Discovering the Holiday Spirit Milwaukee Style
by MEL GRANGER
Having just moved to Milwaukee, my wife and I were still tackling the unwelcomed task of unpacking boxes. But the holiday season was fast approaching and the moment our daughter started humming holiday tunes, we knew it was time to get into the spirit of things. The move had been hard enough on our daughter �C starting a high school in a new town and all �C and unfortunately it would be hard to celebrate the way we always had in California, with all the same family traditions.
So, after doing some research online and talking to our new neighbors, we learned about the Holiday Lights Kick-Off at Pere Marquette Park. Apparently it��s one of those things people in Milwaukee really look forward to and my daughter thought it sounded like fun, so we decided to give it a shot!
I made sure to leave work a little early that Thursday so I could get home and pick up the girls in my new 2008 GMC Envoy Denali. I had finally talked my wife into letting me get my dream vehicle, so once we moved I visited GMCWI.com, found the nearest Milwaukee GMC dealership, took a test drive and signed the papers! Now the Denali is a family favorite and my teenager daughter even loves sitting in the front seat (mainly so she can be in charge of the music coming out of the surround sound speakers.)
Anyways, we packed our warmest coats in the GMC and set off towards downtown Milwaukee. Downtown was absolutely bustling with people, so we parked as fast as we could and went to find a good spot to enjoy the live holiday music. We didn��t get there till the tail end of the musical acts, but just in time to see the magnificent lighting ceremony. There must have been millions of lights as every single tree seemed to glow from the inside out!
After watching a booming fireworks show, we grabbed some hot chocolate and hopped back in the Envoy Denali to check out some of the holiday displays. We took a whole roll of film of the life-size nativity scene (which is an exact replica of the one at the Vatican) as well as the incredible model train display.
Overall we had a blast checking out all the festivities while sipping hot chocolate in the nice warm GMC (it was pretty cold out there for us California natives, after all). The time flew by and all three of us agreed the Holiday Lights Kick-Off was a new family tradition we could enjoy for years to come.
About the author: Mel Granger is an engineer who lives in Milwaukee, IL with his wife and daughter. He has been an active member in numerous car clubs over the years and in his spare time, Mel enjoys creating online articles on a number of subjects. To get information about the GMC Envoy Denali or find a local Milwaukee GMC dealership, check out www.gmcwi.com.
