Being an avid reader, I have always had a voracious appetite for travel and whenever I had the wanderlust, I would take off even if it would be for a few days only. A few years ago, I remember I would always pen down tit bits from my sojourns, whether abroad or in my own country and these observations have always stood me in good stead in life. Now in today’s fast track times, when one has no time to record in black and white, excerpts from one’s travels, my little entries help me jolt my memory and retrieve that extra detail which would inevitably slip my mind at times.

Hence, today I am sharing with my readers, little anecdotes and episodes about my visit to Milwaukee seven years ago. This was a trip which included a brief stay with an Indian family very close to my heart. With my four year old in tow, we set forth to enjoy our precious week in this sweet little city in the state of Wisconsin in the USA.

The scenic beauty and charm of Milwaukee, right on Lake Michigan’s western shore, has remained etched in my mind. French-Canadian explorer Solomon Juneau having had his own town combined with two neighboring towns to bring into existence the city of Milwaukee has its own historical significance, but what makes this city attractive to tourists is its warmth and throbbing friendliness. Simple American people with their casual openness and genuine nature to whom our friends introduced us made our visit all the more memorable.

The city’s proximity to Chicago, with its own attractive features of an art gallery, which boasts of a variety of mesmerizing paintings by the masters of the art world, made our trip a very pleasant experience.

The generosity and exuberance of our guests with their old world charm was apparent in one event which we had the good fortune to participate in during this trip. This was the Fourth of July celebrations. The enthusiasm and brimming energy with which everyone set forth to organize this meaningful event was infectious. My daughter, dressed in the traditional colors, red, white and blue was bursting with excitement. Her bike ride in the colorful parade with her friend and their grinning faces remains as vivid as that day in my mind. Added joy was the fact that we Moms had draped colorful feathers around our necks to give our children company. This precious memory still has the power to uplift and enhance my mood whenever I browse through old albums.

The boat rides on Lake Michigan, coupled with collecting attractive souvenirs, which still adorn various corners in our home, long lazy days on the Milwaukee Riverwalk with the innocent merriment of the kids ringing in my ears even now, visiting the Harley Davidson showroom with its awesome apparel and accessories and the absolutely divine art gallery in Chicago with its collection of Impressionist art, contemporary, modern art and of course, the paintings by the masters such as Picasso, Matisse, Rembrandt, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michael Angelo, to name a few, are precious memories. Other points of interest were the Navy Pier, John Hancock Center, the Willis Tower and the Wrigley Field.

The easy camaraderie and warmth of our friends lent a personal touch to our trip to America. Together we visited Las Vegas, New York and Washington. But, I must not digress here and will save the highlights of these interesting cities for another day.

The exciting times we spent in Milwaukee coupled with our train ride to the city of Chicago comes back to me with vivid clarity whenever I read my little black diary. In spite of this age of technology, I still love to read my scribbles in the diary I still treasure. In retrospect, I reflect with amusement, my habit of surreptitiously fishing it out of my pocket and hurriedly jotting down instances. But thank God for these old notes which bring me much happiness and relaxation in my busy life as a fulltime mum and job as a freelancer and revive old memories.

I sincerely hope my readers enjoyed this simple narrative of a memorable family trip and I look forward to sharing many more such travel tales.

Being an avid reader, I have always had a voracious appetite for travel and whenever I had the wanderlust, I would take off even if it would be for a few days only. A few years ago, I remember I would always pen down tit bits from my sojourns, whether abroad or in my own country and these observations have always sto