Reader feedback: Wisconsin's North Woods

Have your own suggestions for visiting Wisconsin's North Woods? Share your tips with other readers.

I was born and raised in Rhinelander, so here's a few words of advice from a local who's been around tourists all her life.

1.) Leave the road rage at home. This isn't metro Chicago, so please don't drive like it. You could end up hitting a deer, or worse, a nine-year old.

2.) If you're going to use your snowmobile to get from one bar to another, fine. All I suggest is not trying to max out the speedometer on a trail through the forest after you've "had a few." Our paramedics get tired of scraping tourists off of tree trunks.

3.) Prepare yourself for Packer/Brewer fever. And if you walk into a local tavern in a Chicago Bears or Cubs outfit, prepare for scorn and disdain. Don't say I didn't warn you.

That's about it. Enjoy your visit. Be safe.

Don't forget about the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival in September! Picture roughly 2,000 Mountain Bike Racers starting in the middle of Hayward, then riding 40 miles through the Chequamegon National Forest to Cable, WI. It's something to see and experience!

Bring your golf clubs. The Hayward area also features a dozen great golf courses. From the challenging Pete Dye course Big Fish, to the quaint, nine-hole fun-to-play course at Spider Lake.

To add to Leslie's list: Make dinner reservations for Saturday nights. If you show up at 7:00 with your group of six without them, you will be waiting for a table.

Leslie wrote:

I was born and raised in Rhinelander, so here's a few words of advice from a local who's been around tourists all her life.
1.) Leave the road rage at home. This isn't metro Chicago, so please don't drive like it. You could end up hitting a deer, or worse, a nine-year old.
2.) If you're going to use your snowmobile to get from one bar to another, fine. All I suggest is not trying to max out the speedometer on a trail through the forest after you've "had a few." Our paramedics get tired of scraping tourists off of tree trunks.
3.) Prepare yourself for Packer/Brewer fever. And if you walk into a local tavern in a Chicago Bears or Cubs outfit, prepare for scorn and disdain. Don't say I didn't warn you.
That's about it. Enjoy your visit. Be safe.

There are actually more Cub fans than Brewer fans up north. Boulder jct., Presque Isle, Manacqua, Land o' Lakes, Eagle River......they're everywhere.

Boulder Beer Bar in Boulder Junction.........Best cheese curds on the planet!!!

Ride the paved bike path from just west of Sayner at Crystal lake to the end of North Trout Lake.(You go west to county H and then cross the street and get the path again on the west side of the road to go north) Don't miss the ride out to Cathedral Point at the ranger's station. Its about 16 miles round trip and sometimes hilly by Chicao standards, but it is spectacular, particularly in the fall with the colors.

It's "Minocqua," not "Manacqua." And the only Cubs fans are tourists, or former tourists who have relocated.

I've been up to the Northwoods well over 50 times and have never, ever, had a bad time. Keep it clean!!

Camp Manito-wish in Boulder Junction, WI. The premiere wilderness tripping camp in the country.

stopping by the original famous dave's is a must.

Don't miss Hodag Days in Rhinelander.:) Yay for Lake Emma!

How about this one -- if you're from IL?

Go home. Stay there.

It's beautiful and clean because you and your **** are 400 miles away, and we'd like to keep it that way.

As a regular visitor to the northwoods, my top 4 suggestions are:
1. Boulder Junction - not as crowded and "touristy" as Minocqua. Take 51 north and turn right on Hightway M. Great small stores with terffic finds. Also check out Coontail Corner - you can rent bikes. There is a wonderful trail along highway M.
2. Uncle Dan's fudge in Minocqua. Yum! Watch them make it through the large glass window. Kids love it.
3. Whoops toy store in Minocqua (and another branch is in Manitowsh Waters, just about 45 minutes north on 51 of Minocqua). Everything from stuffed animals to Mensa games.
4. Otto's Restaurant and Bar in Minocqua. Go all the way to the back to the large outdoor beer garden. You do not even feel like you're in downtown Minocqua as you sip your beer under the stars.
Have a great time! It is well worth the 6 hour drive from Chicago.

Leslie wrote:

It's "Minocqua," not "Manacqua." And the only Cubs fans are tourists, or former tourists who have relocated.

NOBODY follows the Brewers......all these yahoos care about is the packers...."is Brett coming Back?..oh,wheres my cheesehead hat?...blah, blah, blah."
Want a third world experience? Try Rhinelander.
Want a cultural experience a little higher up the evolutionary scale? Try Minocqua....or is it Managua?...no, maybe Manacqua. Well you know what I mean.
Here's something even Leslie doesn't know...there are almost 2300 lakes in Oneida and Vilas counties. For those who don't fish you can gamble in Flambeau @ the casino and never see the sun.
Just be sure to bring your wallet. If you're real lucky all the people with the same mindset as Leslie will be sucking down a few in some roadside dive out in the middle of the woods somewhere while they lampoon the visiting tourists with one hand and rob them blind with the other! Just some good old northwoods charm. BTW...the "Northwoods" doesn't exist anymore, at least not like it used to.

bus only lanes wrote:

How about this one -- if you're from IL?
Go home. Stay there.
It's beautiful and clean because you and your **** are 400 miles away, and we'd like to keep it that way.

Hey snot for brains....FYI the worst visitors up here are from MILWAUKEE!....last I heard it was in this state.

Mrs M wrote:

As a regular visitor to the northwoods, my top 4 suggestions are:
1. Boulder Junction - not as crowded and "touristy" as Minocqua. Take 51 north and turn right on Hightway M. Great small stores with terffic finds. Also check out Coontail Corner - you can rent bikes. There is a wonderful trail along highway M.
2. Uncle Dan's fudge in Minocqua. Yum! Watch them make it through the large glass window. Kids love it.
3. Whoops toy store in Minocqua (and another branch is in Manitowsh Waters, just about 45 minutes north on 51 of Minocqua). Everything from stuffed animals to Mensa games.
4. Otto's Restaurant and Bar in Minocqua. Go all the way to the back to the large outdoor beer garden. You do not even feel like you're in downtown Minocqua as you sip your beer under the stars.
Have a great time! It is well worth the 6 hour drive from Chicago.

It sounds like you know a lot about the area, so I will ask you this: many years ago, when I was a kid, we frequent Sayner (Froehlich's). Many a time we ate at a restaurant in Boulder Junction that had a famous chef(gourmet)- the food was spectacular! Reservations were a must. Do you by any chance know of that restaurant and if it still exists? We are planning a trip back to Sayner and would love to go back to that restaurant.

Don't forget Thunder Birds in St. Germain. Best local bar around. Along with that, Christmas in July at St. Germain. This is one of the best towns up north.

Take the kids to the Lumberjack show in Hayward. It's something you have to see at least once while up there. There is also a great fudge at Tremblay's on Main Street in town.

It is a very nice friendly beautiful place. Drive a bit further north as it is very close to Lake of the Clouds in the Porcupine Mts. in Michigan. That is also a beautiful view.