Wisconsinites are no strangers to the cold and snow that winter brings, but rather than hunker down and hibernate, we know a thing or two about embracing the winter months. And luckily for us, a number of communities across the state are putting their own creative spin on winter, so there are plenty of ways to keep busy during the snowy season!
1. Arctic Warrior Winter Obstacle Course
Every winter, the northwoods town of St. Germain hosts the Arctic Warrior, an outdoor obstacle course race. Participants walk, run, climb and crawl through a number of obstacles in this fun, friendly race!
2. Arctic Warrior Showshoe Race
If you’re looking for a more low-key winter activity, strap on your snowshoes for the Arctic Warrior Snowshoe races! Choose from either a 5K or 10K course, both of which feature the beautiful scenery of Little St. Germain Lake.
3. Devil’s Head Resort
With 500 vertical feet and 32 runs, Devil’s Head Resort in Merrimac offers some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the Midwest! Guests can also enjoy cross country skiing, a terrain park, and skiing and snowboarding lessons.
4. H’s Place
Known for their deep dish pizza (the large pizza weighs 10 pounds!), H’s Place offers cozy, lakefront dining and fresh, homemade food perfect for warming up after a day out in the snow.
5. The Old Schoolhouse
Completely renovated from top to bottom, The Old Schoolhouse consists of an 1800s schoolhouse, a historic jailhouse, and an 1890s church all combined into one unique venue. The Old Schoolhouse is available for special events and is open to the public on Sundays and Thursdays for pizza and drinks.
6. Bald Eagle Watching Days
From November through February, bald eagles flock to the Sauk Prairie area to nest along the Wisconsin River. Bald Eagle Watching Days offers shuttles to a number of bird watching hot spots, as well as speakers and educational programs to raise awareness about eagle preservation efforts.
7. Wollersheim Winery & Distillery
As Wisconsin’s largest winery, there’s no shortage of delicious wines to sip and sample at Wollersheim Winery. Visitors also can sample a wide variety of spirits at its recently opened distillery located onsite.
8. Coloring & Coffee
Brighten up the dreary winter days by doing a little coloring at River Arts in Prairie du Sac. Visitors can take their pick from a number of adult coloring pages and warm up with a cup of coffee made by local roaster John Joseph Coffee.
9. Winterfest
Every year during the last week in January, Lake Geneva kicks off a nine-day festival celebrating the best of winter. Visitors will find everything from hot cocoa crawls, ice castles, a winter carnival, magic shows, live music, and even human dogsled races.
10. United States National Snow Sculpting Championship
Held during Winterfest every year, 15 of the country’s most talented snow sculpting teams compete for the national snow sculpting title. Marvel at the artistry and skill as the sculpting teams perfect their snowy masterpieces!
What are your favorite ways to enjoy the winter season? Share with us on social media using #DiscoverWisconsin!
— Jennifer Ingish is the series producer for the nation’s longest-running tourism TV show, “Discover Wisconsin.” The column is published Wednesdays on the Life page in the Times.
