The Rock Sports Complex

The Rock Sports Complex is a multi-sport complex is centrally located in Milwaukee County Wisconsin. It is a joint initiative between Zimmerman Ventures, Milwaukee County Parks and The City of Franklin to promote youth and community development through a common passion for sports and recreation.

The Rock sports and entertainment complex hosts baseball, skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing; along with numerous entertainment events – featuring the Midwest’s first Umbrella Bar.

These images here, of course are depicting the summertime venues.

The Rock Sports Complex is uniquely defined by its major league specification baseball fields. 

If you're a native-born Wisconsinite, you may be asking yourself, "What is an Umbrella Bar?" Put simply, an Umbrella Bar is the ideal location to enjoy an ice-cold glass of milk - just kidding, we serve all kinds of alcoholic drinks for the 21 and older crowd: the best Bloody Marys in Milwaukee, your favorite tap beers... the list goes on! Check out the best drink menu in Milwaukee!

Featuring a tent-like umbrella structure with an open-air atmosphere and a spectacular 360 degree view of The Rock Sports Complex, the Umbrella Bar truly has something for everyone: the best bar in Franklin, WI, seating with a double-sided fireplace, a view of our Major League replica fields, bag toss games, and your choice of shade or sunshine - did we mention drinks?

So, while the ski hill lies dormant during the summertime, there's much more to offer during the summer months.

Routine Field is a baseball park in Franklin, Wisconsin, which is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. It is the home of the Milwaukee Milkmen, an independent professional baseball team playing in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, and it will be the home of the NCAA Division I University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers baseball team.

Of course, you will not see me missing on the other attraction areas.

Monches Farm will be closing in June.

Monches Farm has been a destination for adventurous

and discerning gardeners since 1980.

With its field grown perennials, pastoral charm and a flock of exotic chickens wandering the grounds—it will be closing on June 30, 2019.

The owners of Monches Farm also operate Ramborn Farm, a European farmstead-style wedding venue in Ozaukee County. (Ramborn is akin to the Old World Wisconsin Octagon Barn.) They also hope stage open houses twice a year in Spring and at Christmas-time.

Kathy and I have visited Monches Farm often over the years shopping in their gift house and photographing the grounds and the chickens, and will miss it.

Included here are highlights of our visits to Monches Farm.

Springtime Photography Treks - 2017

These photographs were made from late April through late May in 2017. They are comprised from eight different locations in southeast Wisconsin, primarily in and around Milwaukee during this time frame. We had a late Spring that year due to the often easterly breezes over the mid-40 degree lake Michigan waters and the stubborn Canadian winds. Kinda like this year.

The complete slideshow video can be seen HERE


Old Falls Village, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin


Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin


Saint Mary's Academy & the Sisters of Saint Francis of Assisi Church

Blue Heron Sanctuary

Kletzsch Park, Glendale, Wisconsin

Klode Park, Whitefish Bay,Wisconsin

Havenwoods State Forest, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Monches Perennial Farm

As of June 30, 2019, Monches Farm will be closed permanently.

See Journal article HERE

The complete slideshow video can be seen HERE

The Anderson Japanese Garden

YouTube video HERE

Also, please make sure to check out older posts on the link at the bottom of this listing.

The Anderson Japanese Gardens is a 12-acre (49,000 m2) Japanese garden located in Rockford, Illinois. WEBSITE

The gardens were established in 1978 by John R. Anderson and landscape architect Hoichi Kurisu on the site of Anderson's home. They were inspired by Anderson's trips to Japan, and particularly his visit to the Portland Japanese Garden in Washington Park, Portland, Oregon, which were also designed by Kurisu.

In 1992, John Anderson was recognized for his outstanding work in promoting international friendship and mutual understanding between the United States and Japan with a commemorative silver cup from the Japanese government. Educational programs at the Anderson Gardens cover the language, arts, and culture of Japan, and the Gardens host formal tea ceremonies, ikebana and calligraphy demonstrations, bonsai displays, and feature programs for students and adults. Anderson Japanese Gardens hosts an annual Opening Day Celebration and Japanese Summer Festival, featuring celebrations of Japanese culture. In 1998, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson donated the gardens to a nonprofit organization.

In 2004 the gardens were named finest Japanese garden in North America by the Journal of Japanese Gardening. In 2011, Tuesday Evening in the Gardens kicked off featuring singer/songwriters, local food vendors, and a friendly family atmosphere for guests to enjoy the gardens and performance.

The gardens are in a 13th-century "pond strolling" garden with several waterfalls and ponds, streams, rock formations, winding paths, and a sukiya style tea house and guest house (built by Masahiro Hamada). The "Garden of Reflection" is a contemporary Japanese-inspired garden, with bronze angel sculptures by Carl Milles. Plantings include Japanese maples, cloud pines, azaleas, magnolias, and rhododendrons.

The gardens are home to many species of colorful fish, minks, and ducks. In the "Garden of Reflection" beetle traps hang over the water to encourage these fish to surface for food,

Walker's Point (AKA The Fifth Ward)

Walker's Point is a neighborhood that lies south of the Third Ward and the eastern part of the Menomonee River Valley. Founded by George H. Walker in 1835 as a fur trading post, the area is now noted for being mostly an industrial neighborhood, with limited housing scattered in pockets throughout the area, particularly on the eastern end of Walker's Point.

My spending about 2-1/2 hours on and around South Fifth Street, was hardly enough time to discover the entity of the Fifth Ward. It did however, provide a glimpse of what it is about. Notable in Walker’s Point is the Iron Horse Hotel to the north, Rockwell Automation, La Perla and the Milwaukee Ballet. 

Yes, this is Selena Gomez

Recently this area has seen some condo, office, and retail development spill over the Milwaukee River to this neighborhood. However, it is not displacing anyone as the spaces undergoing development have mainly been former storage or empty industrial space. 

The area is 68% Hispanic with many charming homes and businesses. There has been attempt to revamp the area — some attempts have succeeded, others have not. 

I had (Colectivo) coffee at the Fuel Cafe and checked out the menu — it was to my liking. It’s a great family cafe.