I had the opportunity to spend the weekend in Portage, WI with my mom and my pup! Portage is located approximately 100 minutes northwest from Milwaukee and 45 minutes north of Madison. We adventured the area all weekend and enjoyed some of the fun things that it has to offer!
SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS
We had two different sleeping arrangements for this trip - a hotel and a campsite. I wanted to practice with the RV, so Kona and I stayed at Sky High Camping Resort. There is SO much to do on the campgrounds - I was impressed! Huge swimming pool, basketball court, pickleball court, mini golf, and more! We stayed on a full service site and had hookups to both water and electric while we were there. Everything we needed was right at our finger tips!
Because 3 of us in the RV is far too much, my mom stayed at The Ridge Hotel. It is located right in downtown Portage which allows easy access to lots of shopping and restaurants. It was very affordable and convenient for our trip.
GET OUTSIDE
When we arrived on Friday evening, we headed to Paquette Park for their Concert in the Park series. Panchromatic Steel band provided us with an awesome concert while we relaxed in our lawn chairs in the beautiful park. The concert ended a bit early because of rain, but it was so much fun while it lasted! Kona had a great time dancing with me (I think).
Saturday was a BEAUTIFUL day so we began our morning with a stroll on the Levee Trail. The trail is a ~3 mile path with stunning views of the Wisconsin River. It was a pretty easy hike and Kona loved taking in all of the smells and eyeing up the wildlife. We saw cranes and deer on our walk!
My mom and I headed to Silver Lake Beach in the afternoon to go kayaking! You can rent kayaks right on the beach for $5/hour - it was perfect. I kayak pretty regularly but my mom does not. She had the best time! The sun was shining and we were on a gorgeous lake - what more can you ask for? There is a beach and concession stand here, too. It is the perfect spot to spend a sunny afternoon.
Throughout the weekend, we made it a mission to find all of the canoes that are a part of Canoes on Parade. Each canoe is painted by a local artist and represents the Native people "portaging" their canoe over the river. Fun fact: Portage means "to carry".
FOOD & DRINK
On Friday evening, we headed to Neil's Wine House for a bite to eat. We sat on the patio with Kona and ordered a few appetizers with wine. The tomato bruschetta and caprese salad were delicious. We really liked the patio area, too. It was decorated beautifully and the service was 10/10.
After our walk on Saturday morning, we stopped at Two Rivers Coffee located right in downtown Portage. We ordered some caffeine and one of the best banana chocolate chip muffins I have ever eaten. I loved the atmosphere at this coffee shop. It is definitely somewhere I would spend lots of time in if I lived in the area.
We popped by (pun intended) Craig's Popcorn Corner on Saturday afternoon. Craig's Popcorn Corner was so much more than I expected! Not only do they have TONS of flavors of popcorn, they also have an extensive ice cream list and a few additional items on their menu. We sat on the patio and enjoyed ice cream and garlic parmesan popcorn. It is such a fun, iconic spot and the popcorn was to die for.
Saturday evening we dined at Suzy's Steak and Seafood House. I loved the atmosphere here, too. We arrived fairly early and they already had a decent crowd; that's the sign of a good restaurant. I ordered the bacon wrapped sirloin with a sweet potato and my mom got the prime rib special. Oh, and we ordered some cheese curds (obviously). All of the food was fantastic and so was our service. If you are looking for more of an upscale dinner in the area, this is the spot!
SHOPPING
Downtown Portage has TONS of places to shop! Our first stop was at Portage Craft Mall. I loved everything in this store. 55 local artisans and crafters sell their items here and when I tell you I could have spent an entire month's mortgage in this store, I mean it. They had everything from jewelry to home décor to glassware and clothing.
Our second stop was at Mercantile. This store also had SO much to offer! Several floors of specialty foods, gifts, collectibles, and more. I did a couple of laps in the store and found something new each time. I ended up spending quite a bit of money here but hey, you only live once, right? I got some really delicious cheese and that's honestly all that matters.