It’s Cooler By The Lake

Yearning for a relaxing, Mayberry-style getaway? Think Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The small town (pop. 900+) lies about 90 minutes north of Milwaukee—a place where classic, time-honored resorts welcome escapees from the daily grind. The lake itself, patrolled by kayaks and pontoons, is deep and clean and blissfully quiet, thanks to a no-wake policy before 10 A.M. and all day Sundays. Not even a mosquito dares buzz, thanks to larvae-eating minnows stocking the lakefront pond. (Oh, you do want some vroom-vroom? Nearby, Road America beckons; we’ll get to that in a minute.)
It wasn’t always like this. Back in the day, with visitors arriving by train from Milwaukee and Chicago, this was a legendary gambling town. Then, in the clean-living 1950s, its focus turned to racing. And today, that’s still its forte.
We stayed in the grande dame Osthoff, a 240-room resort anchoring the lakefront, sporting a recent renovation which celebrates a choose-your-mood variety of bars and restaurants as well as cooking classes (Oh, there’s a complete kitchen within every suite, but hey: We’re on vacation). It’s also home to Aspira—a destination spa, offering services ranging from massages to mani-pedis, a salt room, meditation room, hamam and more—including a designated men’s program.
But we’re hungry. Breakfast at Otto’s—mimosas, Benedicts—followed dinner at Concourse (hurrah for the Caesar salad, the tender halibut). Then, off to Road America!

In the mid-Fifties, when the local economy needed a boost, this 640-acre venue debut proved the answer, with a four-mile sports car racecourse designed in a 14-turn configuration, and since then has kept the pedal right on the metal on its oval track, whose borders visitors can circle at will, choosing where they’d like to watch (open mid-April to November)—or drive their own sports car ($375 fee; instructions offered). The site offers sunset cruises, a performance driving school (motorcycles too) and four-mile fitness runs several evenings per week—even geo-caching via golf carts. “There’s always an event on-track,” promised our guide. Off-road, too.
Our cart off-roaded its way, bumping up, down, over and around the lush forests and pretty meadows populating the vast property. Exhausted but exhilarated, we then headed to the Kettle Moraine State Forest’s Greenbush Rec Area for a spot of hiking along an Ice Age trail, spotting spring’s first trillium flowers abloom, peering for porcupines—and Bigfoot, as locals whisper.
Which means we were soon ravenous for dinner, and P.A.M.’s restaurant, at lakeside turn-of-the-century Siebkens Resort, went above-and beyond, via family-styled platters of salad (greens dusted with cubed butternut squash, chevre, onion, toasted almonds) followed by cheese curds (can’t go home without ’em ), a sweet-fleshed walleye piccata plus short ribs sided with polenta, building to a climax of fresh strawberries garbed in whipped cream.
The Siebkens Hotel itself, originally built as a farmhouse, also boasts an uber-Wisconsin speakeasy called Stop-Inn Tavern, touted as the best bar on the racing circuit, as well as a tiny, ‘secret’ bar manned by a primo bartender who knows his way around Wisconsin’s iconic Brandy Old Fashioneds. Live music on the site’s bandstand is another bonus. (Not tonight, however. A tornado warning directed us to huddle in safety.)

The Shore Club—Elkhart Lake’s newest resort, built in 1872, destroyed by fire, rebuilt, and rebuilt again—this time in fresh, contemporary style—pampers guests with a hearty breakfast buffet in its comfy lakeview room. Dinner in its speakeasy, the Social, celebrates a 1930s-40s throwback menu, careening from an uber-traditional shrimp cocktail to entrees like Beef Wellington (how long since you’ve seen that on a menu?) to Cordon Blue (ditto) to an ultra-Wisconsin Friday night fish fry (yes!!!). Drinks? Prohibition-style Martinis, of course. Don’t miss the lakeside Tiki Bar, the lake’s most famous music venue.
The sweet hometown of Elkhart Lake itself boasts a primo dining spot called Lake Street Café, where its dedicated, longtime owner Lynn had garnered a Wine Spectator award for her stunning list and our personal award for fab, fun food. We lunched on a three-cheese grilled cheese sandwich boosted with a schmear of pesto; a roast beet and fennel salad spotlighting cashews and Parmesan in lemon-Dijon vinaigrette; and focaccia topped with prosciutto and mozz sided with grilled veggies—not to mention a beyond-wicked brownie sundae. Patio seating, too. Evening best sellers, Lynn says, are her tenderloin Shiraz and sea bass.

Now that we’re in the heart of town, we find our way to Elkhart Outfitters (stocking everything, trust me, you’ll crave to burnish your image); Nordic Accents (Scando sweaters to clogs, candles to linens); STBF Shop, which stands for Small Town, Big Family: from local pottery to bill caps on which to create your own art, plus recycled skateboards fashioned into key rings.
Two Fish Gallery leads lucky voyeurs through a lush, jungle-like garden to an in-home showroom celebrating the owner’s handmade pottery plus finds from around the world. Vintage Elkhart Lake is the place to head for local wines, cheeses, chocolates and more. On the town’s outskirts, the hundred-year-old Quit Qui Oc, aside the golf course—27 holes gracing its rolling 250 acres– offers all things golfing in its pro shop plus slurpy from-scratch diner-style food at its adjoining café. As we were leaving, the mah jong ladies swooped in to claim their tables.

It’s a Wisconsin law that you cannot leave the state without cheese. OK, just kidding. But it’s excellent advice, and Henning’s is the place to make it happen. A 20-minute drive from the resorts, this enterprise today is run by fourth-generation owners, one of whom—Kert—serves as our tour guide. “At one time, Wisconsin boasted 2,800 cheese factories; today,” he says, “we’re down to 125. Here, we’re producing from 12,000 to 20,000 pounds. Per. Day. Our varieties, all from cows’ milk, are aged from 30 days for a mild cheese, up to 24 months for a nice, sharp cheddar.” Flavor variations range from strawberry to blueberry cobbler, plus one with a distinct chili hit. Cheese curds too, natch.
Trust me, the cheddar was worth the extra weight in the carry-on. To plan your own escape, visit www.elkhartlake.com and prepare for a preview of small-town heaven.

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