This is my second NAMI walk. I completed it, in addition to this year, also in 2020. It's always…read moreextremely well organized. Our group likes the mission so much that we have supported them three years in a row and have become one of their top donors in the Milwaukee area. My first NAMI walk was downtown on the lakefront, and this one was in Wauwatosa. Both times, walkers were very well directed by helpers, made aware of the schedule ahead of time, and given goodies the day of. If you're looking for a good cause to support, I'd highly recommend.

When the Coast Guard ships come in to Milwaukee they will at times have free public tours. The…read moretours are fantastic and really open your eyes to all the things that the Coast Guard do, and the service they provide to our nation and citizens.

Police Officer Matthew Tracy was very helpful. He took time out of his busy day to assist me with…read moremy computer issue. More officers like this need to be recognized when they do above and beyond the call of duty. Thank you, War Beard!!

This district headquarters hosts an award winning community policing team, they open their doors…read moreonce or twice a year for a neighborhood open house, it's the friendliest police station I've ever been to. Of course the situations were a little different on my previous police station experiences....

named in honor of Daniel Webster Hoan (a socialist before the cool kids wrecked socializing)…read moreun-originally dubbed the Harbor Bridge it was finished in 1972 but only opened to traffic five years later - but still not completely connected up until 1998 because, well, you know... Milwaukee!! clocking in at just over 10,000 feet long the Hoan Bridge carries six lanes of I-794 some 120' above the Milwaukee River. the crazy yellow arch dominates the view eastward during the day and multi-color LEDs create a spectacle after sunset. one more thing: contrary to local rumor the Blue Brothers' car chase was NOT filmed here (M. J. Prigge, Sheppard Express, 12-Sep-2016)

Boy oh boy do I love heading north on the Hoan Bridge....this beautiful and stinky bridge gets me…read morefrom Bay View to Downtown Milwaukee in 5 minutes! I love crossing over Lake Michigan and seeing the Downtown Milwaukee skyline. You have plenty of great views including Lake Michigan, Summerfest, Milwaukee Art Museum and so on. It truly makes Milwaukee look great! The only problem I have with Hoan Bridge is that smells terrible...some days are worse then others, but overall, it smells like poo. It's not the bridge's fault, of course. I love this bridge!

If you have kids that are into fire trucks or firefighters, this is a must-visit opportunity for…read morethe family. Heck, if you yourself are interested in some Milwaukee Firefighter history, you'll want to check this out too! It's currently open to the public every first Sunday of the month (April through December) from noon to 3pm. It's free to look around but donations are accepted. While we were there, there were a handful of retired firefighters (with experience from that fire house) on hand to give tours and answer questions. We found it to be very informative and fascinating. Had no idea until recently that that was even there and open. I'm pretty sure you can schedule a visit too, if their current open house hours don't work for you.

I didn't know there was a fire museum in Milwaukee until I saw it on the list for Doors Open…read moreMilwaukee. Having known a retired fire chief or two in my lifetime, and having been to the giant fire museum in Phoenix, I just had to check this out. And I'm glad I did! Before we go any further, this is a great place for kids. I just don't believe you can start too early in teaching kids about fire safety and this is a fascinating place. I'm a car guy, so the '48 Cadillac ambulance drew my attention immediately. RIght behind it are two vintage fire engines. Did you know that Milwaukee used to build its own fire trucks in the MFD shops? Here's two great examples, one from 1927 and a ladder truck from 1930. (If you're a gear head like me, you'll like to know they're powered by Waukesha six cylinder engines.) You'll find vintage fire equipment, extinguishers, helmets, gear, the telegraph system, old call boxes and a cutaway fire hydrant. In the rear of the former fire station is a tower where fire hoses were hung to dry after use. A special display highlights the Deluge, the MFD fire boat. Deluge was built in 1949 (retired in 1984) with a special low profile to cruise beneath bascule bridges without opening - time is of the essence when firefighting. A mural reports the history of disastrous fires in Milwaukee, another tells the timeline of firefighting in Milwaukee. I'm looking forward to returning sometime when there's less of a crowd as there was during Doors Open Milwaukee.

If you travel frequently, you know that Global Entry (along with its domestic cousin TSA Precheck)…read moreis indispensable. For $100 you get 5 years of expedited access - no taking off shoes, no pulling liquid or laptops - a bargain and even better because my credit card pays the fee. Anyway, my GE expired in 2020 so I started my renewal in March and then Corona hit. You have to do a short in person interview and there was nothing, literally nothing available for the rest of the year. I checked back after Jan 1st and to my delight, there was availability! So I headed over to a boring office building near the airport (next to Denny's) and was taken care of by a super nice border agent. The whole thing took maybe 10 minutes and as a bonus I don't look like a crackhead on my ID card. Looking forward to LOTS of travel when it's safe again!

Not bad for a government agency. Quicker and more pleasant than the post office or DMV!…read moreAppointments are required. Me and the Mrs came here to get approved for TSA fast tracking so we can get thru customs quicker when returning back to the USA. You'll need to apply online in advance and make an appointment. Be sure to bring your Passport, our passports were new and we had to sign them in the presence of a US Customs officer. Plan ahead for this. We were lucky to get in days before a trip out of the country. Friends of ours had to go to Madison to get their global entry whatchamacallit.

I am also puzzled why this is Bay space View instead of the actual neighborhood and library name,…read moreBayview. Anyway, good public library with great Tik-Toks. Sunny friendly inviting location with excellent librarians and not just a good selection of books, but access to lots of audio versions of books, music, movies and comfortable seating to read, contemplate, or zone out. They have newspapers here, if you've ever heard of that sort of thing.

This is my local library that I use very often. The staff is always friendly and willing to help…read more The app is user-friendly when I order books, and they are always ready and easy to find when I need to pick them up. It can also be contactless, where you can check yourself out if needed. It's a very bright and open space with lots of natural light and windows. All in all, I enjoy this library and am excited that the inside opened up after Covid. Keep up the good work!