Settled comfortably along the shores of Lake Michigan north of Milwaukee, Sheboygan, half-way up the side of Wisconsin, is a medium-sized city with a very Bavarian past. Efforts to set Sheboygan up as a destination popular with a 21st-century crowd have succeeded, awarding visitors with pleasant parks to wander and a fine clutch of cultural sights.
Start your tour with a stroll along the boardwalk following the Sheboygan River as it meanders through the city center, turning north to wander the Lake Michigan shore for access to the shipwrecked schooner (on the surface these days), Lottie Cooper. Get an overview of regional history at the Sheboygan County Historical Museum, seek out an afternoon bratwurst snack at some local hot spot (Bavarian influence!), then make your way on over to John Michael Kohler Arts Center for a look at creative community efforts.
Get an early start for a day around Sheboygan, stopping first at the Sheboygan Indian Mound Park to get a glimpse of Wisconsin's Native American past, then hit the beach in Kohler-Andrae State Park for a relaxing few hours by the water. Anglers itching to reel in big fish can land a charter trip with one of the boats operating out of the Harbor Center Marina, and just maybe a trophy to take home. Would-be walkers should head for local pedestrian-friendly routes like the Old Plank Road Trail or pack a picnic and strike off for the parks in Pigeon River Environmental Park, laced with easy paths and natural springs.
Leave a day free to visit the fascinating Kohler Design Center and associated working community boasting a world class golf course, world famous resort and superb dining possibilities a few miles from downtown Sheboygan.
Sheboygan is 58 miles north of Milwaukee.
