Outgoing Journey to Milwaukee, WI - August 10-17, 2024

Ambassador Coordinator - Art Vingiello            Host Coordinator - Cindy Hum
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Airport Welcome Sign

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Baton Rouge Ambassador Coordinator Art Vingiello, Milwaukee President Chris Vogel, Baton Rouge President JiJi Jonas, and Milwaukee Host Coordinator Cindy Hum

On Saturday, August 10, 2024, nine ambassadors from the Baton Rouge club of Friendship Force International started our journey to the Friendship Force of Greater Milwaukee club (FFGM). The ambassadors were: Larry and JiJi Jonas, Mike Wyble and Trudy Ivy, Sherry and Tony Dodson, Morris Welch, Karen and Art Vingiello. Our hosts picked each of us up at the Milwaukee International Airport and took us to their homes.  Our first night’s activity was a welcome dinner at the family home of Gayle Best of FFGM where we met the various hosts and a few other club members. The FFGM Host Coordinator, Cindy Hum, fixed delicious Asian pulled pork as our main course.

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The next morning a few of us took in an optional viewing of the Morning Glory Art Fair, a well-respected, juried art show held in the Fiserv Forum Deer District in downtown Milwaukee on Sunday. Over 130 outstanding artists from around the country participated in ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, painting, mixed media, photography, wood and more. We all then met for the Edelweiss Cruise, a narrated boat tour down the Milwaukee River to the inner harbor of Lake Michigan where we learned a great deal about Milwaukee’s history. We were treated to scenic views of Milwaukee architecture, light houses, sail boats and commercial vessels. After the boat cruise, Ann Line of FFGM led us on a walking tour of Old World Third Street and the Riverwalk. The afternoon concluded with a sampling of frozen custard treats at the 3rd Street Market.

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Small dinner parties were held that evening by various FFGM members showing off their culinary and bartending skills for the Baton Rouge ambassadors and our hosts.  For example, one dinner host, Rick Piraino, a new member of FFGM, prepared one of his family’s Mid-West favorites, “Calico Bean Casserole”, after a cocktail hour featuring “The Last Word.”

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On Monday, our hosts took us to the Mitchell Park Domes Horticulture Conservatory where we strolled at our own pace through the three geodesic domes: tropical, desert, and floral show. The Conservatory is referred to as a living museum filled with plants from across the globe---most appropriate for Friendship Force! We had a picnic lunch there, and several of us took a walk on a short stretch of the Menomonee River Valley trail.

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In a nod to Milwaukee’s famous history as a brewery town, we then toured the Pabst Mansion built by Captain Frederick and Maria Pabst in 1892. It is one of the best examples of the opulent architecture of the Gilded Age. That evening, although not on the list of suggested activities which FFGM sent during pre-journey discussions, a trip to a Milwaukee Brewers game was a request we made. Our hosts not only came up with affordable tickets but figured out how to get to and from the nearly sold-out game against the Dodgers. We had dinner at McGinn’s Sports Bar which provided complimentary shuttle service to and from the game. 

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Tuesday was a jam-packed day of activity starting with a walking tour of the picturesque village of Greendale, WI, one of three government sponsored "Greenbelt" communities constructed by the Resettlement Administration, starting in 1936, as part of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. The other Greenbelt communities were Greenbelt, Maryland and Greenhills, Ohio. The original downtown area included the village hall, built in a Colonial Williamsburg style, 366 new homes comprising 572 living units, and several businesses. These homes were often referred to as "Greendale Originals.” The Greenbelt communities were patterned after the British garden city movement urban planning concept, built so residents could walk to schools, shops, and parks. Greendale was intended to be a model village for the working class. Income limits were from $1200 to $2700 per year, depending upon family size. In 1938, a one-bedroom Original rented for $19 a month. Rent for a four-bedroom home was $46 a month. Over 200 of the "Originals" have unique artistic designs on their chimneys, reflecting the passions or whims of the owners, including butterflies, firefighting, pets, filmmaking and the Brewers. Federal ownership of Greendale ended in 1953.

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We lunched at the Sugar and Flour Bakery in Greendale with some of us enjoying the gorgeous weather by picnicking. Lunch was followed by a tour of the Will Radler Rosarium in Greenfield led by Mr. Radler himself who developed the world famous Knock Out® family of roses.  These roses are specifically bred to have long-lasting repeating blooms, to be self-cleaning flowers, to have superior disease resistance and to have above average winter hardiness. Mr. Radler has 50 plant patents and is showing no signs of slowing down.

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From Greenfield, we traveled to New Berlin to participate in FFGM’s annual picnic of brats and burgers. A highlight was a session of 6-8 “Minute to Win It” games involving such tasks as blindfolded feeding applesauce to one’s partner, speed-sorting candy, moving a cookie from your forehead to your mouth without use of hands (“Cookie Face”), and the like. When the games were over, the BR ambassadors demonstrated a New Orleans Second Line with Mardi Gras music, masking and bead tossing. Over 80 members of FFGM participated in the picnic which served as our farewell party although it was just in the middle of our journey.

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Wednesday was another full day of adventure and learning starting at the Cedarburg History Museum which was holding a special exhibition: “Wisconsin in the Civil War.” A collaboration between local collectors and the museum, the exhibit showcased artifacts from private collections never before on public display including firearms, swords, currency, uniforms and more. After strolling through Historic Cedarburg’s quaint shops and art galleries, we had lunch at Dorsey’s Café. Some of us sampled wines at the Cedar Creek Winery nestled in a restored 1864 woolen mill.

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More walking ensued, this time at the Lynden Sculpture Garden located in River Hills, WI. It gives a unique experience of art in nature through its collection of more than 50 monumental sculptures sited across 40 acres of park, lake and woodland. We were quite fortunate to have another day of picture-perfect weather. The mid-August high temperatures rarely exceeded 80 degrees during our Wisconsin week, pleasantly reminding us that we weren’t in Louisiana.

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The afternoon concluded with a tour and tasting at Sprecher’s Brewery, a relative newcomer to the Milwaukee brewery scene. Randy Sprecher started the brewery in 1984 making craft beers but soon branched out to sodas and most notably root beer. The brewery claims that fire-brewing plus raw honey makes Sprecher Root Beer the best-tasting root beer in the United States. The regular beers were pretty good, too!

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Our FFGM hosts gave us a free day on Thursday with several suggested sites and activities from which to choose. Morris Welch reported that rain killed his plan to go to Old Milwaukee, so he and his host went to Madison, toured the state capital and drove around the Univ. of Wisconsin campus.  For dinner, they went to a hunting lodge-like restaurant called “Fox and Hounds” out in the woods amid winding roads.  Morris saw three sandhill cranes and five deer on the trip.

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Sherry and Tony Dodson also dodged the rain by going to the Harley-Davidson Museum. They spent an enjoyable three hours browsing through two floors of Harleys. They liked seeing the progression of the motorcycle from about 1903 until the present. Fun fact - at one time Harley made golf carts! Harley got its reputation and momentum by entering and winning many motorcycle races. Most law enforcement departments use Harley-Davidsons in their motorcycle fleet.

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The Jonases used their free day to indulge in their hobby of geocaching and found a couple of caches. They then went shopping at Costco and LL Bean before lunching with their host, her sister and husband

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Our final day started with a visit to the Milwaukee Art Museum, an architectural landmark comprised of three buildings designed by three legendary architects. Artistic works from antiquity to the present rotate on the Museum’s four floors of over forty galleries. Nancy Rubly of FFGM is a docent at the Museum and led us on an instructive and insightful tour. We then ended our last day in Milwaukee at the city’s Irish Festival, said to be the world’s largest Irish music festival with over 100 music acts spread across 16 stages. A wide variety of food was available and, in keeping with Wisconsin’s reputation, there was no shortage of drinks to quaff.

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Thanks go to all FFGM members who hosted or otherwise assisted in our terrific journey, making new friends at each stop. FFGM is a large and vibrant club from which we hope to learn. Special thanks must go to the Host Coordinator Cindy Hum and FFGM President Chris Vogel, who spearheaded the fun, interesting and varied programs and made certain that a good time was had by all.
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Written by Art Vingiello, Journey Coordinator