Cold, snow, cheese, brats, Harley’s. These are a few things that come to mind when the average non-Wisconsinite thinks of Milwaukee. Here are a few other terms that I think about when I think of Milwaukee: Festive, tailgate, relaxing, and delicious.
Last night, I went to SummerFest, an 11 day music festival which includes 11 stages with over 700 bands. The most notable bands in attendance were 311, Maroon 5, Wiz Khalif, Owl City, and Ben Harper. All these bands and singers performed on eleven general admission, street stages, which cost $15 per ticket. Artists such as Kanye West, Britney Spears, Toby Keith, and Katy Perry performed in the Marcus Amphitheater which costs a minimum of $50 (lawn tickets) and goes as high as $170 for reserved seating.
Fortunately, my favorite band, Of A Revolution (O.A.R.) whom I saw play, always performs on a street stage at SummerFest. The best part about last night was the OAR group members meet and greet/autograph session prior to their show. Having already met Richard On, the guitarists, at a bar in Arlington, VA, I was excited to meet the lead vocalist, Marc Roberge.
The crowd was treated to an exciting two-hour performance, including saxophonist Jerry DePizzo, while O.A.R. rocked the Miller Lite Oasis Stage. O.A.R. played a few songs songs from their up coming (Aug. 2) album “King” including their new single “Heaven.” My favorite song they played was “Hey Girl” which was the last song of the night.
When you aren’t at SummerFest, “sipping beers and making faces at the senoritas” you can be tailgating outside Miller Park before and after a Brewers game! When driving down I-94 with the windows open, seeing the parking-lots at capacity, you can smell the brats and charcoal burning. Miller Park is a spectacular place to see a ball game (rain or shine) since it has a retractable roof. If you are a baseball fan, you have to come to Milwaukee to witness the Sausage Race.
Finally, my favorite place to hangout in Milwaukee during the summer is Bradford Beach! Yes, there’s a beach in Wisconsin and there aren’t any worries like jellyfish or sharks–I’m talking about Lake Michigan. If you are the athletic type, you can either go on a jog, or play beach volleyball/soccer in the designated areas. For the less adventurist individuals, you can just relax and catch some sun and people watch. My activity of choice was people watching! 
After spending the day at Bradford Beach, you can conclude your evening at my favorite restaurant Lake Park Bistro which is located just north of Bradford Beach on top of the hill, over-looking Lake Michigan. Lake Park is part of the Bartolotta family, but it isn’t a chain. It is a romantic French restaurant that has delicious food and great service. I either order the steak frites or the entrecote aux Champignons (Steak Ribeye with grilled mushrooms). A typical meal (for two) costs between $60-115 depending on what you order. But my motto is “You only live once” and each dollar spent at Lake Park is well worth it!
Christophe Remington 