green lake and west bend, wisconsin

[Centropolis]

anyone been here? i'm going to a wedding in one and sort of accidentally am staying in another. any SPOTS recommended?

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

anyone been here? i'm going to a wedding in one and sort of accidentally am staying in another. any SPOTS recommended?

Go to Cedarburg, WI. It is worth Checking out, Port Washington too. Both are historic towns with awesome character. Port Washington is one of the few ports on the Great Lakes that still maintains a commercial fishing fleet. Cedarburg is a perfectly preserved mid 1800's frontier mill town. You will not be disappointed by either and there is PLENTY to photograph architecturally in both places.

The other towns in the area are pretty suburban, but if you can make it over to Koehler check that out too. It's like a Wisconsin version of Chicago's Pullman neighborhood. Koehler is a factory town built up by the eponymous purveyor of plumbing fixtures.

I would love to see a photo thread of those three Wisconsin towns. I think the midwest takes a lot of crap for not having a "Napa Valley" or "Hamptons" or cutesy New England tourist towns with Bed and Breakfasts everywhere. All three of these towns prove that wrong.


Also, when passing from West Bend to Green Lake, DO NOT take I-41. It is ugly and boring. Take side roads up through Horicon and see the Horicon Marsh which is one of the biggest bird rookeries on Earth. All the migratory traffic follows Lake Michigan and this is a huge resting ground and nesting site for many rare species. It is also nestled in the Kettle Moraine which is a beautiful hilly region left behind by glaciers.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Go to Cedarburg, WI. It is worth Checking out, Port Washington too. Both are historic towns with awesome character. Port Washington is one of the few ports on the Great Lakes that still maintains a commercial fishing fleet. Cedarburg is a perfectly preserved mid 1800's frontier mill town. You will not be disappointed by either and there is PLENTY to photograph architecturally in both places.

The other towns in the area are pretty suburban, but if you can make it over to Koehler check that out too. It's like a Wisconsin version of Chicago's Pullman neighborhood. Koehler is a factory town built up by the eponymous purveyor of plumbing fixtures.

I would love to see a photo thread of those three Wisconsin towns. I think the midwest takes a lot of crap for not having a "Napa Valley" or "Hamptons" or cutesy New England tourist towns with Bed and Breakfasts everywhere. All three of these towns prove that wrong.


Also, when passing from West Bend to Green Lake, DO NOT take I-41. It is ugly and boring. Take side roads up through Horicon and see the Horicon Marsh which is one of the biggest bird rookeries on Earth. All the migratory traffic follows Lake Michigan and this is a huge resting ground and nesting site for many rare species. It is also nestled in the Kettle Moraine which is a beautiful hilly region left behind by glaciers.

i was looking at places to stay around/in port washington but since this was last minute, everything was booked. i've never heard of cedarburg...i'll try to pass through one or the other.

someone else metioned koehler..if this wasn't 4th of july weekend (well, the weekend before) it would have all been a bit easier to plan and take it easy and wander around wisconsin. good call on not taking the interstate...i'll definitey cut cross country.

is west bend a bedroom community/commuter town of milwaukee? looks like it has an ok downtown.

[Steely Dan]

i don't know shit about west bend, but for green lake, i HIGHLY recommend the following:

for casual, don't miss Norton's of green lake. if the weather's nice, wait for a lakeside table on their large deck. grab a stool at the awesomely huge wisconsion-style wrap around bar and order an old fashioned and the blue-cheese chips while you wait for your table.


for a more upscale affair, Gray Rock at Heidel House resort is a sure bet. it's in a funky mid-century mansion overlooking the lake. and the food is tip-top.

here's the table my wife and i sat at for an anniversary dinner last summer: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.8348...7i13312!8i6656

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

i was looking at places to stay around/in port washington but since this was last minute, everything was booked. i've never heard of cedarburg...i'll try to pass through one or the other.

someone else metioned koehler..if this wasn't 4th of july weekend (well, the weekend before) it would have all been a bit easier to plan and take it easy and wander around wisconsin. good call on not taking the interstate...i'll definitey cut cross country.

is west bend a bedroom community/commuter town of milwaukee? looks like it has an ok downtown.

West Bend is like the outer edge of bedroom communities for Milwaukee. There is some local employment and a bit of tourism on Big Cedar Lake, but West Bend is more or less a suburb.

Of the three towns I recommended, I would prioritize Cedarburg if you are into historical architecture and preservation. Honestly it is the best preserved historic small town I've ever been to except maybe Galena, IL. It's what most people think of when they say the "good ole days", if it weren't for the new cars you might mistake it for 1958. If it weren't for two small mid century modern buildings on Main Street, you might mistake it for 1928.