As man cannot survive by racing alone, we found ourselves setting out to discover other aspects of Milwaukee. To our eyes, this mid-sized city is sort of a mash-up of Detroit and Chicago with most of the crime and blight and uppity-ness strained out. You can't help but enjoy a stroll down by the lake or along the river, the shockingly huge number of bars (including the Safehouse — if you know the password) and the constant rotation of downtown festivals. But that would leave out one very key ingredient in the character of Milwaukee — brewing. And the oldest and biggest brewer in town is Miller. That's right, as part of our race coverage, we were forced to go tour the Miller factory, and this little gem was there waiting for us.
Dubbed the Miller High Life Cruiser, this monument to beer and streamlining was put into duty in 1953 as a touring celebration of the 50th anniversary of the brew. Designed by Brooks Stevens, the bus rolled around the country extolling the virtues of one of America's oldest large breweries. Complete with the Lady in the Moon on the back, acres of chrome and aluminum, and a swank interior (which was impossible to photograph), the High Life cruiser is now retired outside of the Miller visitor Center. Oh, and the tour? Recommended.