Chicago Midway Airport - Milwaukee weekend
 

Niece is graduating in May in Milwaukee and we will be flying into Chicago Midway (free tickets). Unfortunately we don't have much time to linger. Guess it's about 2hr drive Chicago Midway Airport-Milwaukee. By chance any interesting place to stay inbetween? Not sure it would be worth going into downtown Chicago. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Mapquest puts the trip at a little under 2 hours, that will be dependent on traffic and what time you are arriving. If it's rush hour, you might run into traffic which will increase the travel time.

As to the rest of your question, I'm not really sure what you are trying to accomplish since you say you don't have much time to linger. Are you looking for some place to stay overnight? Something to do the day you arrive?

Guess I wondering if we should stay at Midway Airport, or possibly go into downtown Chicago or try to make the 2 hour drive to Milwaukee or if there might be
a good stop inbetween. Thanks!

Sorry, we still can'y understand what you mean. It sounds like you have only part of a day, is that right? Where in Milwaukee are you headed?

While mapquest may say "2 hours from Midway to Milwaukee," I would allow three hours in order to get there on time. May is construction season, and Friday and Sunday late afternoons are the some of the worst times to travel between Chicago and Milwaukee.

Sorry to be so vague. But already your info has been helpful. The graduation is at Marquette and will take up most of Saturday and Sunday. We'll probably fly in Friday and return Monday but still haven't determined flights because we have to fly Southwest and their schedules are out yet for later May. Maybe we should just get a hotel in the Midway Airport area for Friday night when we arrive and drive to Milwaukee Saturday morning. And maybe stay in Milwaukee Sunday night and drive to Midway Monday morning (will traffic be horrendous on a Monday morning?) Thanks for your patience and trying to help while we figure this out!

Since it's a quick trip and your destination is Milwaukee anyway - you might just bite the bullet and drive up there. Not sure what your taste is, but the Hotel Metro if a cool boutique hotel (retro) with a great little bar/restaurant. Milwaukee's waterfront is also nice - and there are some excellent restaurants. If you do a search on Milwaukee I think you'll find some other good suggestions. Save Chicago for another trip where you won't feel so rushed and have to deal with traffic.

Marquette is in the south/southwest part of the city, so that's a plus. There was a lot of ramp reconstruction in the area last year, so be sure you have directions from the University website.

Depending on how late you arrive, you could stay near Midway and drive up Saturday, or try to drive up Friday night and stay in downtown Milwaukee or Brookfield.

Returning on Monday morning will be a problem; you'll be dealing with the commuters on 294 from 7-9 A.M. I would try to avoid this if possible.

Thank you! Great suggestions. Yes, good advice, we'll avoid any thoughts of seeing Chicago and just try to enjoy Milwaukee in our short time there. After we figure out the flights I might check back here for more "traffic" updates! Thanks again.

Marquette isn't in the south/southwest part of Milwaukee, but due west, about a dozen blocks, of downtown. It centers around Wisconsin Avenue, which is 700 North.

The Ambassador Hotel, very close to Marquette, has recently been restored to it's Art Deco glory, and it's beautiful.

I would stay there or downtown, but not Brookfield, which is a nice enough suburb, but has nothing special to recommend it.

If you have some time in Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Art Museum is beautiful, and the Third Ward and the new Public Market are fun places to poke around.

Hi - I live in downtown Milwaukee and would be more than happy to recommend hotels and/or restaurants. I'm also a Marquette grad. The Ambassador Hotel and Metro Hotel are great recommendations. Another wonderful little hotel is the County Clare Hotel on Milwaukee's east side. County Clare is very reasonably priced and includes a lovely breakfast. Not sure of your age, but they offer senior discounts. My parents stay there frequently (when they need a break from all their grandchildren scampering about in the morning!).

I second the recommendation to stay in Milwaukee rather than Brookfield. If you stay downtown or on the east side of Milwaukee (Hotel Metro or County Clare), you are within walking distance of the lake, the art museum, great restaurants, etc. Marquette is on the west end of downtown Milwaukee. MU is about a 10 minute drive (which includes finding parking!) from hotels like Metro or County Clare.

I also lived in Chicago for several years (and love it). However, for this weekend, I'd simply stay in Milwaukee. Have fun!

Ditto the suggestions to stay in downtown Milwaukee, Marquette is only a few blocks west of there. You should make reservations ASAP as hotel rooms disappear on that weekend--I know, my daughter's wedding was the same weekend last year, and we were hard-pressed to come up with enough rooms!

I live in Chicago and my daughter lives in Milwaukee, and there is frequent travel between the two cities. Travel time is HEAVILY dependent on time-of-day and construction. Yes, it is 2 hours if all conditions are ideal, but our longest time of 3.5 HOURS (@@#!!) occurred in rush hour with an accident on 294 and construction tie-ups at the tollbooths.

All our Chicago guests loved downtown Milwaukee, poking around the farmers market, etc.

I live in South Milwaukee and work at 10th and State a few blocks from Marquette - a few thoughts.
If hungry you can eat across the street almost, in the Hospital, good food and prices.
West, South and North of Marquette are not real good neighborhoods so be cautious. No 20th and North Ave. after dark on foot sight seeing etc. Even daytime might be risky. Sandwich delivery college student recently murdered , search news stories. We have about 1 murder every 3 days average. But funny true story -acquaintance told to get out of Chicago or else by Police - took bus to Milwaukee Downtown - decided he would rob the first person he saw - the intended victim robbed him! It is not that universally bad or fearful I am just letting you know.
Since you may need close by diversions do walk the River Walk see the photos I took, it was early when people were scarce (recovering from Summer fest)
(CUT AND PASTE THIS WHOLE LINE in the address bar do not click on a highlighted portion as it will not be complete and will not work)------http://photo.walgreens.com/share/p=23471152319397987/l=7588445/g=5574516/cobrandOid=1009/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB------
Consider the airport hotels, good enough, eats and stuff nearby. Downtown can be like a ghost town on Sunday and maybe some Saturdays are light. Takes away from some of the charm of a downtown “ghost town” hotel
You can get downtown\Marquette from the airport no problem in 30 minutes or less via the Lake Parkway Hwy 794 almost center north edge of the airport (Layton Ave.) Terminus at the Marquette Interchange in downtown Milwaukee, where Interstate 94 and Interstate 43 meet. The highway loses its interstate designation but continues south as WIS 794 and Lake Parkway to the intersection of Pennsylvania and Grange Avenues on Cudahy's west side, paralleling the east side of Mitchell Airport.
Time to get away a little farther? April showers bring May flowers - Boerner Botanical Gardens
in Whitnall Park 9400 Boerner Drive Hales Corners,http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/disp...sp?docid=10113
More time? Hang out on historic Brady Street and people watch maybe walk down to lake front from there.

Milwaukee is a neat town to explore, with lots to offer. (And this comes from a former Chicagoan.) It's also a good town for Priceline. We've often gotten the 2.5* Marriott property (Courtyard, I think) that is well-located right downtown and connected to the big mall for $35-45. (Adjacent parking is another $11 or so, or there are cheaper outdoor lots nearby). And that 2.5* Marriott was, for us, far preferable to the older, huge 3* Hilton a couple blocks away.

Biddingfortravel.com will give you an idea of what hotels in which areas of Milwaukee are likely to come up for you should you decide to bid Priceline.

I'd stay at
The Intercontinental
The Hotel Metro
County Claire

You'll be right downtown and a short drive to Marquette.

The post above which refers to the Marquette area is true of that area at night, however it is NOT downtown but west of downtown.

A lot of people on a lot of post make a big deal of saying that Marquette is -Not 0-Down Town. It is 9-10 city blocks from the center of Down Town and easily walked in a few minutes. Hardly qualifying as being out in the suburbs or boonies!
For those that have never been here ,Marquette for all practical purposes is Down Town complete with all the trappings of parking, traffic, crime etc.

You have to cross the expressway to get to the Marquette campus.
I consider the heart of downtown to be east of the river - which puts it an expressway, a river and 9-11 blocks east of Marquette.