Weeklong stay in MKE metro area - help! (Milwaukee, Waukesha: environment, hotels)

[Kabuki]

I have a nephew graduating from high school next June and I need to find a place to stay near Wales or Delafield. My nephew's house will be full of relatives, so I want to make a vacation around the weekend. I will be coming in mid-week and staying about 6 days. I haven't had too much luck on the internet finding a weekly rate motels, and I am considering other options such as finding a cabin on a nearby lake. I've found a possible cabin out in Fort Atkinson called Sunset Shores Resort. Has anyone heard of them? Their website lists rates and stuff from 2005, so I'm looking for some more current info.

Where else has a nice place to stay for about 6 days that is within 40 miles of Delafield? I don't mind driving, I want to get a place away from the relatives and enjoy my time away from Texas, but close enough to drop in for visits and the graduation ceremony.

TIA,
Kabuki

[claudelle]

Do you have a dollar amount in mind? The problem with renting a cottage is that almost all cottages in Wisconsin rent from Sat. to Sat. Arriving mid-week presents a problem in this regard.

The area around Delafield is increasingly residential. Many of the former rental cottages have been sold, torn down for single family homes. I'm sure you've looked on some of the websites for tourism in Wisconsin. I noticed under accommodations there are listings for cabins and cottages.

If you are traveling alone or with one other person, you might try to find a bed and breakfast in the area.

[Kabuki]

Well, I won't be able to do a Sat-to-Sat stay, but I cannot even seem to find a weekly rate motel online. Here in Texas there are 3 or 4 chains that have a weekly rate under $250. Everything I've checked into online are quoting $80 - $200 a night. I'm sure that the higher the rate, the nicer the place, but these places here are new and in nice areas, not run down dumps. As far as my price, I would like to stay in the $400 - $500 range for the week, provided I'm in a nice area.

I will be travelling with a wife and child, so a bed n breakfast won't really work for this trip.

Do you have any suggestions on places/areas to avoid? Also, what do you know of the Fort Atkinson area?

Thanks,
Kabuki

[Fishtacos]

Try Oconomowoc, Pewaukee, Hartland, Waukesha, New Berlin, Hales Corners, Muskego, Mukwonago, Brookfield, .....Delafield is close to the outer Western suburbs of Milwaukee....which puts any of those areas in play...or even other parts of metro Milwaukee. ....to the West...Johnson Creek(west of there a ways on 94) is a ways but would be cheaper. .....plenty of typical suburban chain hotels/motels in the above areas...There's a Motel 6 in Brookfield.(nice area too) I can guarantee you ....you can get the lowest end of your nightly range listed at several of the discount suburban chains. All of those areas of course are good for your proximity, middle class and upper middle class burbs. The further out you go West the better for your costs gernerally speaking.

[Kabuki]

Thanks for your feedback, I believe I will check out the Oconomowoc area, it seems close by the nephew's place.

Two more questions:

1) What is there to do in the MKE area the first 2 weeks of June? (too early to watch fireworks...) I'm looking for festivals or things to walk around and sample the local environment. I look for those little known hole-in-the-wall places that the average tourist would not know about unless asking a local resident. (I've discovered a lot of places that way.)

2) Do you locals have any advice in traffic patterns for someone driving up from Chicago? I'll be flying into Midway and driving in from there and will need to know when/where the traffic bottlenecks might occur.

--Kabuki

[Fishtacos]

Originally Posted by Kabuki

Thanks for your feedback, I believe I will check out the Oconomowoc area, it seems close by the nephew's place.

Two more questions:

1) What is there to do in the MKE area the first 2 weeks of June? (too early to watch fireworks...) I'm looking for festivals or things to walk around and sample the local environment. I look for those little known hole-in-the-wall places that the average tourist would not know about unless asking a local resident. (I've discovered a lot of places that way.)

2) Do you locals have any advice in traffic patterns for someone driving up from Chicago? I'll be flying into Midway and driving in from there and will need to know when/where the traffic bottlenecks might occur.

--Kabuki

There will be plenty of things for you to do. Plenty of festivals. Riversplash downtown along the Milwaukee River is in the first weekend of June...along with some other things. You'll have plenty to do and see in Milwaukee. Art Museum, Brewers Game, Lakefront, ...and Milwaukee has more bars per capita than just about anywhere else in the U.S......so that won't be an issue. The Third Ward has some higher end shopping and art galleries and a farmer's market. The East Side has plenty of outdoor activites and places for play and dine.

As for traffic....if you are driving...Chicago's best time for driving is 10am-2pm...anything earlier will likely encur some traffic, and anything after will also. Weekends are easier heading North,(Sat or Sun) not so much South from Milwaukee. 55 to 294 North won't be bad. But you will encur a couple of tolls on 294. You'll be fine. Expect at least 1.5 hrs for your drive, and if any accidents, rush hour or problems, add another hour. You will be arriving on Chicago's South side and will be heading from West burbs North towards Milwaukee. Once you get to and past the NW burbs you will be fine heading North. Midway is small and easy to get in and out of compared to O'Hare, however, since you are heading to Milwaukee from there, you have to add on the extra distance to your time compared to O'Hare.(Midway is great to fly to city of Chicago, not as much for a Milwaukee trip but doable) So...what could be an hour adds time for the further South airport, also add time to get to far West of Milwaukee....making it possibly 2hrs for your drive. You just never know with Chicago.