a perfect milwaukee day

sunday was beautiful. partly sunny, warm and cool at the same time (oh, october, you wonderful month), and spent in the company of those we love in milwaukee.

the damons showed us around their new city, with a stop at the urban ecology center on the river. this cool building is perched on the riverbank, wedged between the cool little neighborhoods of riverwest and the east side brady street area, and it's all woods and paths. 

oh, there is also a chess board in the activity center, 

and a cool little swing at the bottom of the observation deck.

bridge to the path,

and a path through the woods.

on our way back to the car, the kids hit up a high school track behind the ecology center. they didn't get far.

then we visited a new brewery in the third ward, owned and operated by our super cool madison friends who moved to milwaukee a few years ago. check this place out--they're already on tap at miller park!

after an afternoon beer (or, as in my case, an afternoon flight of tastings), we had an early rooftop dinner at benelux,

where sam and ramona each ordered a pound of mussels, and then proceeded to eat most of them. i was shocked. and a little impressed.


then our last stop was south of the city at the boehner botanical gardens to see the cool china lights display. the kids took a butterfly ride in the garden while we waited in line to enter,


and then it was all lanterns,


and cutie pies,


and cool lights everywhere. (there were also people everywhere. so. many. people.)

 

we even snuck in a little kiss in the heart tunnel.

and then these turkeys lost it. too tired, too long a day, too late on a school night, too far a walk to the car--so they collapsed on the side of the road. it was late night.