Vacation for a Day

I don't recall the last day that Steve and I didn't talk about wanting to go on vacation. Steve's work, family gatherings, and the like, have kept us at home lately...until yesterday. On Saturday night, I decided we needed to get away from home, even if just for a day. We were running late for mass on Sunday morning, so we drove right past the church and headed to Appleton for a later mass. Then, with no particular plan, we left Appleton and traveled south toward Milwaukee.

The beautiful Holy Hill. 

On our way to the city, we took a detour to Holy Hill, to see it in Winter. Our planning wasn't great, making this our second visit when the scenic tower was closed (in the fall, it was the wrong time of day; yesterday it was closed for the season). We still enjoyed the beautiful views and the chance for V and C to run around a bit, in the middle of the long drive.

We spotted a bird of prey soaring over the basilica. 

We were there during mass, so the space outside the main church was empty and quiet. The girls took full advantage of the space to run and investigate, while Steve and I looked around.

My tiny girls look even tinier, when standing by the church.

Our time in Milwaukee began with lunch at BelAir Cantina for tasty, vegan Mexican food, delightful service, and eavesdropping on a first date between an ultra-douchey guy and a girl who was clearly just trying to get through the meal. 

C and V whole-heartedly endorse BelAir's guacamole, which they ate with by the spoonful. They also had their fair of the selection of tasty salsas. I'm not sure why I'm so squinty in these pictures.

After lunch, it was on to the Milwaukee Art Museum. If you live in Wisconsin, and haven't been, you are missing out. The art collections are varied and impressive, but even if you don't care about art, it's worth going, just to see the stunning building. 

A gorgeous building overlooking Lake Michigan. What could be bad? 

Left: C and V get their first taste of Donald Judd. 

Upper Right: That sculpture is made entirely of buttons and glue. This picture does not do it justice. 

Bottom Right: Steve and V peeking through another Judd sculpture. 

Upper Left: Clarissa loved this Carl Andre piece, but then, who doesn't like walking on art?

Upper Right: C's favorite piece was this porcupine, but in the picture she's distracted by a spooky, talking puppet show sculpture. 

Bottom: Just a girl, and her papa, enjoying minimalist art. 

Veronica was a fan of this lynx. 

We left the museum as it was closing, then took a very short, bitterly cold walk along Lake Michigan.

What did you do over the weekend? Anything fun and exciting? Productive? Boring?

If you were hoping to find a Meatless Monday recipe today, I will have something for you, but not until supper time. If you are looking for ideas or recipes to reference, take a look at my recipes page.