#BEAUTIFUL WISCONSIN SCENERY PLUS#

It’s popular with bicyclists, motorcyclists and road trippers, who head for the 250-mile Wisconsin Great River Road, the state’s only National Scenic Byway. Hugging the southwestern border of the state, Wisconsin’s Driftless Area is known for its mixture of restored prairies, wildlife-rich wetlands and dense forests. Wisconsin’s Driftless Area lets you experience river life And 45 minutes away is the Jurustic Park sculpture park, an outdoor museum with prehistoric-inspired sculptures fashioned from scrap metal, old beer cans and bicycle parts. Twenty-five minutes from town is Lonely Oaks Farm, which hosts a delightful brunch each Sunday from Mother’s Day through Halloween. Stop by Ruby Colorful Coffees for the best maple latte anywhere, walk over to the 175-year-old farmers market a few blocks away, then take a stroll (or bike ride) along the 27-mile Green Circle Trail as it glides along the waterfront and passes through forests, parks and wetlands. One of Wisconsinites’ favorite undiscovered spots promises good food, great trails and unique entertainment, all without the crowds.

Stevens Point isn’t well known (yet) by out-of-state travelers – and that’s a good thing. Wisconsin’s Door County Peninsula is known by many as the Cape Cod of the Midwest © Timothy Mulholland / Alamy Stock Photo Expect a secret spot for an ideal weekend getaway at Stevens Point

#BEAUTIFUL WISCONSIN SCENERY PLUS#

Both Mirror Lake State Park and Devil’s Lake State Park have year-round hiking fit for families, plus kayaking and canoeing during summer and fall months. If you visit during summer or fall, be sure to take a one of the Upper Dells river boat tours, which are led by funny, personable guides that can get even “too cool for school” teenagers to smile.įor food, head to funky indoor food truck park Grateful Shed, where kids will fall in love with Fruity Pebble marshmallow ice cream (while adults might get excited about the snazzy grilled cheese sandwiches). The area bursts with not only outdoor, summer-only water parks, but also indoor ones, too (like the Kalahari Resort), meaning you can take the plunge here even as the temperatures plunge outside. This town of 3000 is known as “the water park capital of the world” and is home to one of largest in the country, Noah’s Ark. If the kids could pick just one place to go in Wisconsin, most would choose Wisconsin Dells.

Photography / Shutterstock Wisconsin Dells offers fabulous options for families Wisconsin Dells is known as the “water park capital of the world” © Aaron of L.A. Wisconsin’s largest and most diverse city also has the best entertainment and nightlife in the state, while its proximity to several interesting places – including Madison, Wisconsin Dells and the Door County Peninsula – make it a great base to explore the region via day trips. Throw in “inland” celebrations like Bastille Days, Anime Milwaukee and the Wisconsin State Fair (don’t leave without trying a cream puff!), and visitors are pretty much guaranteed to find something special going on during their visit. From food truck parties to cultural events celebrating the city’s Irish, African, German, Mexican and LGBTIQ+ communities, there’s always something going on at the lakefront. Perhaps the world’s largest music festival, Summerfest is an annual pillar of the calendar – and Henry Maier Festival Park (colloquially known as “the Summerfest grounds”) hosts massive events just about every weekend in summer and early fall.

While Milwaukee is known around the world as Brew City, locals call their hometown the City of Festivals. Taking in the festive scene at Milwaukee’s Summerfest from above © Sylvia Laughrin Photography / Getty Images Milwaukee is your go-to town for festivals of all stripes

Beautiful wisconsin scenery