Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
That's oh-KAHN-uh-muh-wahk (sometimes that first syllable sounds like “uh”). It's the
onlycityinAmericawithanamespelledwithfiveo's,oneineveryodd-numberedposition
intheword.Oconomowocisanothertrim,spread-outVictoriancity,thisonewoundaround
Lac La Belle and Fowler Lake, with other lakes in chip-shot range.
Oconomowoc is primarily a strolling town; go to the lobby of the
First Bank of
Oconomowoc
(155 W. Wisconsin Ave., 262/569-9900), where you'll find paintings of
many of the homes in town.
Food
Spinnaker's
(128 W. Wisconsin Ave., 262/567-9691, lunch and dinner daily, $6-11), right
on Lac La Belle serves casual food, from burgers to seafood and prime rib. The lake views
are great for unwinding.
Head for a fish fry at
Todd's Grill
(164 E. Wisconsin Ave., 262/567-6023,
www.todds-
bluegill, or walleye (I'd go for the walleye) and potato pancakes and you'll sleep happy,
guaranteed.
Purportedlytheoldestdiningestablishment inWisconsinisthe
M
Red Circle Inn
(N44
W33013 Watertown Plank Rd., 262/367-4883,
www.redcircleinn.com
, 5pm-9:30pm Tues.-
Sat., $18-25), established in 1848. Enjoy gourmet American and some French country
cuisine. You'll find it along WIS 16 east of Oconomowoc Lake at the junction with High-
way C.
TheKettleMoraineStateForest-SouthernUnitissiblingtothenortherntier.Debatecontin-
ues—andgetsabitbristlyattimes—overplanstoacquiresufficientprivatelandstolinkthe
two (and the Ice Age National Scenic Trail), creating a green buffer against Lake Michigan
suburban expansion and, thus, preventing the destruction of southern Wisconsin's glacial
topography. The Wisconsin DNR is gradually adding more than 15,000 acres over coming
decades to create a “buffer” from encroaching development.
The state's oddball glacial heritage pops up everywhere—residual kames, eskers, and
the eponymous kettles and moraines. Also within the forest are weather-beaten homestead
log cabins, now one-eyed and decaying in the tall grass, and a handful of bluff-line panor-
amas taking in all the glacial geology. In 2002, the forest literally returned to life. Original
prairie seeds dormant for 150 years bloomed again; the resurgence happened because the
