Full disclosure: I was already sold on Milwaukee before I arrived. I’m originally from outside Chicago, and spent some time in Wisconsin’s largest city around 10 years ago when I was performing in a local theater production. During my time there, I came to appreciate the city’s appealing mix of outstanding cultural institutions, fantastic food and dive bars.

I am satisfied to report that, in those respects, very little has changed. I found a small but vibrant city that balances its traditional Germanic origins with an embrace of contemporary art and design, great live music, and fun, casual dining.

Whether it was a concert at Turner Hall or a quick, satisfying dinner at the bar of the Noble, I was constantly impressed by how good (and cheap) almost everything was that I encountered. Lily Shea, a student and waitress at Lakefront Brewery, maybe put it best: “Milwaukee is really underrated. I think it surprises people.” I couldn’t agree more.

It’s also a quick jaunt from Chicago, where I was visiting family, so I decided to check my ground-transit options. Wanderu, a metasearch aggregator that specializes in buses and trains, spat out results that varied in price from high ($25 one way on Amtrak) to low ($11 one way on Megabus).