places open this year. Too much to see in a weekend, so one much choose carefully. Parking can be an issue around popular venues, as can long lines. It was even tougher this year with on-street parking restricted in many places due to construction. Remember DOMKE for next year, and remember that next spring, Historic Milwaukee will sponsor Spaces & Traces. See you there!

I had a blast on this tour! The cycling itself wasn't very intense, and there was just one slow…read moreincline hill. Heidi was an absolutely great guide. Very friendly and informed. I've been on bike tours where you bike a bit, stop, get information. Then you're silently on the move again. This stop was non-stop information. She was great a giving you a heads up on any directional information nestle in with Milwaukee exciting and fun facts. Felt very safe and thoroughly enjoyed all of the stops. My tour was a smaller group so we didn't use the headset and I could hear everything -- but it's an excellent idea for a larger group. Highly recommend!

From the owner: We believe the best way to see a city is by bike. We specialize in guided tours and local biking…read moreadventures. Enjoy navigating the city's bike paths and bike lanes on relaxed 3-speed beach cruisers.  The urban adventures are designed as a unique and personalized experience showcasing the growing landscape and new businesses that continue to make Milwaukee great. All tours include bike, helmet, and 2-way radio. In addition to the traditional sightseeing bike tours custom packages are available to suit the interests and size of various groups.

We did a ghost tour around Halloween. It was such a fun and entertaining experience. The group size…read morewas large, and it was fun walking around and learning all the ghost stories

Tonight, I went on a walking tour in Milwaukee titled "Ghosts of Christmas Past". The tour started…read moreout at the Pabst Theater on Wells and Water and crossed the street to Milwaukee City Hall where we learned about the suicide problem in which 7 people jumped to their death from higher floors into the open lobby below. Horrifying but also fascinating! From there we visited the Pfister Hotel where we learned about Charles Pfister who watches out for his guests and less-nice ghosts who have scared the bejesus out of Major League Baseball players, leaving some unwilling to stay at the hotel again. We walked past the old Newhall Hotel where 70 guests perished in a fire on our way back to the Pabst Theater where we learned about Captain Frederick Pabst who remains present at the theater that bears his name, the mansion he built on Wisconsin Avenue and his brewery village in the city. Our tour guide, Tea, was very knowledgeable and entertaining. There are other local tours in the Third Ward and Brady Street that I look forward to joining this summer. The price was very reasonable. When you go, tip your guide!

I love how easy the skywalk system makes getting around Milwaukee. Each skywalk is a little…read moredifferent, some including an insight into some of the history of Milwaukee or the different neighborhoods. I used to live and work downtown and the skywalks were great for getting around in the winter or inclement weather. Now, only working downtown I find it a great place to go for a walk at lunch or get somewhere.

This is one fun tour. I guess I get a little geeked out when walking around and learning about the…read morehistory of things. For Milwaukee it is no less different. I also did not realize how many Skywalks Milwaukee has. They are scattered throughout and show different views of this great city. The lady who gave the tour was awesome and she really is up on the history of the city. It was an informative tour and we also got a little cardio in to boot. Good stuff!

Want to cruise Lake Michigan affordably and have a boating experience that recreates history? By…read moreall means, get yourself down to Pier Wisconsin pronto and take a sail on the Denis Sullivan. In my mind, this is one of the most amazing experiences the city of Milwaukee offers. Hands down! The Denis Sullivan is a 140-foot sailing vessel that is a recreation of an 1890s cargo vessel. It has space for 50 on its upper deck, three full sails, and three jib sails on the mast. There's a lower compartment that has a head (bathroom), sleeping quarters, kitchen mess, and a gift shop. An exhibit that is part of Discovery World, your ticket buys you a two-hour tour during the summer. Truly, if boating is your thing, this is an amazing must-do. My family and I took the tour recently and we had a blast. The six of us spanned ages from 2 to 73. We all enjoyed it equally. My two year old great niece enjoyed the fact that she had room to roam around to her liking. She wandered everywhere happily. We got pictures of her steering the boat on the rear wheel that controlled the rudder. All of us enjoyed the performance by the ships cast of 8 crew members. They involved all 50 of us on board in a discussion about safety, then gave commands to hoist all of the sails once we had motored comfortably away from the pier and cut the engine. The ropes and sails were neatly and precisely tucked away in a manner any experienced sailor will tell you is proper. Along with other guests, my great niece and her dad helped hoist the sail, and my niece was fascinated with pulling rope for the rest of the trip, "helping" the crew in her own fashion. The crew was on hand to answer questions and quite hospitable with the guests. "This boat is a fiberglass magnet," one crew member told my family, pointing to the boats that pulled up alongside our vessel. They also noted that the boat was weighted in a manner that if it tipped, it would pop back up - a good feature to have on a sailboat that can lean in the wind. A wonderful bonus occurred when two of the crew pulled out a banjo and a fiddle and performed bluegrass music, singing and clapping. My great niece danced and the rest of us enjoyed the performance. The pristine view of Milwaukee's skyline and lakefront is unparalleled. The breeze is cooling and comfortable and the sail is a most enjoyable thing to do on a weekend. Take a trip on the Denis Sullivan. You won't regret it!

A few weeks ago a woman told me the new Pier Wisconsin building adjacent to the Art Museum on the…read morelakefront has the best view of Milwaukee's skyline available without a boat in the city. Intrigued by that and an indoor aquarium, I stopped by this weekend to check it out. Overall, this is a very cool place. The building is beautiful in a modern way that accentuates the Calatrava next door. The lines are clean and nautical and the slat wood floor in the main hallway/promenade was beautiful and different. In general, there is an unfinished feeling to the place despite its having been open more than a month. I can understand the desire to open to the public as soon as possible, but paying $16 for a lot of unfinished exhibits bothered me slightly. That said, there are some wonderful things in this building, which now houses Discovery World, as well as the Pier Wisconsin aquarium and a permanent home for the Denis Sullivan sailboat. The highlight of the aquarium is a tunnel where fish swim a few feet over your head. The glass is so smooth and clear that from certain angles it feels as if you are viewing the image of fish on a hi-definition screen, not actual fish swimming a few feet over your head in a spectacular mega-tank. There is also an open tank for petting small (barbless) stingrays and other fish. We didn't have tons of time to see Discovery World, but needless to say this place is an educational kids heaven. Everything is designed to be touched, felt and understood. In the new (unfinished) techno-jungle area, lots of hip 20-somethings in white lab coats helped kids play and understand a hovering people mover, an inra-red camera, a storm simulator, and best of all, a virtual reality control that led through the streets of Milwaukee. I unfortunately walked right off the bridge over Lincoln Memorial Drive to the Art Museum before surrendering the control to an actual child. Overall, I think Milwaukee has done very well for itself here. The location is amazing, parking easy (underground), the aquarium spectacular and views from the edge of the building are indeed among the best of Milwaukee's lakeside skyline.

I've been to this spot on a few occasions now and love this little gem nestled in the Third Ward…read more Most recently, we were holiday shopping in the Third Ward and needed a break from the hustle and bustle of shopping. We stopped in here for one of their velvety smooth and delicious caramel lattes and a little lunch. For lunch, I got their veggie wrap. It was super basic but the toppings were fresh. It wasn't anything special but fortified me for more shopping. The service is always lovely, the atmosphere is bright and relaxing, and the prices are reasonable. Get to it!

A fun space right in the heart of the Third Ward! Full coffee menu, and was surprised to see a wine…read moreand cocktail menu, even a sangria flight too! It was later in the day so they were running low on bakery items, but spotted a red velvet cookie, YUM! Was doing some shopping and decided to pop in for a pick me up. Service was friendly, and decided to get my chai for dine-in, to enjoy a moment with all of the fun artwork and to catch up with a friend. Chai was delicious, and chairs by the window were a comfy spot to take a moment and people watch along Broadway. Pretty cool conference space that you can rent, looked like it had all the bells and whistles for a productive meeting. Nice to be able to peruse the art gallery and art pieces for sale as I waited for my beverage. Highly recommend, and prices are competitive to any other coffee shop in the neighborhood!

Our Guide, Mike, gave an exceptional tour! Saw so many activities, food places, and historical…read moresights in Milwaukee we never knew existed... and we live close by!! Highly recommend this tour, especially if you're looking for the best of what Milwaukee has to offer !!

We had the best time on this tour! Mike was funny, informative and friendly!…read more I would recommend this to anyone visiting Milwaukee or if you even live there and want to know more about the city's history and architecture. This isn't only a on the bus tour, you also get to hop off at some spots. We had so fun!! We would do it again! Thanks Mike!

The Milwaukee Christmas Lights & Desserts Tour was just okay, especially for the price…read more The tour felt expensive for what was included. The desserts were minimal and not what we expected - especially since we've been on the bakery tour by the same company and absolutely loved it. Based on that experience, we expected much more. Two of the four "desserts" were a pre-packaged cookie and chocolate, which didn't feel festive or special for a holiday-themed tour. Another thing not clearly mentioned is that the tour includes a lot of group sing-alongs. While that may be fun for some, it felt like filler after the first few songs and went on longer than necessary. Becca was very patient and kind with the children on the tour, which we appreciated. However, the presentation itself could have been more polished - there were several moments where information was forgotten or counting had to be redone, which made the tour feel a bit disorganized. Overall, the tour could easily be condensed to about two hours and would need to be priced lower to better match the quality and quantity of desserts. It wasn't terrible, but it didn't live up to expectations given the cost and past experiences with this company.

What an awesome experience! Every food stop along the way was fantastic -- we didn't have a single…read morething we didn't enjoy. Our tour guide, Emily, was super sweet, very knowledgeable about the area, and brought such a fun, upbeat energy that made the whole tour exciting. We loved hearing all the fun facts about the buildings we passed and the eateries we visited, which added so much to the experience. As out-of-staters, we never would have thought to explore Brady Street on our own, so it was really cool to discover a whole new part of the city while eating amazing food. Highly recommend!