3 post-pandemic Wisconsin trips to plan right now
I'm not one for New Year's resolutions, but I am all about travel bucket lists and planning trips I want to take in the new year.
It takes on a new meaning in 2021 as I hope we can get back to a new kind of normal and travel without worrying about catching or spreading a deadly virus.
There are plenty of far-flung destinations on my lifelong travel list, but I'm looking forward to getting to some Midwestern spots in the immediate future — some of my favorite places that were closed or not safe to visit this year, plus a few new spots like Isle Royale, which was only accessible via seaplane this year.
Here are three Wisconsin destinations to consider for your post-pandemic travel list.
See the jewels of Lake Superior in the Apostle Islands
The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore was (and still is) open this year, and the lakeshore's wide-open spaces made it an option for a socially distanced vacation, which I took advantage of this summer. But the islands' campsites and lighthouses were closed all season, and events for the lakeshore's 50th anniversary were curtailed. The park service is planning more events for 2021, and hopefully the lighthouses and campsites will be open again, allowing for a visit that encompasses all the islands have to offer.
Also in the area worth a visit is Big Top
Chautauqua, a live arts venue housed in a giant tent outside Bayfield that closed for the 2020 season; Copper Crow Distillery, the country's first Native American-owned distillery; and plenty of other outdoor gems including Frog Bay National Park, Lost Creek Falls and Houghton Falls Nature Preserve.
For somewhere to stay, try Bayfield's Old Rittenhouse Inn, an 1890 Queen Anne Victorian mansion. The bed and breakfast is perched on a hill overlooking Lake Superior, with a wrap-around deck and a few rooms offering views of the lake and Madeline Island in the distance. A delicious multi-course breakfast from the inn's Landmark Restaurant (which also serves lunch and dinner) is included with your stay.
Visit Wisconsin’s car-free island state park, Rock Island
This state park off the tip of Door County was closed for all of 2020, partially due to high lake levels that flooded the island's dock, but also because of social distancing concerns aboard the passenger ferry that takes visitors there. The remote, foot-traffic-only park is one of my favorites. Because it's hard to get to it's usually not too busy, especially if you snag one of the 25 hike-in campsites and stay on the island after the day trippers have left.
Even if you only go for the day, it's worth the two ferry trips it takes to get there, with 10 miles of hiking trails — including a 5.2-mile one that circles the island — one of the state's oldest lighthouses, historical stone buildings constructed by the wealthy inventor who once owned the island, and prime stargazing if you camp. Reservations for those campsites go fast. They're available 11 months in advance, so make yours now if you want to visit next summer.
If you don't want to camp, head back to Washington Island where there are plenty of cottages and other lodging options, including the historic Hotel Washington & Studio, which was closed in 2020. The bed and breakfast opened in 1904 — thanks in part to a loan from that inventor who owned Rock Island — and today includes eight rooms and two shared bathrooms, plus a restaurant that sources food from island farms and a studio with regular yoga classes in the summer.
While you're on Washington Island, check out some of its highlights including Schoolhouse Beach, with smooth, white limestone rocks instead of sand; Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm and Store, the Midwest's largest lavender farm; Stavkirke, a church based on drawings of one built in Borgund, Norway, in the 12th century; and Nelsen's Hall & Bitters Club, where you can join the club by taking a shot of Angostura bitters, which the original owner served through Prohibition under a pharmaceutical license.
Dine and unwind in the Dells with Ishnala and Sundara
It was still possible to take the obligatory Instagram photo with an Ishnala branded old fashioned glass perched on the restaurant's deck overlooking Mirror Lake, but dining inside the onetime log cabin was more limited this year. The restaurant doesn't take reservations, so get there early next summer to enjoy classic supper club fare served with picturesque views of the pine-rimmed lake. The restaurant is open seasonally, usually May through October.
You could camp next door at Mirror Lake — a hiking trail that connects the park with the supper club means you wouldn't have to get in a car all weekend if you don't want to. Or you could treat your post-pandemic self to a weekend at Sundara Inn & Spa, which Travel + Leisure magazine named one of the Midwest's best resort hotels in 2020. The resort offers an array of spa treatments and luxurious accommodations including new Woodland Retreats, which feature two bedrooms, private outdoor hot-soak baths with an adjacent fireplace and private patios with views of the pine trees that surround the resort.
The Dells lost one of its staple attractions in 2020 when the Tommy Bartlett Show announced in September it would shut down permanently because of business losses
brought on by the pandemic. But other staples have held on, including Dells Boat Tours, which offers tours of the Wisconsin River via Original Wisconsin Ducks, jet boats and regular cruises.
More Wisconsin spots to add to your post-pandemic travel list
Delta Diner: This middle-of-nowhere diner in far northern Wisconsin stayed open for limited indoor seating, curbside service and outdoor dining, but closed for November and December as COVID cases continued to climb in Wisconsin. The restaurant has plans to reopen in January, and this refurbished 1940s Silk City diner is worth the drive to the middle of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Bayfield County. The food is as good as the atmosphere, with offerings that include French toast stuffed with mascarpone cheese and fresh blueberries, and eggs Benedict with a homemade chipotle-chorizo-chili sauce. The restaurant is busy in the summer in normal years, so plan on a wait when you go. Find it at 14385 County Highway H, Delta.
American Players Theatre: Like most performing arts venues across the state, this classical theater in Spring Green canceled its 2020 season. The theater offered some virtual performances, but nothing compares to driving through the state's bucolic Driftless Region to sit in an outdoor theater tucked into one of its hills and watch Shakespeare under the stars. Here's to hoping patrons can do that again in 2021.
Holy Hill: The highest point in Washington County offers some of the best views of fall colors in southeastern Wisconsin. While visitors could still take in those views from the ground this year, the tower at the basilica there was closed due to social distancing concerns, making it impossible to take in bird's-eye views. Those will be even better next year if it reopens.
Contact Chelsey Lewis at clewis@ journalsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter at @chelseylew and @TravelMJS and Facebook at Journal Sentinel Travel.