Travels with Tish Girlfriends’ Getaway Guide

Midwest Airlines and PayPal have teamed up to help you get away to your favorite destination with an extra $50 in your pocket. It’s too good to pass up this summer. Midwest has no blackout dates, either. That’s $50 off per ticket on your reservation. So if 4 of you fly, you’ll save $200! Like I said — too good to pass up! You’ll need to purchase your tickets online and use the special promo code. Get that promo code here and get away for a few days with your friends.

It’s not out of the question — you can still fly for the July 4th holiday at great faresl Midwest Airlines is trying to keep flying affordable. Check out Midwest Airlines special offer for this weekend’s holiday. Fares are as low as $218 roundtrip.

Double Savings

Plus — and only on Midewest Airlines — you can save an additional $50 if you purchase tickets with PayPal!

Don’t pass this up! Book now and get your holiday trip going!

Independence Day Special - 20% Off at eBags.com from July 4th through July 6th

Do you need a reason to get away with your friends for a couple of days to Minneapolis?

1. The kids are back in school. Celebrate.
2. Hunting season starts soon. (You’ll probably have to keep the home fires burning over those many weekends!)
3. Christmas is coming. (Shop early; get the best deals now.)
4. You just need a break! (So take one!)

6 Gals Can Splurge on a Budget in Minneapolis
With 6, you qualify for a Midwest Airlines group airfare rate — and that rate has been lowered to $153 roundtrip from Milwaukee or Kansas City. I just checked random fall dates for hotels in Bloomington near Mall of America and downtown hotels. Nice hotels range from $89-$139/night — accommodating 4 per room. Put 3 in a room and that’s $30-$46/person. (So maybe you should ask 2 more gals to join you for your getaway! That would be just $25-$35 per person.)

No Rental Car Needed.
Minneapolis visitors are blessed with a new Light Rail system that is fast, clean, efficient and very economical. Take it from the airport terminal to the Mall of America and surrounding hotels or all the way downtown to Nicollet Mall and the Metrodome. Just $1.50.

What You Can Do in Minneapolis

• Shopping. Beside the Mall of America and downtown’s Nicollet Mall, you can cab it over to 50th & France in Edina for specialty shopping/dining with a French influence.
• Theatre at The Guthrie. Fall performances include Jane Eyre, The Pillowman, The Home Place, Pen. Plus the Royal Shakespeare Company will perform King Lear and Chekhov’s The Seagull.
• Art Exhibits. Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Weisman Art Museum (on U of Minn. campus), Rosalux Art Gallery. Admission is free to all except the Walker, which offers Thursday evenings and 1st Saturdays free.
• Sports. Minneapolis is a sports lovers delight, featuring pro teams for football, basketball, hockey, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, women’s basketball and women’s football. Go Team!

Pick a Date & Break Loose.
Pick a date this fall to just break loose for a day or two in Minneapolis.

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Really, Milwaukee rocks in the summertime. After all it’s Festival City every weekend from May to October. And the city’s crowning achievement in festivals is Summerfest. Now in its 40th year, Summerfest has grown and gotten better every year, bringing in top headliners and terrific side stage bands. This year’s Summerfest runs June 28-July 8. But if you can’t be in Milwaukee for Summerfest, consider the area’s other festivals, like Irish Fest, German Fest, Festa Italiana, African World Fest, Bastille Days … not to mention Wisconsin State Fair. Milwaukee knows how to party!

Yes! MAM.
While you’re in town, be sure to visit the Milwaukee Art Museum on the lakefront — just north of Meier Festival Grounds, where Summerfest and many other festivals are held. You’ll enjoy the unique architectural design, inside and out, designed by Santiago Calatrava. One of my favorite display is the art of Dale Chihuly in the lobby area. His glass work always amazes me. You can see it on display in this virtual tour. This summer, the MAM is featuring exhibits by Pissarro and Gottlieb. The regular collection includes pieces by Monet, Miro, Picasso, O’Keefe, Degas, Rodin and Warhol.

What Else is Hot in Milwaukee?
The Third Ward offers great dining including summertime street cafes, elegant boutiques, antique shops. It’s near to the Meier Festival Grounds and an easy walk from downtown hotels.

Brady Street, just north of downtown and near the lake, is the hot spot for fine dining and nightlife. I particularly enjoy Zaffiro’s Pizza, on Farwell, just north of Brady. It’s locally-owned, a small bar and small dining room. Nothing fancy. Good pizza for a great price! Mimma’s is an upscale Italian restaurant on Brady. Vucciria’s, next door to Mimma’s is also a good casual restaurant. Serves homemade gelato, too! If you’re in town on July 28, stop at the Brady Street Festival.

Milwaukee Theatre Is Not Stuffy.
Especially is you’re taking in one of John McGivern’s hilarious one-man shows at Vogel Hall in the Marcus Center. John is a home-grown entertainer (writer, actor, comedian) who came back home a few years ago and has been entertaining Milwaukee with great shows. Through July 1, you can see a Midsummer’s Night McGivern. John has appeared in numerous productions around the country and his resume includes a Disney movie. You can always count on John to keep his audience laughing.

Wednesday and Thursday Evening Music
Milwaukee loves music. That’s why its Thursday evening Jazz in the Park program is so popular. It’s free, right downtown in Cathedral Square. Folks get there early to picnic. Many bring wineglasses, beverages of choice and gourmet foods. On Wednesdays, between 6:30 and 9 pm, folks gather at Pere Marquette Park along the river (just west of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts) for River Rhythms. Also free and you’re invited to picnic as well.

NEXT: Easy Day Trips from Milwaukee

NOTE: How are you getting to Milwaukee? Don’t forget that Midwest Airlines is Milwaukee’s hometown airline and can bring you to Milwaukee in comfort from 51 cities coast to coast. Great service, baked-onboard chocolate chip cookies and competitive fares.

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If you have any inclination to take a fun shopping getaway before Christmas, NOW is the time to act! Midwest Airlines just released a short-term sale that will get you to great shopping cities at an unbelieveable fare. The news of the sale came through this morning in its weekly fare special e-mail.

Kansas City to New York is just $148! Washington, D.C. is $149 ! San Antonio, Atlanta, Boston — $158! These are ROUNDTRIP fares!

Milwaukee to New York is just $138. Washington, D.C. and Boston — $148. San Antonio is $159. Kansas City is $99. All Roundtrip!

Omaha to New York is $169 RT. Washington, D.C. is $149 roundtrip.

So many cities are included in this special sale and you should know that some of them do start at $99 roundtrip. That leaves  a whole lot more cash in your pocket for shopping and hotel!

Here’s the deal: You must travel between November 28 and December 12. Perfect dates for Christmas shopping! Buy your ticket before December 5 — today is best if you want to ensure you get seats at these terrific rates! (You know that airline seats at the very best fares are always limited.) And you have to stay over a Friday or Saturday night. No problem — there’s lots to do in New York,  D.C., San Antonio, Kansas City and Milwaukee!

Click here for the details on these fares. Use promo code GGG if you do book tickets (so Midwest will know you heard about the deal here). Then call your girlfriends, pull out your weekender bag and get your shopping list ready. What a fun and spontaneous way to get your holiday shopping done!

Check my postings on New York, Washington (Georgetown), Kansas City , San Antonio and Milwaukee for some getaway recommendations. Then check  the special offers and discounts (on the right sidebar) available for you in some of these cities. And, by the way, please do report back on your getaway experience! We’d love to hear what you liked best!

Sure, you’ll find beer and brats in downtown Milwaukee — but just the very best in quality and flavor. But you’ll also find unique designer clothing, exquisite table settings and crystal, and other most unusual and creative gifts.

For brats (and other hometown sausages), visit Usinger’s Famous Sausage store on Old World Third Street. You might be able to wrap up most of your gift-giving right there and Usinger’s will even ship it to your family and friends for you.

If someone in your life enjoys good beer and brewery memorabilia, like Miller High Life’s Girl in the Moon, visit Miller Brewery’s Girl in the Moon Gift Shop at 42nd and State Street. (I’d recommend a cab to the brewery.) Perhaps you’d be interested in a brewery tour there as well? Or visit the Sprecher Brewery on Glendale Avenue, the city’s original microbrewery. Selections include beers, soda and their famous root beer.

Okay, if not food, then perhaps fine china, crystal or other fine tabletop items would be on your gift list for someone. Visit George Watts & Son, a specialty gift store on North Jefferson Street. By the way, do stop in to the Watts Tea Shop there for a delightful breakfast, lunch or even English afternoon tea.

Are you looking for Hummels, real German beer steins, Lladro pieces or other unique collectibles? You’ll find them above Mader’s Restaurant on Old World Third Street in Mader’s Tower Gallery. It is reported to be the largest Hummel selection in the country. And I absolutely recommend lunch or dinner while you’re at Mader’s. It’s famous for roast pork shank and weiner schnitzel. I particularly enjoy Mader’s Rouladen. If you’re in town over a weekend, consider their sumptuous Viennese Brunch – a buffet that could not possibly be matched anywhere else. Check out the menu and you’ll see why. My favorites include just about everything on the dessert table — like homemade apple strudel, Black Forest Cake and wonderful German pastries. My family has traditionally enjoyed the brunch during the holiday season before going to a holiday matinee performance at the Pabst or Marcus Center.

Want to get a terrific buy on designer clothing? Milwaukee’s own Canvasbacks company store is located just south of the downtown area a block north of the Rockwell Clock Tower. Local designers and manufacturers of unique women’s clothing, Canvasbacks’ garments are sold at very elite shops around the country. Don’t miss this store on your Milwaukee visit.

DEAL: I’ve invited Mader’s to offer a special savings to blog readers. Print the coupon and present at Mader’s to recevie $5 off dinner or $3 off lunch.

Best Care Cuisine: Midwest Airlines’ buy-onboard dining menu is designed and prepared under the direction of Mader’s executive Chef, Shawn Monroe. His passion for Southwestern, South American, French and Caribbean cuisine is felt in the unique fusion of flavors, texture and presentation of Midwest’s onboard meals. Monroe insists that his chefs use only fresh ingredients and prepare everything — including sauces — from scratch. I personally look foward to dining onboard whenever I fly. After all, it’s quick, inexpensive and, most of all, really delicious. Who can ask for more from onboard dining. (I’ve found these meals to be the furthest thing from what people used to refer to as airline food! And that’s a good thing.)

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