Sheboygan

The City of Sheboygan (SHEH boy gan, slogan: Spirit on the Lake) is located about an hour south of Green Bay on Lake Michigan.  We have passed by many times, but had yet had a chance to stop in and check it out. Fun fact: Sheboygan sits at the exact north-south center of the western shore of Lake Michigan, where the Sheboygan River enters the Lake.  The harbor is known for some decent waves under the right conditions- in fact, Sheboygan is actually a hotspot for freshwater surfing and used to host an annual festival called the Dairyland Surf Classic.  Check out this YouTube video for a sample of the action, and yes, the surfing is best in the winter (another video).  Malibu of the Midwest, anyone?

Our first stop was 8th Street Ale Haus in downtown Sheboygan for late lunch.  Luckily we arrived in time to order from the brunch menu (brunch runs pretty late around here).  We both had delicious sandwiches and tried some of the house brews.  Their full menu looked really good including a number of German entrees that were probably excellent.

After lunch we braved the cold and stopped at Deland Park to view the Sheboygan Breakwater lighthouse, which has the interesting distinction of being named one of the ugliest ( the "least attractive") lighthouses on the Great Lakes.  The lantern has been removed from the top, which is now outfitted with a weather station for the National Data Buoy Center in addition to the modern light.  The modifications make the lighthouse look a bit "decapitated," if you will.  We also viewed the wreckage of the Lottie Cooper, a 3-mast schooner that went down in a storm in 1894 waiting to dock in Sheboygan.  The remnants of the frame were raised during construction of the marina in 1992 and reconstructed at the park.  It was neat to actually walk through it and get a sense of its size, but I can't imagine it will hold up too well exposed to all the elements on the lakeshore.  Some of the Great Lakes wrecks that are still underwater are preserved fairly well thanks to the cold waters and lack of salt.

Sheboygan breakwater light

The Remains of the Lottie Cooper (1894 shipwreck, raised in 1992)

Our next stop was 3 Sheeps Brewing Company's taproom.  We sampled the beer there and even had a s'more bar since another customer showed up with a potluck dessert that was leftover from a church function.  

 Beer tasting flight at 3 Sheeps Brewing

One of the other interesting things about Sheboygan is that the Kohler Co. (manufacturer of bathroom and kitchen fixtures) is located right next door in Kohler, WI.  I noticed that the restrooms were pretty fancy there, and had some nuanced ways to turn on the faucets and flush the toilets that took some figuring out.  I later learned about the John Michael Kohler Art Center which seems like a neat museum and art center, including a Kohler bathroom exhibit that might be worth checking out another time, because who doesn't find toilet art intriguing.  Overall, Sheboygan was a lot more eclectic then I thought it would be.    

Then, up the road to Green Bay for the week ahead.  Tonight we added another 5 inches of of snow to the snowpack, and it's supposed to be more seasonal temperature-wise for awhile, so the snow will probably stick around.  We have had above-normal temperatures for a couple of weeks, which has been nice. Temperatures in the teens means light and fluffy snow = easier to shovel.