Milwaukee Magazine | Your Winter Getaways Guide

Your Winter Getaways Guide

Plan your next vacation with one of these seven Wisconsin destinations.

Beloit

Just a little over an hour southwest of Milwaukee, Beloit is a delightful stop for holiday fun. The grand holiday parade on the night of Nov. 24 marks the start of the season, with free hot chocolate, a visit from Santa Claus, decorative floats that light up the streets and the annual tree lighting. A week later, on Dec. 1, downtown Beloit hosts Holidazzle, an evening of shopping. Over 25 stores stay open late and fill their windows with bright holiday displays, while carolers walk the streets. And every Saturday morning all winter long, Beloit’s winter farmers market fills the Downtown Beloit Association building with local

vendors selling baked goods, clothes, crafts and more. A day trip to Beloit wouldn’t be complete without a delicious dinner – and you have plenty of options. Merrill & Houston’s Steak Joint is one of OpenTable’s highest-rated steak restaurants in Wisconsin, and The Butterfly Club, one of Beloit’s three classic supper clubs, is celebrating 100 years in business in 2024. Visit Beloit also just launched the Beloit & Beyond Taco Trail , an online passport (visitbeloit.com/passport-trails) that guides visitors through Beloit’s Mexican food scene. Completing the trail could easily fill a day – and your stomach. visitbeloit.com

Elkhart Lake

Start December with a trip to Elkhart Lake’s Old World Christmas Market at The Osthoff Resort. From Dec. 1-10, the resort pays tribute to the long tradition of German Christkindlmarkts, filling a grand heated tent with dozens of European vendors selling handcrafted items like nutcrackers, hand-painted Santa figurines, blown-glass ornaments, fine apparel and much more. The Schnitzel Haus is a can’t miss during the 10-day event, serving traditional German fare such as dumplings, schnitzel and strudel. That’s not the only holiday shopping event in the resort town – on Dec. 2, Elkhart Lake hosts its annual Retail Holiday Open House. Local shops offer one-dayonly specials on everything from clothes to wine to art. When winter really starts to set in, return for

Schnee Days Jan. 26-28, Elkhart Lake’s winter festival. The fun includes a chili cook-off, 5K run, kids games, Sip & Stroll, family sledding, snowshoeing, ice skating and live music. Even if there isn’t a special event happening, Elkhart Lake still has plenty of reasons to visit this winter. With the links closed for the season, Quit Qui Oc Golf Club offers snowshoeing across its course. June Vollrath Park is the spot for ice skating, and the Ice Age Trail’s LaBudde Creek Segment provides beautiful, secluded scenery for a winter hike. For dinner, stop by Harry’s Pizza e Vino, a buzzy, Roman-style pizza restaurant that just opened in August. And if you’d like to imbibe, consider a wine tasting at Vintage Elkhart Lake or swing by SwitchGear Brewing for a pint or two. elkhartlake.com

Fish Creek

Fish Creek is right in the heart of Door County, and it embodies everything that makes the peninsula so lovely: cozy inns, amazing views, delicious dining, charming shops and much more. Book a night at Thorp House Inn, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The inn offers six cottages, as well as rooms at its bed and breakfast, all of which have modern amenities with elegant vintage decor. From Thorp House, you have an entire beautiful town to explore. You could easily fill an afternoon shopping Fish Creek’s walkable downtown. Stop by Door County Rock & Gem (which also has a location in nearby Sister Bay) to browse crystals, geodes, fossils and more, with an expert staff to help you pick out rare and eye-catching statement pieces. You’ll find stylish outfits at Lily Lo Boutique; unique clothing, socks and décor at Alpaca to Apparel; and Celtic jewelry and gifts at O’Meara’s Irish House. And while winter won’t allow for the kind of lakefront fun Door County is known for, there’s still plenty of outdoor adventure to be had. Peninsula State Park is a winter wonderland, with 16 miles of groomed cross country ski trails, 6 miles of snowshoe and hiking trails, 17 miles of snowmobile trails, ice fishing, and sledding and tubing hills. visitfishcreek.com

The Fox Cities

Two years ago, Neenah became a mustgo winter destination with the opening of The Plaza at Gateway Park . The community gathering space includes a charming, spacious ice rink modeled after Rockefeller Center. (Bring your own skates or rent them on-site.) The Plaza also has outdoor fire pits with s’mores roasting kits that kids love, and the adjacent Globe Coffee serves food

and drinks. Consider timing your visit for one of the Fox Cities’ big holiday events, such as Downtown Appleton’s Christmas Parade on Nov. 21 – the largest nighttime Christmas parade in the Midwest, with over 80,000 spectators. Or visit A Very Neenah Christmas on Dec. 1, when the downtown lights up with decorations, with all the small businesses competing for the most inventive, eye-catching display. If

you’re looking for something a little more adventurous, you might want to head to Heckrodt Wetland Reserve’s snowshoe trail or Bubolz Nature Preserve, which has both snowshoe and cross-country ski trails. And on Jan. 28, 1000 Islands Environmental Center hosts Eagle Days, a full day of bald eagle-sighting and activities as the majestic birds gather around the river’s open water. foxcities.org

The Plaza at Gateway Park

INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS

Looking to venture outside of good ol’ Wisconsin? Well, Jillian Gibas of JLJ Travel is an expert when it comes to that – she plans customized vacations for folks all across the world. We asked her for three of her top destinations for a winter getaway. jlj-travel.com

SOUTH AFRICA

“While it may be freezing cold here, it’s summer in South Africa! This is a great time for a sun-drenched holiday on the beach – and to visit the vineyards when the vines are full of grapes.”

SCANDINAVIA

“If a postcard-worthy winter is what you’re looking for, Scandinavia will deliver. Try your hand at dog sledding, wander a Christmas market, and cozy up in a lodge. Plus, the dark winter skies give you a great chance of viewing the northern lights!”

THAILAND

““It’s dry season in Thailand during the winter, so you won’t have to worry too much about Mother Nature ruining your plans! Hit up the beach, go on a hike, and visit a famous sanctuary or two.”

Greater Richland Area

The Greater Richland Area in the heart of western Wisconsin’s Driftless Area is prime snowshoeing and snowmobiling territory. At Ash Creek Community Forest, you’ll find 354 acres of land open for snowshoeing. Richland Center also has 109 miles of groomed snowmobile trails across the area – exploring the hills and valleys from a “sled” is a winter adventure unlike any other in Wisconsin. Cazenovia’s Lee Lake is the place to go for ice fishing – it’s maintained by a local conservation group that keeps it stocked with walleyes. And on Feb. 17, the lake will be home to the 25th annual Lee Lake Fisheree, a community celebration with

Oconto County

raffles, food, drinks and a fishing contest. Head up to Richland Center around the holidays to catch the spectacular Rotary Lights in the Park , Nov. 23-Dec. 31. A half-mile of Krouskop Park lights up with music-coordinated displays that visitors can walk or drive through. When considering where to stay, you have plenty of options. The Ramada White House hotel just completed a full renovation with stylish new decor. Or you can go a little more rustic with a Richland cabin, available on Airbnb at bit.ly/airbnbrc, and Ridgetop Retreat remains a perennially popular place to stay for visitors. richlandcenter.com

Looking for a ski destination? Drive up to northeastern Wisconsin for a day on the slopes. Locals refer to Oconto’s Paul Bunyan Ski Hill as the “biggest little hill” in the Midwest. Open from December to March, the hill has slopes for skiers of all ages and abilities – and lift tickets are only $30 a day for adults and $25 for students. Lakewood Cross Country Ski Trails offer 15 miles of beautiful national forest to explore. Five color-coded trails offer difficulties ranging from an easy family outing through the forest to a challenging trek through steeper terrain. Oconto County is also a great destination to motorize your winter exploration – it’s a snowmobiling hot spot, with 480 miles of groomed trails available. Explore on your own or consider booking a guided snowmobile tour with Northwoods Powersports Adventures in Lakewood. After a long weekend of winter activities, you can sit back and relax at one of Oconto County’s newest dining spots, Braise North – a coffee shop in Lakewood from the owners of Milwaukee’s Braise – or Lakehouse Winery, a destination on Townsend Flowage with over 30 vintages to enjoy. ocontocounty.org

Rotary Lights in the Park

Sheboygan

Winter in Sheboygan brings possibilities – shop, explore art galleries and museums, or shrug off the weather and enjoy the city’s wide range of outdoor adventures. The John Michael Kohler Arts Center, a nationally renowned visual and performing arts complex, hosts rotating exhibitions of contemporary art (and has award-winning, artist-designed washrooms). JMKAC also has the new Art Preserve a few miles west of the center – the world’s only museum dedicated to artist-built environments. Parents will want to stop by Above and Beyond Children’s Museum downtown, which has three floors worth of exciting, interactive exhibits for kids. Sheboygan is also home to two impressive classic vehicle museums. Wade House Historical Site houses Wisconsin’s largest collection of carriages and wagons (with horse-drawn sleigh rides on weekends), and The Throttlestop has a collection of more modern vehicles, like exotic cars and vintage motorcycles. For some snowy fun, consider a stop by Vollrath Bowl, a 1930s amphitheater that turns into a favorite local sledding destination, or Lakers Ice Center, which offers affordable, fun ice skating. visitsheboygan.com

B E L O I T Where Stories Begin

PHOTO: COURTESY OF JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER ARTS CENTER

JMKAC Art Preserve

It’s time you take that long-deserved trip you’ve been talking about. Whether it’s to cleanse your mind and body with a revitalizing hotel stay or relish in the thrill of your favorite slots, table games, bingo and sports betting—you can do it all when you visit Potawatomi Casino Hotel Carter.

Book your winning stay, today. PAYSBIG.COM

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GAMING DESTINATIONS

Potawatomi Casino Hotel has two destinations worth visiting for a weekend of food, drink, gaming and more. paysbig.com

POTAWATOMI CASINO HOTEL

Whether you’re looking for dinner and drinks, a relaxing weekend outside the house or a thrilling night of gaming, Potawatomi Casino Hotel has something to offer. The hotel recently opened Rock & Brews, its new restaurant from KISS legends Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, and is in the final stages of completing a $190 million renovation that has added four new gaming areas on its second floor, as well as the first sportsbook in Milwaukee. The casino features more than 3,000 slot machines, along with 60 table games like blackjack, baccarat, craps and roulette.

POTAWATOMI CASINO HOTEL CARTER

Head north to visit this Potawatomi Casino Hotel, located in Wabeno. It has a variety of slots and games, along with delicious dining and a newly renovated hotel, while also incorporating a Northwoods charm.

STAYCATIONS

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THE PFISTER HOTEL

Milwaukee’s historic hotel offers plenty to do – grab a drink at the 23rd-floor cocktail lounge, enjoy fine dining at the Mason Street Grill, get a massage at the WELL Spa + Salon, and enjoy luxury accommodations for the night. thepfisterhotel.com

SAINT KATE – THE ARTS HOTEL

This trendy hotel has in-house art galleries, including one from the Museum of Wisconsin Art, and delicious dining and drink options such as ARIA, Proof Pizza and Giggly Champagne Bar. Plus, you can stay in one of the unique immersive artist-designed guest rooms with eye-catching designs. saintkatearts.com

HILTON MILWAUKEE

Less than a mile from Fiserv Forum, the Milwaukee Public Museum, the Pabst Theater and other Downtown destinations, the Hilton is a prime spot for a weekend of city exploration. And within the walls of the art deco landmark are Milwaukee ChopHouse, serving delicious steaks, and Miller Time Pub & Grill and the Monarch Lounge, where you can enjoy cocktails before a night out. hiltonmilwaukee.com

don’t have to leave Milwaukee to have a good time. Consider a stay at these local hotels.