I have long had a little crush on our neighbor city, Milwaukee. We love road-tripping over there for a night of comedy, to watch the Brewers take on the Twins (native Minnesotans 4Ever) or to catch a show at the Oriental Theater. We’ve also enjoyed summer days on the city’s many bike paths and some of them even have beer gardens along them (this is Wisconsin, after all). Milwaukee is 90 minutes from Madison, 90 minutes from Chicago, just under 5 hours from Minneapolis, and just under 6 hours from Detroit. If you’re a midwesterner who hasn’t spent time in the MKE, I suggest you get it on your bucketlist!

Recently the kind folks at Visit Milwaukee invited me over for 3-days of experiencing Milwaukee in a girls weekend sort-of-way with some fellow bloggers. We had such a blast and experienced a wide variety of shopping areas, bars, restaurants and entertainment. Milwaukee would be a great place to plan your next girls weekend, so here are my suggestions for when you #VisitMKE!  There’s also a contest for the ultimate Milwaukee Getaway, so be sure to get entered! Here are the spots I would add to your Girls Weekend Itinerary:

Day 1

Start your day with shopping at Mayfair Mall – A lot of people roadtrip to Minneapolis or Chicago for access to the big malls, but Mayfair Mall in Milwaukee can give them a run for their money, honey. With over 150 stores it covers all of my favorites and a few rarities including Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Nordstom and Sephora. Check out their store directory here. You’ll also wanna swing past The Mayfair Collection, a second location that includes Saks 5th Avenue off Fifth, Nordstrom Rack, DSW, the newly opened J.Crew Mercantile and more.

Get a change of pace mid-morning with Antiquing – When I saw antiquing on our itinerary I was kind of like “ho-hum”, but this was actually my favorite part of the trip. I felt like I was on American Pickers. All of us found so many gems! I found two adorable vintage skirts and some vintage glasswear at Antique Center Walkers Point and purchased some vintage textiles during our visit to Antiques on Pierce. They are both huge and do a great job of curating interesting collections. These are the kind of places that you discover beautiful retro chairs, vintage typewriters, and antique dishes that you’ll proudly display in your home. You’ll have a blast!

Grab lunch and wrap up your shopping in Milwaukee’s Third Ward – Grab a table at Benelux Cafe and enjoy a light snack before hitting up shops like Anthropologie, Broadway Paper, Kit and Ace and so much more.

Wrap the day up with appointments for you + the girls at Neroli Spa – What feels better at the end of a long day of shopping than a mani + pedi and blowout? Neroli Spa is walking distance from the shops of the Third Ward and Cafe Benelux, so swing by for a few services to get you ready for a fun night on the town! You can view their spa packages here.

Grab dinner at The Rumpus Room – This place has the perfect ambiance for a relaxing dinner with your best gals and a big glass of chardonnay. Let me just say that if you go here and don’t order the bacon, you are doing it wrong (bacon. brown sugar. black pepper. so good.)

Make some memories with the girls at The Ruby Tap – This place has an entire wall of wine that is on tap. I know…what kind of magic is this? The photo above is proof that it exists!  Basically you get ID’d and receive a little card, then you just swipe and fill your glass. And then refill it. And refill it. And try as many types of wine as you want while you sit around the fireplace and chat. Maybe enjoy a cheeseboard. Or a chocolate board. Or both.

Day 2 

Wake up and enjoy Wauwatosa – This little town is a suburb of Milwaukee. Nurse your wine hangover with a bloody mary and breakfast at Blue’s Egg. Then spend some time in the cute shops and boutiques in The Village. This business district offers over 100 stores, restaurants and businesses in a quaint little setting. Stop by La Reve Patisserie & Cafe for afternoon coffee and macaroons.

Ready to start planning your trip? Check out these special hotel deals! Go to the Visit Milwaukee on Facebook Page to enter for a chance to win a 3-day shopping trip to Milwaukee that includes:

• Two (2) Night Stay at the Radisson Milwaukee West
• One (1) $100 Gift Card to any Bartolotta’s Restaurant
• One (1) $300 Gift Card to Shop Etc.
• Three (3) $25 Gift Cards to Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th
• One (1) Mayfair Mall Gift Bag ($20 Value)
• One (1) $15 Gift Card to Milwaukee Home
• Two (2) $25 Gift Cards to Antiques on Pierce (Formerly Antiques on Second)
• One (1) Certificate for two Indulgence Chocolatiers Wine and Chocolate Flight ($50 Value)

Thank you to Visit Milwaukee for having me as a guest in their city! The trip and my travels were sponsored by Visit Milwaukee but opinions and recommendations are my own. I’m very thankful to them for the fun experience!