My bike rides of late have certainly taken me down some paths less traveled (for me, anyway) and to places I probably otherwise might never have gotten to were I traveling by car. I'm referring to a recent blog I wrote about biking south until it got cold and dark and ending up at Cudahy's City Lounge for a few pints. Had we not been desperate for a nearby place to rest and refuel, I might not have realized what a great, smoke-free bar City Lounge is.
This past weekend had me and my friends heading north -- way north -- on a massive bike tour that took us from Milwaukee's Oak Leaf Trail to the Ozaukee Interurban Trail, which is a 30-mile mostly paved, off-road trail that starts at Brown Deer Road and goes all the way up to Belgium. We followed it through Thiensville, through Mequon and eventually stopped in Cedarburg at a quaint bar called Silver Creek Brewpub.
The pub is located right along the river, with a back terrace that overlooks a rushing waterfall, although when we were there it was a bit too chilly to sit outside. We sampled some of the pub's own brews, including the Pacific Coast Lager and the Hefe Weiss and both were well received -- as were the ample free pretzels -- after a 25-mile ride.
Maybe a 50-mile round-trip bike ride isn't your thing in the winter months, or ever, but I'd say that if you happen to be in Cedarburg for the day, Silver Creek is a nice place to take in a beer and a cheese plate.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
