For the expert biker looking for a fast ride or the novice interested in a scenic route, here are the best biking excursions between Chicago and Milwaukee.Covering a diverse selection of biking trails from tranquil paths to quiet streets, bikers can choose trails suited to their needs. Bike trails covered include the lake front bike path in Chicago, the oak leaf bike path in Milwaukee, paths in Evanston and Northwestern University, the bike route on the lake front of Kenosha, and many more. Few cyclists realize that they can pedal on their local bike paths and find their way to Chicago and Milwaukee with relative ease. Now cyclists can learn to avoid traffic and pass the most interesting places but continue to progress directly to their destination.
Milwaukee loves the Oak Leaf Trail, a 125-mile escape to nature connecting the major Milwaukee County parks. But many have not heard the history behind the trail. Believing parks to be the "lungs of the people," long-range thinkers like Charles Whitnall advocated for the verdant spaces the trail would later snake through. To promote biking as an alternative to precious gasoline during wartime, Harold "Zip" Morgan designed a route that 1960s riders built on. Years later, bicycling enthusiasts worked overtime with local leadership to get a 76-mile route ready for the country's bicentennial, creating the beloved 76 Bike Trail. The Oak Leaf story continues today as local volunteers and politicians advocate for extensions, repairs and other improvements. Join local author Jill Rothenbueler Maher as she uncovers the previously untold stories of a Milwaukee County treasure.
This series of two-color guides includes comprehensive state-by-state guides to walking, jogging, bicycling, and cross-country skiing along rail-trail systems. Written by locals with expert knowledge of their states, these easy-to-use books provide mile-by-mile descriptions of the most popular rural and urban rail trails. They include: Full trail profiles, including length, access points, difficulty rating, and surface type Detailed trail maps At-a-glance icons for easy identification of rail trails that best suit one’s interests Information on wheelchair accessibility; availability of parking, rest rooms, and places to eat along the trail; location of ranger stations, visitor’s centers and depot museums; and where to rent bikes
On rails-to-trails bike paths, city streets, and winding country roads, the bicycle seems ubiquitous in the Badger State. Yet there’s a complex and fascinating history behind the popularity of biking in Wisconsin—one that until now has never been told. Meticulously researched through periodicals and newspapers, Wheel Fever traces the story of Wisconsin’s first “bicycling boom,” from the velocipede craze of 1869 through the “wheel fever” of the 1890s. It was during this crucial period that the sport Wisconsinites know and adore first took shape. From the start it has been defined by a rich and often impassioned debate over who should be allowed to ride, where they could ride, and even what they could wear. Many early riders embraced the bicycle as a solution to the age-old problem of how to get from here to there in the quickest and easiest way possible. Yet for every supporter of the “poor man’s horse,” there were others who wanted to keep the rights and privileges of riding to an elite set. Women, the working class, and people of color were often left behind as middle- and upper-class white men benefitted from the “masculine” sport and all-male clubs and racing events began to shape the scene. Even as bikes became more affordable and accessible, a culture defined by inequality helped create bicycling in its own image, and these limitations continue to haunt the sport today. Wheel Fever is about the origins of bicycling in Wisconsin and why those origins still matter, but it is also about our continuing fascination with all things bicycle. From “boneshakers” to high-wheels, standard models to racing bikes, tandems to tricycles, the book is lushly illustrated with never-before-seen images of early cycling, and the people who rode them: bloomer girls, bicycle jockeys, young urbanites, and unionized workers. Laying the foundations for a much-beloved recreation, Wheel Fever challenges us to imagine anew the democratic possibilities that animated cycling’s early debates.
People flocked to the parks during the COVID-19 shutdown from March through May, 2020. With text drawn from a week-by-week record of activities, this photographic survey of parks from throughout Southeast Wisconsin documents the phenomenon, while showcasing the breadth and diversity of local parks.
Two journal tales of travel: one taking you by foot on the whole Appalachian Trail plus The Long Trail in Vermont; then a venture of pedaling across mid America coast to coast on a two wheeler.
Illustrated bicycle trails throughout each state, in color and easy to reference and use. Includes directions to trail sites and accesses; with trail distances, general setting and conditions. State and sectional overviews, riding tips, locations and distances to nearby communities.
From City Hall to the Pabst Theater, reminders of the past are part of the fabric of Milwaukee. Yet many historic treasures have been lost to time. An overgrown stretch of the Milwaukee River was once a famous beer garden. Blocks of homes and apartments replaced the Wonderland Amusement Park. A quiet bike path now stretches where some of fastest trains in the world previously thundered. Today's Estabrook Park was a vast mining operation, and Marquette University covers the old fairgrounds where Abraham Lincoln spoke. Author Carl Swanson recounts these stories and other tales of bygone days.
In thirty-six thrilling days, Melanie Radzicki McManus hiked 1,100 miles around Wisconsin, landing her in the elite group of Ice Age Trail thru-hikers known as the Thousand-Milers. In prose that’s alternately harrowing and humorous, Thousand-Miler takes you with her through Wisconsin’s forests, prairies, wetlands, and farms, past the geologic wonders carved by long-ago glaciers, and into the neighborhood bars and gathering places of far-flung small towns. Follow along as she worries about wildlife encounters, wonders if her injured feet will ever recover, and searches for an elusive fellow hiker known as Papa Bear. Woven throughout her account are details of the history of the still-developing Ice Age Trail—one of just eleven National Scenic Trails—and helpful insight and strategies for undertaking a successful thru-hike. In addition to chronicling McManus’s hike, Thousand-Miler also includes the little-told story of the Ice Age Trail’s first-ever thru-hiker Jim Staudacher, an account of the record-breaking thru-run of ultrarunner Jason Dorgan, the experiences of a young combat veteran who embarked on her thru-hike as a way to ease back into civilian life, and other fascinating tales from the trail. Their collective experiences shed light on the motivations of thru-hikers and the different ways hikers accomplish this impressive feat, providing an entertaining and informative read for outdoors enthusiasts of all levels.
Best Easy Day Hikes Grand Rapids, Michigan includes concise descriptions and detailed maps for twenty easy-to-follow trails that trek along the dunes of Michigan, follow charming creeks, and disappear into dense pine forests.Look inside for:Casual hikes to full-day adventuresAfter-dinner strolls to full-day hikesHikes for everyone, including families Mile-by-mile directions and clear trail mapsTrail Finder for best hikes for dogs, children, lake lovers, and great views.GPS coordinates
