4. THE MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM: Milwaukee, WI A fair percentage of riders will make the Harley-Davidson Museum their Milwaukee destination, and it is topnotch, a place every avid Harley rider should see. But the Milwaukee Art Museum is also special, with its signature, roof-mounted moveable wings, the Burke Brise Soleil.
Weighing 90 tons, with 72 fins ranging in length from 26 to 105 feet, the Soleil’ s wingspan when fully open is 217 feet. The wings open at 10 a. m., close and open at noon, then close at
5 p. m( 8 p. m. on Fridays). The process to open or close takes 3.5 minutes to complete. They are lit beautifully from dusk to closing time. With its size, it dominates the eastern shoreline of the city. Don’ t leave town without watching it in action.
5. THE“ MIGHTY A,” THE USS ALABAMA BATTLESHIP( BB-60) MEMORIAL PARK: Mobile Bay, AL Even from a distance, the battleship’ s massive 16-inch guns look huge. When in action, those guns could project a shell the size of a Ford Pinto more
Top: With its soaring, wing-like architecture overlooking Lake Michigan, the Milwaukee Art Museum is one of Wisconsin’ s most recognizable landmarks. Bottom: To assist in bringing the USS Alabama to Mobile Bay, schoolchildren raised approximately $ 100,000 to open the ship as a military history park and museum in 1965. than 20 miles. At 680 feet in length, the ship was powered by oil-fired steam turbines, producing 130,000 horsepower, routed to four propellers. The Alabama could reach 27.5 knots with a range of 15,000 nautical miles. The ship at sea was home to almost 1,800 officers and enlisted personnel. There is also a well-appointed museum, plus military aircraft on display, including an A-12 Blackbird.
Wikipedia sums it up well:“ Visitors are allowed to view the inside of the main gun turrets and anti-aircraft guns. The powder magazine was opened to the public through some holes that were cut, and stairs installed. The bunk of Major League Baseball Hall of Fame member Bob Feller is marked for those touring. Feller served as a gun captain on the Alabama for several years.”
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