With the power of two vaccines running through me, it was time to leave my house in spring 2021 and start traveling again. I previously had gone on vacations for up weeks at a time in the summer and I wanted to check if staying at home for nearly a year non-stop was ruining my travel vibe and confidence.
Right before lockdown in February 2020, I went to the Chicago Travel & Adventure Show in Rosemont. I attended several lectures throughout the day and talked to vendors. One who impressed me was Ralph Velacso. I took notes as he talked about travel photography, especially on an iPhone. I was embarrassed that I did not know how to use my phone to its full potential. After leaving his talk with a link to his eBook in my hand (literally on my phone), I read through his tips and instantly began improving my photography. I took photos of airplanes as they left O'Hare as I was waiting to go home. I created a video with music from a series of photos. I tried slow motion and time lapse. Who knew that in only a month I would need all these tips and more as I became "a teacher on YouTube" for my students and also "someone who is trying to not lose her mind as she walks the same two mile route every day." I enjoyed my photography and wanted to learn more.
In spring of 2021, an opportunity popped up to travel to Milwaukee with Ralph and his company PhotoEnrichment Adventures. I needed motivation to leave my home so I went for my longest car trip in over a year and drove to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the overnight photography course. Normally his adventures are in far flung distances with every itinerary making me want to scream "take all my money!" but as the world was slowly opening up, an overnight in Milwaukee was perfect. Plus, as a teacher, my availability normally doesn't align with tour dates.
The Classes
I use Ralph's tips
all the time. It was great to get instant feedback and advice from someone who not only knows their way around an iPhone but also interesting photographs! I remember he asked about the difference between when you should take a landscape versus a vertical photograph - and Ralph recommended that you take both! I have definitely used and passed along this advice. It saves a lot of bad cropping and disappointment when reviewing photos later.
Was it worth it to sign up for a photography class? Yes. It pushed me to try new things. I could also see the world through the eyes of other people in the group. When one of us wandered to photograph something, the rest of us were curious and sometimes tried to take a similar photo. I explored new areas. I felt more confident in taking pictures at different angles. I realized that I tended to look down a lot and thanks to Ralph pointing out sewer caps and photographing those, I now have several in different cities sitting in my Google Photos. Since then, I have also been on the hunt for "blue light" in the evening when traveling. Those magical moments photograph extremely well and I can't believe in all my thousands of photographs from prior travels, I missed them!
Would I do it again? If the dates line up, yes! As much as I love solo travel, small group travel with a common bound (photography) is exciting for me.
It's fantastic to have someone guide you around the city. We walked along the river, through the historic ward, photographed the outside of an art museum, and even visited a light house near Lake Michigan. According to my Apple Watch, I walked 6.6 miles on Saturday and 6.3 miles on Sunday.
The Hotel
I stayed at The Plaza Hotel Milwaukee. It was a bit pricier than I would have liked, but the room was great! It was full of amenities that I would have loved to use like a stocked kitchen, but with a one night trip, there was no need to cook. Parking was around the corner from the front door in a pay lot from the hotel. I had to double park to check in before moving my car to the lot and entering from the back. The hotel is a vintage building so you need to pay attention which stairwell your room is in so you head up the right stairs.
The Food
Lunch on Saturday was at Aloha Poke Bros. If you haven't had poke before, you're in for a treat! It's as if Chipotle and Sushi came together for a dream meal. According to their allergen site, about half the sauces have gluten and only a tiny amount of other ingredients. Their menu clearly lists which items contain gluten. It's a very low risk place to dine at in terms of cross contamination! I took my delicious salmon bowl to a bench near the Milwaukee River and enjoyed my meal al fresco on the sunny day.
Dinner on Saturday was Onesto Italian resturant. I ordered a mouthwatering scallop dish. This is something I never made at home! They did an excellent job catering to a gluten free diet and label which dishes are gluten-friendly on their menu.
Breakfast on Sunday was an underwhelming gluten free granola bar. Not everything is fancy when traveling!
The Luggage
I packed everything for an overnight in a compact Euro Flight Bag from Rick Steves' online shop. This was one of my few car-travel trips but there was no need to pack any more than I needed to!
The Photographs
Here are some of my favorite photographs from the weekend. All #nofilter
