We had originally planned to go to Summerfest only one weekend since we found out that most of the hotels were completely booked and the ones that weren't were very expensive. I was talking with my friend Jeri last week, though, and decided then that it would be a good idea to just go both weekends so that her and Greg could join us for one of them! I was able to book our go-to hotel at the last minute and we were off!
Friday night (July 1st) we arrived at Summerfest just in time for the three major headliners at 10:00 PM. We caught parts of each show, since I was interested in seeing all of the bands playing at the same time. We started with Anberlin at the US Cellular Stage, then moved on to Red Jumpsuit Apparatus at the Rock Stage, and finally ended up at the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard stage to see Third Eye Blind. By that point, we were really enjoying ourselves and it was the perfect time to hear some old-school songs to which we could sing along word for word. Who doesn't want to hear Jumper and Semi-Charmed Life live after driving almost 3 hours, and walking over a mile? I think that alone made the trip worth the effort.
Anberlin
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Third Eye Blind
After Summerfest was over for the evening, we took another long walk downtown to go to Mo's Irish Pub (one of our favorite Milwaukee watering holes). Since Jeri & Greg had never been to Milwaukee before, we had to show them a good time in one of our favorite cities! We had some delicious Guinness at Mo's and some cheesy late-night food. We ended up hitting the pillow around 2:30 AM after a successful, fun-filled night.
Saturday (July 2nd), we headed to Jimmy John's for lunch and then to a brewery tour at Lakefront Brewery. Chad & I had been on the tour 3 times before, but it's so much fun that we had to show Jeri & Greg what the hype was all about. If you ever go to Milwaukee, this is one attraction you don't want to miss. Even if you aren't a beer lover, I guarantee you will be thoroughly entertained on a Lakefront tour. The great thing about this tour is that you get your samples beforehand and can get refills along the way. Also, the tour guides are absolutely hilarious...every time. After the tour, we enjoyed the rest of our samples outside on the riverfront patio. This is one of my favorite spots in Milwaukee on a warm, sunny summer afternoon.
Jeri & I with the big beer mug at Lakefront Brewery
Beautiful day on the riverfront patio
After visiting Lakefront, we headed down to Lake Michigan to continue enjoying the beautiful weather (which, by the way, we were lucky enough to have both weekends). Chad & Greg had pull-up contest (haha) on the workout equipment that they have along the lake, we took some pictures, and then headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.
Hilltop on Lake Michigan
Greg & Chad's pull-up contest on the lake
We had a delicious supper at the Milwaukee Ale House (another place we had to take Jeri & Greg during their first visit to Milwaukee). I had the most delicious beer pretzels with cheese I have ever had in my life! That Wisconsin cheese was absolutely amazing, and I think everyone else at the table agreed. The Ale House also brews its own beer, which is another reason why we love it so much. After supper, we walked to Summerfest for the second night of music.
Most delicious pretzels & cheese...ever
Saturday night we got to see Fitz & The Tantrums, The Airborne Toxic Event, and a little bit of Hinder. They were all good bands, but none of them blew me out of the water. I think my favorite shows of the weekend were the bits of Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Third Eye Blind that we saw on Friday night.
Can you see us in there?
Finally, after a fun-filled couple of days, we topped off the weekend by having some drinks at Fanatics (a huge sports bar near Summerfest) and Fire on Water (a cool music-themed bar on Water street).
Stay tuned for my next post...Summerfest: Weekend 2!
