A Milwaukee-Area Bed and Breakfast, The Port Washington Inn

Sea Ballads with Judy Cook

This Labor Day Weekend is an especially eventful one here in Port Washington as we celebrate the city’s 175th anniversary and the 150th anniversary of the 1860 Light Station!

We are all hoping for nice weather for Judy Cook’s concert Saturday at 2:00 on the lawn of the Light Station (chairs or blankets are recommended).  The alternative indoor site is downtown in a former furniture store now being operated as a maritime museum.

The 1860 Light Station now houses a museum which attracts 3000-4000 visitors a year and is operated by the Port Washington Historical Society.   Restoration of the Light Station has made it a proud landmark within the city.

Visit www.portwashingtonhistoricalsociety.org for details.

Autumn leaves at Port Washington Inn

Ever ponder what gives autumn that extra special appeal, at least for those of us living in the midwest where we experience a definitive four seasons?  For me it’s my favorite colors, the bounty of the harvest, the mildness of the weather, and (way back when) the beginning of a new school year.  It’s a mixed bag of beginnings and culminations and it’s all wrapped up in the most gloriously colorful package for us to enjoy!

Having grown up amidst the farm fields of Iowa, once the harvest was in and the leaves were down, the palette of the landscape turned from colorful to monochromatic. The same would be true here except for Lake Michigan which injects a wide range of colors into the views from Port Washington Inn.  Depending upon the weather, Lake Michigan can be every subtle shade of blue ranging from greys to greens to purples.

Autumn leaves in Port Washington are typically at their peak of color the end of October.  Then the winds of November carry them off and we are left with greater views of beautiful Lake Michigan.  Come enjoy Autumn near the lake.

Stay longer, savor more, and save more!

8-15-2010

GUESTS WERE GREAT AND  WISCONSIN  WEATHER PROVIDED A MEMORABLY WARM WELCOME!

CONGRATS TO MARTIN KAYMER AND SAFE TRAVELS TO ALL!

View Port Washington Area Parks in a larger map

Guests of the Port Washington Inn often comment about the city’s welcoming parks, a bonus to locals and visitors alike.   The parks include the 63-acre lake parks,  Rotary Park, a nature preserve, a community waterpark, a 30-mile recreational trail,  and numerous neighborhood parks.  Here is an overview of the parks most frequented by our guests:

Upper and Lower Lake Parks

Visit Lake Bluff Park, a 63 acre park, which includes Upper Lake Park and Lower Lake Park.  These parks offer picturesque views of Lake Michigan, the lighthouse and the harbor.   They are a great place to picnic, to hike, and to experience the allure of Lake Michigan.

Take the newly built stairway from Upper Lake Park down to the public beach, which is open year round.   Enjoy a leisurely stroll along the beach; dip your toes in the water to appreciate Lake Michigan’s “cool factor”!   Upper Lake Park is a new favorite with kids of all ages since it now includes the first universally accessible playground in Ozaukee County, aptly named “Possibility Playground”.

The band shell in Lower Lake Park is the place to gather for free concerts on Sunday evenings in the summer and free movies on select Friday evenings.   A playground is part of this park as well.

Rotary Park

Located at the south end of the marina, Rotary Park includes gardens, walkways, and a gazebo.  It serves as the festival headquarters for local festivals and as a popular place to immerse oneself in Port Washington’s Lake Michigan atmosphere.

Interurban Trail

Take a day exploring the old interurban rail line by venturing out on the Interurban Trail on foot, bicycle, in-line skate or cross-country skis.  Access to the trail is only three blocks from the Port Washington Inn (see other blog posts specifically about the Interurban Trail).  Port Washington is approximately at the midway point of the trail so it’s convenient to venture north on the trail one day and south on the trail another day.

Sauk Creek Nature Preserve

This 20+ acre nature preserve  along Sauk Creek offers excellent bird-watching, hiking trails and great fishing in the Sauk Creek rapids.

Port Washington Inn offers Gourmet Picnics as an add-on to a stay at the inn!

These picnics are often enjoyed at one of the local parks or taken along on a bike ride on the trail.  Guests can choose to have their picnic packed in an old-fashioned picnic basket or into backpacks to take hiking or biking.   All that fresh air can make you really hungry!

Our new rack card can now be found in shops and eateries around Port Washington!  Distributing it has reconnected us with our business partners in the community; their friendly generosity has been a reminder that our guests time and again speak highly of the warm welcome they have experienced during their stay in Port Washington.  The ultimate compliment is hearing guests talk about coming back; it reflects well upon the welcome they experience as they visit Port Washington!

Harrington Beach

What fun to find Port Washington, Wisconsin, and Ozaukee County’s Interurban Trail highlighted in an article by Catey Sullivan writing for Chicago Magazine’s The Escape Artist July 2010!   Follow this link to read the article online  http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/July-2010/Exploring-the-Interurban-Trail-near-Port-Washington-Wisconsin

Locals all too often take for granted Port Washington’s exceptional setting, but we are reminded by visitors that what we have here is ‘a little piece of heaven’.

From Port Washington the Interurban Trail heads north through the countryside toward Harrington Beach State Park or south with a mixture of countryside and the towns of Grafton, Cedarburg, and Thiensville.

The 636 acre Harrington Beach State Park is a favorite destination for guests of Port Washington Inn to take one of the inn’s Gourmet Picnics to enjoy at a picnic table or on the beach.  The picnics can be packed in backpacks for guests doing the bike trail or in a picnic basket for those preferring to travel by car.   It’s homemade fare prepared in the inn kitchen!

NOTE: The toll free number listed in this article is defunct.

Please call 262-284-5583 to reach Port Washington Inn.

Around the country, people will jockey for position to watch fireworks in celebration of July 4th. After 14 years as innkeepers of the Port Washington Inn, we tend to take for granted our ability to enjoy Port Washington’s fireworks from the comfort of the inn….or the front porch….or the lawn. We love our location and our guests do, too!

Take advantage of our availability in Helen’s Room ($159) or Noelle’s Room ($139) and save an additional 14% with a two night stay or 24% with a three night stay!

The Tall Ship Unicorn is crewed by an all female crew!

Sail away on a tall ship from Port Washington Wisconsin’s harbor during the Maritime Heritage Festival August 20-22, 2010!  Sea legs missing?  Then wave from the shore while you enjoy the good food and music and peruse the vendor’s tents!  Rotary Park is the center of activity for landlubbers, but for sailors it’s all about a cruise on one of the tall ships.  This family friendly festival will remind you of Port Washington’s heritage as a harbor, albeit a harbor which required engineering skills to make it more amenable.   The waters of Lake Michigan surrounding Port Washington were and are particularly attractive to fish and thus to fishermen!   For more information visit www.portmaritimefestival.com

Reserve a room at the Port Washington Inn and take advantage of double savings and a location within easy walking distance of the festival.  Check our availability and book online from our website or give us a call at 262-284-5583.

Set atop a bluff overlooking the harbor and beach of Port Washington Wisconsin, Upper Lake Park summons residents and visitors to get outside in a beautiful and peaceful setting. More and more people are venturing to Upper Lake Park these days, in part because of the stairway that was installed late fall 2009 to connect the park with the beach below it. That stairway makes Port Washington’s beach more visibly accessible than it had been (although for those who cannot negotiate all the steps, there is another access keeping you on level ground).

But Upper Lake Park is about much more than the beach and views of Lake Michigan and Port Washington’s Marina! Picnicking, hiking, and picture taking are all good reasons to venture there. The Possibility Playground which was completed in 2009 brings scores of extended families to the park with children of all ages who love exploring the playgrounds amazing variety of experiences. It’s fun just to watch the fun!

Consider coming to Port Washington for an extended stay at the Port Washington Inn Bed and Breakfast. Order one of our Gourmet Picnics to take to Upper Lake Park and experience how food tastes even better when we eat outdoors in a beautiful environment.

Our location along Lake Michigan allows for some great kayaking opportunities and Aqua Guides and Outfitters offers new German Prion Kayaks.  Visit their website at www.aquaguideandoutfitter.com for more information.  Book your stay at the Port Washington Inn and you can depend upon a hearty and tasty breakfast to begin your day.  You may even decide to order a picnic to take with you.  Good food and great kayaking…….a good combo for sure!