This riverside city is the Midwest’s most underrated getaway

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Locals have long claimed that “Midwest is the best,” but the truth is that when it’s time to book a vacation, many of us opt for swaying palms and a vibrant coastline.

While there’s obviously nothing wrong with taking a beach vacation, there is something missed when you look out over the Midwest like Snoozeville, USA.

Many may think Chicago is the exception to the rule, but guess what: those rules are made up.

The Midwest is teeming with great cities to visit – it’s not all deserted cornfields and plains with nothing to do.

Of course, there are places that aren’t often considered vacation destinations, but this underrated city on the beautiful shoreline of Lake Michigan and bisected by the Menomonee River isn’t one of them.

A fun destination with historic flair and beer galore, Wisconsin’s most populous destination still offers plenty of room for tourists to discover unexpected delights in the shadow of Chicago.

Milwaukee: much more than a sports city

Milwaukee is just an hour and a half from Chicago by train. Despite being rivals in the sports world, players often joke that if they are traded, they would prefer to switch teams to avoid a terrible move.

While it may not have more loyal fans than nearby Green Bay, Milwaukee isn’t far behind – but honestly, Milwaukeeans will find any excuse to crack open a beer at a good time.

This city is truly underrated across the board, whether it’s for its legendary aesthetics, water views, European flair or of course its beer scene.

After all, their MLB team is called the Brewers…

But there’s a lot more to do in this city than attend a game, as tempting as it is to witness the ‘Greek Freak’ in person.

As I mentioned before, the Menomonee River splits Milwaukee’s towering skyline, but there are plenty of ways to enjoy the much more beautiful waters of Lake Michigan (particularly Milwaukee Bay).

Featuring lush parks with stunning views of the bay and the Historic Third District that exudes European-esque charm with rows of buildings dating back to the 19th century, there’s no shortage of ways to experience Milwaukee’s charm.

But the most common way? Beer.

America’s best beer city

Every city has a claim to fame. Milwaukee’s is undoubtedly beer.

Ironically, Milwaukee’s best isn’t really Milwaukee’s best. There are far better options than that cheap, watered-down brew they dare to call “beer.”

While still on the cheaper side, Miller, Pabst, and Schlitz are much more respectable names that won’t make you laugh out of a dive bar. These all come from right here in Milwaukee as well.

You’ll find historic breweries and classic beer halls alongside bustling craft taprooms, microbreweries and experimental brewers pushing experimental boundaries, which couldn’t be worse than a Snickerdoodle-flavored beer I once shamefully drank…

Just as places like Kentucky cling to bourbon as their identity, so too does Milwaukee with beer, as this city was largely built on the backs of German immigrants.

Need I say more? 🍻

Milwaukee is also called “The Original Brew City” and even has an official Miller High Life Trail to bar hop the best of the best for beer lovers.

Milwaukee won’t break your budget

Hey, we get it. These are tough times. That’s why we at Travel Off Path try to find the best budget-friendly destinations.

Milwaukee certainly fits that bill an affordable escape.

Whether it’s behind-the-scenes tours of breweries for under $20 as you tour the Milwaukee Art Museum (free for children), Haggerty Museum of Art (free for everyone), or score great deals on waterfront hotels, such as Knickerbocker on the lake under $100 the options are seemingly endless to get the best bang for your travel buck.

Best of all, because hordes of tourists visit Chicago’s waterfront, you won’t have to fight for space as Brew City flies under the radar – and the beaches are both highly underrated and just as beautiful as Chicago’s waterfront.

Although Milwaukee is close enough to share Chicago’s frigid winters, spring and summer are wonderful times to visit.

Find a brewery patio, enjoy the view from a lakeside park, and see where both the Riverwalk and shoreline take you.

Sam Sears

Sam, our lead writer and San Diego-based journalist, has visited 36 countries and written more than 1,000 articles with an emphasis on sharing his own travel experiences and highlighting lesser-known gems.