Hotel at a Glance: Harbor Winds Hotel

Harbor Winds Hotel offers a peaceful getaway near the mouth of the Sheboygan River and the Sheboygan boardwalk. Enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast in the morning, then take a walk through the many quaint restaurants and shops on the boardwalk. At the hotel’s nearby sister property, you can take advantage of a pool and fitness room.

• Accommodations: Each comfy room is outfitted with a microwave and mini-fridge.
• Take a stroll along the lakefront; a short distance off the coast, you’ll find the Sheboygan Breakwater Lighthouse on a craggy breakwater.
• South Pier: Across the river, this lively area has myriad dining and shopping options, including the South Pier Parlor, an old-fashioned ice cream shop with a classic soda fountain.
• Play outdoors: Take a bike ride on the lakefront bike path near the hotel, or go fishing on Lake Michigan; several nearby tour companies offer sport-fishing cruises and charters.

Sheboygan, Wisconsin: Fishing Town on Lake Michigan with Acclaimed Arts Scene

One of Wisconsin’s premier harbor towns, Sheboygan is located along Lake Michigan, halfway between Green Bay and Milwaukee. During the spring and summer months, fishing boats cruise the lake in search of rainbow trout and king salmon. Sheboygan is a popular surfing destination, as well. The coastline juts into Lake Michigan, exposing it to strong winds that create swells up to 24 feet high. The largest gathering of freshwater surfers in the world, the Dairyland Surf Classic, takes place here every year.

In the spring, boat tours through Broughton Sheboygan Marsh Park give visitors glimpses of nesting waterfowl nurturing their soon-to-hatch eggs. A few miles inland, Maywood Environmental Park boasts six diverse ecosystems and 135 acres of hiking and mountain-biking trails.

Sheboygan is also home to a unique arts scene. The John Michael Kohler Arts Center showcases contemporary American art exhibits and sculptures, though it’s probably best known for its artist-created washrooms, which are ornamented with floor-to-ceiling murals, hand-glazed china lavatories, and other whimsical touches. You can see mythical statues at the nearby James Tellen Woodland Sculpture Garden, including the 65-foot-long Fallen Log masterpiece. And no trip to Sheboygan is complete without trying a double sausage on a hard roll. The town is, after all, the “brat capital of the world.”

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