MSN is out with a new list of the "10 coolest cities in the Midwest,"  

Milwaukee (and Madison) made the list that writer Chelsea Lin introduced like this, "America's heartland too frequently gets labeled as flyover country -- the states you fly over to get between the East and West coasts. But take another look and you'll notice that the Midwest harbors some of the country's coolest college towns, hippest city neighborhoods, cheapest real estate, best cuisine and all-around greatest places to live and visit."

Here's what the site had to say about Milwaukee:

"It's just two hours from Chicago, but Milwaukee has a locals-only flavor that escapes the Windy City, with all its tourists taking photos at The Bean. The industrial city on the banks of Lake Michigan is home to old-school dives, chic boutique hotels, galleries and the country's oldest bowling alley — an eclectic mix that gives Chicago's little sister an edge."

"What's cool: Though more media attention is given to the likes of Lollapalooza and Coachella, Milwaukee's annual Summerfest is billed as the world's largest summer music festival, with more than 800,000 attendees and 11 days of performances."

Chicago, Kansas City, Ann Arbor, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Madison, Columbus, Cleveland and Omaha also made the list.  

Away.com has a new list, "30 Things Every Traveler Must Do Before They're 30 ."

And, since Milwaukee's a part of it I'm sharing it.

Check out No. 26. It's a fine suggestion, and one I'd embrace: "Eat an iconic city meal." Author Lacy Morris writes, "Options include a cheesesteak in Philly, clam chowder in Boston, deep-dish pizza in Chicago, crabs in Baltimore, gumbo in New Orleans, BBQ in Memphis and a beer in Milwaukee."

Sure, one might cringe at the stereotypical Milwaukee reference. Milwaukee's more than beer, of course. Yet, let's embrace what we have and toast travelers who embrace and enjoy our iconic brews.

Cheers!

 

Natalia Angulo-Rico, a news editor at Fox News, recently discovered Milwaukee, and, like many who find our city for the first time, she was very impressed.

In a segment today called "24 hours in Milwaukee ... in January," Angulo-Rico toasts our town with several stops around Brew City including the Milwaukee Public Market, Cafe Benelux, the Milwaukee Art Museum and others.

It's a somewhat basic tourism piece, but I love the photos, flavor and especially this quote: "But the city's latest draw is its emerging food and arts scene, which really revs up in the winter months."

See the full story here. And, thanks to Fox for the kind words about our city.

 

We're sitting at a -17 wind chill here in beautiful, sunny Milwaukee. And, McDonald's restaurants in Southeastern Wisconsin are in the middle of its annual weather related promotion called "Cold Days, Hot Deals."

Here's the deal. Buy a Big Mac or Sausage Egg McMuffin at the regular price and get a "second one of the same item for the temp. yesterday at noon."

The projected temperature at noon today is between -1 and 3 degrees.

So, what if the mercury stays below zero? Does that mean McDonald's pays us to eat that second Big Mac?

Unfortunately not. The official answer is that when the temperature drops to zero or below the second sandwich is simply free.

Free, though, is still pretty good.

Hat tip to Caitlin Moyer on this one as I used her Facebook post and photo as inspiration.