"From the Grass Under The Dome to the Grass On Top of the Roof"

Southern terminus: Milwaukee County, at Highway 59/National Avenue at 27th Street in Milwaukee

Northern terminus: Door County, at the junction with Highway 42 in Sister Bay

Mileage: about 192 miles

Counties along the way: Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Calumet, Brown, Kewaunee, Door

Sample towns along the way: Milwaukee, Brown Deer, Mequon, Port Washington, Saukville, Plymouth, Kiel, New Holstein, Chilton, DePere, Green Bay, Dyckesville, Brussels, Sturgeon Bay, Baileys Harbor, Sister Bay,

Bypass alternates at: Mequon/Cedarburg, Green Bay

Quickie Summary: State “Trunk” Highway 57 takes on a lot of identities as it connects Milwaukee, Green Bay and Door County. Originally slated to the be interstate highway that I-43 eventually became, 57 begins in Milwaukee at the Mitchell Park Domes (where plants grow under conical glass roofs) and ends in Door County's Sister Bay by Al Johnson's restaurant, where goats graze on the grass-covered roof. Along the way is Milwaukee's North Shore, access to some of Sheboygan County's best golfing, shops and sights in numerous towns between Plymouth and Green Bay, and of course the Door County's north peninsula, where Highway 57 runs the Lake Michigan side.

The Drive (South to North): Highway 57 begins as 27th Street in the City of Milwaukee (pop. 602,000), at a junction with Highway 59 (National Ave.) A few blocks north is the first tourist attraction, the Mitchell Park Domes & Horticultural Conservatory. Are the three domes like beehives or a huge bra factory? It depends on who you ask, but either way, the 85-foot high domes each host their own climate and consequently, their own species of plants. There's a Tropical Dome, featuring banana and cacao trees and fruit-bearing plants from papaya to avocado and guava. Colorful tropical birds glide happily between the plants, so for winter-weary Milwaukeeans, this can be like a mini tropical vacation - minus the beach or hurricanes. An Arid Dome offers up a variety of desert plants, including a series of cacti. Plants include American and African varieties along with a series of flora and plants from Madagascar, the section of which was dedicated in 1984 by the Ambassador from Madagascar himself. Finally, a Show Dome features seasonal shows (depending, of course, on the season) and an annual holiday exhibit in December, complete with a "garden railroad" display that's one of the largest in the Midwest.

Highway 57's southern start at National Avenue (Highway 59) features a lot of Spanish small businesses and, one block north, the Mitchell Park Domes, a horticultual conservatory that also looks like a 90-foot-high brassiere factory.

Mitchell Park was one of the original Milwaukee County parks, was the home of original European settler Jacques Vieau (whose son-in-law Solomon Juneau would go on to be the official "founder" of the City of Milwaukee), and overlooks the Menomonee Valley, which runs about 3 miles and features abrupt hills on the north and south sides. It's like Milwaukee's little answer to the Grand Canyon. The Menomonee River runs through the valley, once a land of wild rice and marshes before 19th century development turned it into a series of stockyards, rail yards, tanneries and the like. Today, the Valley still hosts some heavy industry but is undergoing dramatic changes. It still serves as an imposing geographic divide, however, between the north and south sides of Milwaukee, so much that Highway 57 as 27th Street leapfrogs the Valley on a viaduct completed in 1910. The view from the 27th Street Viaduct has changed dramatically over the decades, and today Miller Park dominates the westward view and Milwaukee's downtown skyline - as well as several other viaducts - dominate to the east. Also visible, especially at night, is the dancing lights of the bustling Potawatomi Bingo Casino, one of the largest in the Midwest.

At the north end of the viaduct, I-94 is accessible via St. Paul Avenue (just follow the signs) for accessing downtown, the ballpark, the Valley, or other nearby neighborhoods. Highway 57, meanwhile, continues north into Milwaukee's north side, first as 27th Street, then jogging east on Highland Avenue (U.S. 18) for one-half mile before heading north again on 20th Street. At Lloyd Street, an interesting piece of baseball history lies to the east a few blocks, for professional baseball was once played at the Lloyd Street Grounds, where the Milwaukee Brewers once played - at least an earlier incarnation of them. Further north, Highway 57 crosses Fond du Lac Avenue (Highway 145) and goes through the heart of Milwaukee neighborhoods that have seen better days - in some cases, those better days were pre-1900. Frankly, this is an area that should be traversed during the day only.

There are, however, some good eats in the area. Soul food fans love Mr. Perkins' Family Restaurant (). Upon reaching Capitol Drive (a href="190.php" target="_blank">Highway 190, Highway 57 jogs east along this major thoroughfare, and the houses on either side of the boulevard are beautiful, well-kept examples of Milwaukee bungalows. The neighborhood dates back to the 1920s and was the traditional "dividing line" for Milwaukee's old neighborhoods (to the south) and the new, post-World War II growth (to the north.)

The stretch of Capitol Drive featuring Highway 57 on the north side of Milwaukee is a nice boulevard - recently redone - with well-kept older homes flanking it on both sides.

Just before I-43 past 11th Street, Highway 57 turns north to follow Green Bay Road, an old post road and military trail that today is a major thoroughfare north of Capitol. Past some industrial areas to Hampton, lovely parkland begins to show itself as Lincoln Park lines Green Bay Road to the east. The Milwaukee River begins to parallel Highway 57 here, although most of the time not close enough to be seen. Leaping over an interchange with Silver Spring Drive, you enter Glendale (pop. 13,367). Along this stretch, many of Glendale's major employers have offices, including Johnson Controls' World Headquarters. It's also home to Sprecher Brewery, originally founded in 1985 in Milwaukee before heading to the suburbs (the tables turned in 2006, when Manpower - a much bigger company - announced a relocation from Glendale to downtown Milwaukee). Sprecher features 6 year-round brews and 14 seasonal and limited release beers, including a market-leading line of gluten-free selections. They also make seven varieties of popular sodas, including a terrific root beer and a cream soda. Best of all, they offer tours! Times vary and tours cost anywhere from $1 to $3, depending on your age - which also determines which free samples you get. Check their website for details.

Highway 57 meets Highway 100 at an overpass. This is the newer configuration; the original crossroads of Green Bay & Brown Deer Roads lie just a few blocks to the southwest, where Brown Deer's "downtown" was... and still is, although it's hardly a downtown. The Fire Department is there, as is a little sports bar named Prime Time, which appeared on TV on a (very) short-lived ABC series called A Whole New Ballgame, which featured Corbin Bernsen, Julia Campbell, Tom Kind and John O'Hurley (later of Seinfeld and Dancing With The Stars fame) and was set in Milwaukee. The show lasted for about six weeks in 1995. Today, Prime Time is a good stop for a quick lunch or beverage and catching up with whatever games are on.

A sizeable commercial corridor marks the north end of Brown Deer before the road become a two-lane again into Ozaukee County and the City of Mequon (pop. 23,820). Consistently rated as one of the "Best Places to Live in the United States" by Money Magazine (and there's a lot of money in Mequon), the city has a lot of high-end homes, some plotted on acre-plus lots and others amidst forested neighborhoods. Highway 57 as Green Bay Road forges through woodsy areas with a speed limit of 35. Fans of volleyball, beverages and Animal House would find a good diversion by taking Donges Bay Road west 1/2 mile to Libby Montana, a bar/restaurant/sports complex along a former railroad that now serves as the Interurban Recreational Trail. Owned by actor Mark Metcalf, who played both Douglas C. Neidermeyer in Animal House and the "Maestro" on Seinfeld, owns Libby Montana with his ex-wife.

Mequon is often paired with Thiensville (pop. 3,254), known locally by some as the "worthwhile square mile." Mequon is Wisconsin's fourth largest city by area, while Thiensville is 1/46th of Mequon's size. Nestled right along the Milwaukee River, Thiensville features the charming and compact layout of a small Midwestern village, while Mequon is a more spread-out version of a nice suburb.

ALTERNATE ROUTE ALERT. Highway 57 was re-routed in the early '90s to turn east with Highway 167 (Mequon Rd.) to then follow I-43 north past Port Washington. While this can save significant time and you can follow the current map, the best way to see Ozaukee County communities is to follow 57's original route, as described below. The old and new 57 routes meet up again just before Port Washington.

Following Highway 57's traditional route, continue north past Mequon Road (Highway 167) and stay on Green Bay Road. The Milwaukee River is just to the east at this point as you enter Thiensville and its array of small shops and riverside parks. North of Thiensville, stay on Washington Ave. (County V) into the ever-popular Cedarburg (pop. 10,908), a place chock-full of history, shopping and visitors. Following County V (Highway 57's old route) into town brings you to the lovely limestone and Cream City brick buildings holding a bevy of shops, small restaurants and unique places to see.

For example, there is the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts in Cedarburg. Yes, fiber arts. It's the first time I've heard of it, too. Another popular stop is the Cedar Creek Winery, a well-noted regional winery located in a restored 1860s woolen mill, where at one point they literally made white socks for the Chicago White Sox. It's been a winery in one form or another since 1972, using the underground limestone cellars to ferment and age their over 15 varieties of wine. Tours are available at select times.

Cedar Creek flows through Cedarburg on its way to join the Milwaukee River and provided significant water power for the mills that helped Cedarburg grow in the 19th century. Some of these mills - in fact 5 of them - dating back to 1864 host 30 shops and galleries between them in an area known as Cedar Creek Settlement, a great starting or finishing point for an excursion through Cedarburg.

To continue on this Highway 57 part of the State Trunk Tour, follow County V as Wisconsin Avenue out of Cedarburg and into its neighbor, Grafton (pop.11,380). Originally called "Hamburg" prior to its 1846 charter, Grafton flipped its name to "Manchester" from 1857 to 1862 before changing back. So far, it's stayed "Grafton" ever since. Originally a lumber town, Grafton has hosted a series of industries ever since, including the famous Paramount Records from 1917 to 1932. It was right here where 78 rpm records were pressed and distributed to the nation, allowing artists such as Lawrence Welk, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Tom Dorsey and Louis Armstrong to inspire future music generations and lay the seeds for the R&B and Rock 'N Roll Eras. Between 1929 and 1932 alone, over 1,600 songs were recorded in Grafton at a make-shift studio that was formerly a chair factory; the output accounted for about 1/4 of the so-called "race records" of the era.

	Grafton Veterans Memorial Park overlooks the Milwaukee River, a very picturesque scene as it flows through town. Highway 57's original route jogs across the river with Highway 60 before angling northeast along County V back to I-43.
Near old sawmills and chair factories, new condos are sprouting up along the Milwaukee River as Grafton's downtown redevelops.

Old Highway 57 (still as County V) goes right through Grafton's downtown, much of which also abuts the Milwaukee River. After crossing the river along Highway 60, you can re-join Highway 57's current route via 60 to the east or V to the northeast to I-43 northbound. At the junction with I-43 and V, you also have the option of following Highway 32 northeast into Port Washington. Highway 57 itself bypasses the Ozaukee County seat, following I-43 north to the west of the city (32 and 57 hook up again before too long.)

So Highway 57 heads along I-43, over an interchange with Highway 33 and then splits away from the Interstate to head straight north as a four-line highway all its own. This alignment was originally going to be "Interstate 57", a straight-shot I-route from Milwaukee to Green Bay. Had it gone through, the I-57 that terminates on the south side of Chicago would have continued through to Milwaukee and followed this section all the way to Green Bay. That meant I-43 would not have been built, isolating Sheboygan and Manitowoc and possibly bringing heavier development to the cities we'll be going through. But as you'll see, some areas are getting development anyway.

As I-43 heads east to follow the Lake Michigan shore, Highway 57's four-lane, 55 mph northward push takes it past several small towns, including Fredonia (pop.1,934), which means "free gifts" or "the land where things are done freely." Hmmmm... that's worth checking out....

Site of the first Flag Day observance in 1885, the Stony Hill School lies in Waubeka less than two miles from Highway 57. And yes, there are lots of stones in Stony Hill School.

Further north into Sheboygan County, Highway 57 intersects with Highway 144 and grazes the edge of Random Lake (pop. 1,551). The lake - which is apparently not very specific - is 209 acres and the village claims it's the second largest lake in Sheboygan County. The village's website claims no "fast food", stoplights, parking meters, billboards or strip malls. With Highway 57 coming through as a 4-lane expressway here, that could change by the time you read this.

Next up is the tiny village of Adell (pop. 517), birthplace of American cabaret singer Hildegarde. She was born here in 1906 and raised up Highway 57 in New Holstein, which will be coming up later. Eleanor Roosevelt proclaimed her the "First Lady of Supper Clubs"; the Gershwin song "My Cousin from Milwaukee" is about her; she was a founding member of AFTRA, SAG, and Actor's Equity; Revlon even named a shade of lipstick and nail polish after her. She hung out a lot with close friends Katherine Hepburn, Greta Garbo, and West Allis native Liberace and lasted a long time in show business... her autobiography was called Over 50 ... So What!

So we know where Hildegarde is from... so where's Waldo? It's next up on Highway 57 during a brief junction with Highway 28. Waldo (pop. 450) doesn't last long... one intersection and a hop over the Onion River and that's it. The ride is quick on this stretch as you approach the Mullet River, which is just kind of funny, period.

The next place Highway 57 grazes without entering is the City of Plymouth (pop. 7,781), accessible via County C or Highway 23, which is essentially here a 4-lane expressway going east-west across Sheboygan County. Look for the 23/57 intersection to become heavily built-up in the coming years, by the way. Plymouth is almost ridiculously charming, as is nearby Sheboygan Falls. Site of Wisconsin's first Cheese Exchange, Plymouth originally served as a stagecoach stop and transportation has played a big part in its history ever since. Nowadays, racing fans can enjoy dirt track racing in Fair Park in Plymouth throughout the summer; of course, the better-known Road America is just north of Plymouth and features of some of the best racing in North America! To get to Road America, either follow Highway 23 west to Highway 67, then north on 67 for about two miles. Or, head north of Plymouth via Highway 57 and cut west on County J. If you prefer the arts, the Plymouth Arts Center on Mill Street downtown features an eclectic mix of exhibits. Highway 23 offers access to nearby destinations, including Sheboygan Falls, Sheboygan and the Wade House.

A big cow in Wisconsin? You're kidding! Nope. Plymouth features Antoinette, a large Holstein cow, as a local landmark to salute the area's dairy industry. Erected in 1977 (perhaps while disco music played in the background), Antoinette stands 20 feet high and weighs 1,000 pounds. Can you imagine how much milk she'd give if she was real?

	Antoinette (the cow) has stood in Plymouth since 1977 to symbolize the city's role in the dairy industry. The Wisconsin Cheese Exchange was located here in the late 1800's.
	Downtown Plymouth, west of Highway 57 along County C, is a nice mix of classic older buildings, shops, restaurants and .

Past Plymouth, Highway 57 heads straight through the "great wide open", bending northwest slightly as Highway 32 joins in just inside the Manitowoc County line. Two crossings of the Sheboygan River and a few miles send you to a junction with Highway 67 and Kiel.

	Stumbling onto a Brat Fry is a totally Wisconsin thing. This one just happened to be taking place in Kiel when I happened by. State Trunk Tour rules dictate if there's a brat fry, stop and have one. Or two!
	This stretch of Highway 57, combined with 32, goes through the heart of a series of towns, from Kiel to New Holstein to Chilton. This tree-lined stretch goes through the neighborhoods of Kiel.

Kiel (pop. 3,450) bills itself as the "little city that does big things." What are those big things? I'm working to find out. Situated halfway between Lake Michigan and Lake Winnebago, Kiel sits on the Sheboygan River and dams it in the downtown area, about where Highway 57/32 crosses it for the third time. This is where I stumbled across a brat fry - which, of course, requires stopping and imbibing. On the other side of Kiel, 57/32 heads northwest again, into Calumet County (technically, you're now in the Appleton-Oshkosh metro area - even though Highway 57 doesn't go near either city.)

Just a few miles later, along the Canadian Pacific railroad tracks is New Holstein (pop. 3,301). Where is the "Old" Holstein? We have an answer: the Holstein region in Germany, which is where many of the town's founders came from. Remember our discussion of Hildegarde back from Adell? New Holstein is where she was raised, before hitting the big time. New Holstein also "sired" Edward Schildhauer, who was the chief engineer on a little digging project (the Panama Canal) and three NFL players (Ken Criter of the Broncos and Bob Schmitz of the Steelers and... grumble grumble... Vikings.)

	The newly restored Timm House, built in 1873 and restored this year.
	New Holstein's employment base is quite good for a town its size. So what is a Sukup? It's an Iowa-based company that handles, dries and stores grain. It's also a good description for Smithers in "The Simpsons."

Next up in this string of cool little Wisconsin cities is Chilton (pop. 3,708), Calumet's county seat. Chilton features several things to check out, including the Ledge View Nature Center, which can take you through a butterfly garden, high up on a 60-foot observation tower or way down in a series of caves featuring crawl passages, fossils and places called the Bat Room and Wayne's World. In Mother's Cave, it's all crawling. One area called "the Squeeze" recognizes the size of Wisconsinites; you have to fit through a box simulation of the Squeeze before you're allowed into the cave. Its position on the Niagara dolostone reveals more fossils (coral reefs used to exist there), and they tap the area for maple syrup in the spring months. You can also rent snowshoes and cross-country skis, but it's best to try doing that in the wintertime. Ledge View is accessible off Highway 57 by taking Irish Road (just before entering Chilton) south to Short Road.

Highway 57 is hooked up with Hwy. 32 and U.S. 151 going into Chilton.

Like an increasing number of Wisconsin communities, Chilton has a local brewpub. Rowland's Calumet Brewery (25 N. Madison Street, via U.S. 151) features 17 different beers, including interesting names like "Bitter Bitch Belgium Ale", "Fat Man's Nut Brown Ale" and a "Total Eclipse", a monstrously malty opaque beer. Varieties of the beer are also available in liquor stores and restaurants in locations around Chilton and out to places like Manitowoc, Elkhart Lake, Plymouth and Appleton. Rowland's is along U.S. Highway 151, which runs through Chilton and joins Highway 57 & 32 for a brief spell.

Northward from Chilton and over the interestingly-named Killsnake River (there must be a story in there somewhere), Highway 57 opens up a bit and becomes quite the straightaway for a while, perfect for traversing quickly. It's also perfect for county sheriffs. One speed zone is in Hilbert (pop. 1,089), birthplace of jazz musician Bunny Berigan in 1908, the last year the Chicago Cubs celebrated a championship (couldn't resist). Fox Lake (along Highway 33) also claims Berigan and their hometown son, since he grew up there for more of his life before hitting New York and the big time. Berigan's marker is in Fox Lake, but Hilbert is where he first left any marks at all. In Hilbert, Highway 114 provides access to High Cliff State Park, a beautiful vista high atop Lake Winnebago, which only lies about 7 miles west of this point. A little further up is Forest Junction, whose "junction" claim started with two major railroads intersecting; now Highways 57 & 32 cross U.S. 10 here, making it an increasingly popular bedroom community for people working in Appleton and Green Bay. After all, their slogan is "You CAN get there from here."

What you get to just past Forest Junction is Brown County and another junction, this time with Highway 96 in Greenleaf. A rail trail parallels Highway 57 in Greenlead, and the Trail's End Restaurant hints that you just might be at the end of that trail. Highway 96 accesses Denmark and I-43 to the east and Wrightstown and Appleton to the west. We're heading north toward the heart and soul of Packer Country.

Civilization emerges in the form of DePere (pop. 22,310), a suburb of Green Bay. It's pronounced "d'peer", which a lot of Sconnies also say they fish off of. Split by the Fox River, the name DePere is French (no doy), coming from the term "Les Rapids des Peres", the "Rapids of the Fathers". A mission was established here waaaay back in 1671 by French Jesuit priests, led by Father Claude Allouez, whose name adorns the bridge that Highway 32 uses to split from Highway 57 and enter downtown DePere before heading into Green Bay west of the Fox River.

Meanwhile, Highway 57 takes the name "Broadway" and goes through some nice neighborhoods.

Green Bay to Sister Bay is coming soon!

CONNECTIONS
South Terminus:
Can connect immediately to: Highway 59, Highway 241
Can connect nearby to: Highway 32, about 2 miles east; Interstate 94 & U.S. 41, about 2 miles north; U.S. 18, about 3 miles north

North Terminus:
Can connect immediately to: Highway 42

Upcoming events in places along Highway 57:
Steel Bridge Songfest, Sturgeon Bay, June 12-14, 2008
Chilton Summer Festival, Chilton, June 12-15, 2008
Lion Fest, Thiensville-Mequon, June 13-15, 2008
International Bayfest, Green Bay, June 13-15, 2008
Polish Fest, Milwaukee, June 20-22, 2008
Summerfest, Milwaukee, June 26-July 6, 2008
Sheboygan County Fair, Plymouth, August 28-September 1, 2008

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