Illustration: Dave Zylstra
Daylight shrinks, temps plummet, you yearn to escape, and tropical jet-setting is not an option. Fear not, Dejected Wanderer. Close to home are beautiful options, including this quick Top 10.
Appleton: The price of pampering at Spa BenMarNico’s Salon on College Avenue is affordable. Think $93 for a 90-minute trio of treatments: facial, massage and hand or foot soak/polish. Factor in time at the whirlpool, too, and spend the night upstairs, at classy Copperleaf Boutique Hotel. Within one block are Vince Lombardi’s Steak House (which doubles as a museum about the legendary coach) and Cleo’s, a kitschy tavern whose specialty is the Dirty Snowball. foxcities.org
Chicago Theatre Week: Deep discounts to 120-some productions occur Feb. 8-18 in the Windy City, and these $15 and $30 tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9. Get on the mailing list and prepare to act fast. Adding an Amtrak ticket or—cheaper—Metra train ride from Kenosha turns this into a day trip. The end of the line, at Union Station, is just a 15-minute walk to most Loop theaters. chicagotheatreweek.com
Illinois Beach Resort, Zion: Just south of the border and inside Illinois Beach State Park are 6.5 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and roomy lodging with floor-to-ceiling lakefront views and reasonable rates. Good food too. Pack a swimsuit for the pool, sauna and hot tub. Over 55? The “senior special” includes an overnight for two, $40 dinner and $15 breakfast vouchers, plus a gift bag—all for as little as $135. ilresorts.com
Justin Trails Resort, Sparta: Feel bad about leaving the dog home while gallivanting? Well-behaved pooches are welcome on this 200-acre farm with everything from log cabins to farmhouse suites. Another option for animal lovers: Get acquainted with the resort’s critters, which include two llamas. Overnight rates, which begin at $139, include breakfast and access to disc golf and hiking trails. Pay an extra $30 per pet, per day. justintrails.com
Lake Geneva School of Cooking, Lake Geneva: Let chef John Bogan do the cooking, and the teaching. Some small-group classes are hands-on (to make brunch, holiday cookies, multi-course meals). Others are demonstration tables (the chef teaches by doing as students watch, imbibe and graze). Cooking classes for kids, Dec. 28 and 29, give parents a guilt-free, loose leash for three hours. Prices start at $50. lakegenevacookingschool.com
Madison Hotel Week: Rates at the capital city’s finest hotels are no more than $125 from Feb. 9-19. Players include The Edgewater, a historic hotel that faces Lake Mendota, and Graduate Hotel Madison, college-centric with woodsy décor within steps of popular Memorial Union, home to frequent music and movies on campus. Simply roam or add tickets to an Overture Center production or Badgers sports event. For green thumbs: Wisconsin Public Television’s annual Garden Expo is Feb. 9-11. visitmadison.com/madison-hotel-week
Mecan River Outfitters and Lodge, Princeton: You want a good book and crackling fire. Your beloved wants to ski the day away. This woodsy destination suits you both because of 10 miles of cross-country ski trails that begin at a cozy log lodge with a 35-foot-tall fieldstone fireplace, bar and restaurant. Upstairs are five pleasant guest rooms with shared bath, $92 per night per couple. Bring your skis or rent them there. Sleigh rides happen too. mecanriveroutfitters.com
Sundara Inn and Spa, Wisconsin Dells: Live rich for a night by rounding up friends and renting a 1,700-square-foot and two-bedroom Lifestyle Villa, which sleeps eight (if you share beds and the sofa sleeper). Add a three-way fireplace, gourmet kitchen, woodland views from walls of windows and plenty of room to sprawl. Pack ingredients for cocktail hour, dinner and get cooking. Rates start at $499, which includes access to the spa’s indoor bathhouse and outdoor infinity pool. sundaraspa.com
Titletown Park, Green Bay: Inspect Lambeau from a new perspective, the top of a 45-foot-tall and 300-foot-long sledding hill. That’s a marquee feature at the new Titletown District, next to the football field. So now a Packers fan pilgrimage can involve tubing and ice skating, as well as a stadium tour and Packers Hall of Fame visit. Buy a round and nosh at Hinterland’s Beer Hall, or savor a cigar outdoors at Lodge Kohler’s heated Taverne in the Sky. greenbay.com
Wilmot Mountain, Wilmot: For almost 80 years, families have brought their love of winter sports to this downhill destination. Now it has 120 acres for skiing and snowboarding, plus a 22-lane tubing area, and since 2016 is owned/operated by Vail Resorts. Souped-up snowmaking equipment creates what Mother Nature fails to provide. New lifts and warm-up lodge revamp are part of the area’s $13 million in improvements. wilmotmountain.com
