Vacation in Sheboygan Falls & Kohler

Recently, my family and I felt the need for a small out of town break from Chicago, so I started looking for great spots to go closeby.  A small bit of research led me to Sheboygan Falls- a small town about an hour north of Milwaukee near the Lake Michigan coast.  I read nothing but very good things about this spot and we decided to go for it.

The ride up there was pleasant as usual as we passed farms, forest, Mars Cheese Castle and we stopped in Milwaukee for lunch.  The Milwaukee Public Market is a no brainer- they have local vendors who have everything from fresh seafood, sausages, artisan cheese and sandwiches, sushi and tacos.  And free parking!  After that we started on the last leg up to Sheboygan Falls.

We had reservations at The Rochester Inn, a cozy Bed & Breakfast near downtown and the rapids of the Sheboygan River.  The rooms are all uniquely designed and named- we stayed in The Charles Cole named for a pioneer merchant from 19th century Wisconsin.  Most of the rooms are bi-level and, though they're meant for romantic couples, accomodated our family perfectly.  The first floor has a couch, fridge and kitchen sink and the upstairs has a comfy bed and bathroom.  Both floors have flatscreen TVs with DVD.  Lily was able to to sleep in a Pack n' Play on the 1st floor while we had some wine and watched a movie.  Your morning starts off on the right foot with a room-service breakfast of fresh fruit, french toast and omelete.  A great place to stay!

Our first day we took a walk around downtown which was a short walk over the bridge and headed to River Park, which I highly recommend.  It's a great spot to walk, fish, BBQ, watch baseball or play on the swings and slides.  There's quite a few shops but they're closed on Sunday and some are closed Monday as well.  A couple of local places to eat are Falls Firehouse Pizza, The Other Place Pub (known for their Friday Fish Fry) and the Bread & Bean Eatery, known for making great homemade sandwiches and dishes- the Chi-Town Stir Fry is awesome.  We were also able to shop for some wine at Save Way Liquor- they have a decent selection and I purchased Santa Rita 120 Carmenere (a good under $10 red) and a mixed 12 pack of New Glarus beers, a must buy whenever you go to Wisconsin!

For dinner we headed to Sheboygan, which is right on the coast, and ate at the Duke of Devon which has an amazing outdoor patio, fish & chips and local beer selections.  The rest of the menu is comprised of English Pub fare like Bangers & Mash and Curry Chips.  This town is much larger and great for boating and fishing.

The following day after breakfast we headed to Kohler, a small town located just east of the Falls and home to Kohler Co.  There's a lot to do here: two golf courses (Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits), the Kohler Waters Spa, The American Club Resort, the Shops at Woodlake (all unique specialty shops, boutiques and restaurants) and Kohler itself which has a showroom and museum.  Driving, walking, shopping, eating- I recommend spending a day or two here!

This is a great trip anyone living in the Midwest can take with partners, friends and family.  Contact me if you have any questions and please comment if you've already made this trip.