A Milwaukee Bed and Breakfast, The Port Washington Inn
Serenity, elegance, and comfort in Port Washington, Wisconsin.
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!
It’s warm and sunny and definitely time for gardeners to visit their favorite gardening haunts for inspiration! We’ve been devotees of Monches Farm for many years and this weekend (May 22 & 23) is their Spring Open House which promises to inspire you not only with plants but all sorts of yard art offered by local artisans. Check out the details on their website at www.monchesfarm.com
A recently discovered gardener’s delight is Paradise Gardens Nursery near West Bend. They aren’t new, we just found them! Rita ventured there and returned with enough culinary herbs to make for endless tasty fare this summer! And she will go back again and again to take advantage of their healthy well cared for plants and to enjoy seeing mature plantings in a beautiful setting. Landscape design is another part of their business and you will recognize their design talents the moment you drive in. They’ve created an idyllic environment.
Ozaukee Interurban Trail from Port Washington Inn
Just a few blocks from our Inn, you can hop on the newly upgraded Ozaukee Interurban Trail. This stellar paved trial traverses 30 miles of beautiful countryside in and around Port Washington.
The Ozaukee Interurban Trail is ideal from a relaxing stroll, or a more vigorous bike ride. Wildlife sightings abound with deer, squirrels, rabbits, red-winged black birds, and an occasional flock of Canadian Geese.
The south end of trail begins downtown, a block from the marina, and heads north through tree-lined areas and open fields. Once across the newly completed trail bridge across I-43, the trail heads out into open pasture-lands and farms.
Pack a lunch, and relax along the trail for a picnic.
We offer specials and discounts throughout the season to allow you to spend several days enjoying Port Washington and the outdoors.
Before you conclude that ‘rustic roads’ are a clever title for ‘unimproved roads’, take a look at Wisconsin’s Rustic Roads program, initiated in 1973. For “those who prefer a road less-traveled, Wisconsin’s Rustic Roads have provided hikers, bikers, and motorists a peaceful escape into some of the finest four-season scenery the Midwest has to offer”. Thirty years later, the 100th rustic road was designated bringing the total designated miles over 500 with 54 counties of the state.
Pictured below in Ozaukee County, a team of horses proceeds down Hawthorne Road (2 miles long). Lined with oak, maple, and weeping willow trees, it is the only gravel road in the city of Mequon.
Wisconsin’s Rustic Roads guides are always available when you stay at the Port Washington Inn. Many of our guests venture west to Monches Farm and Holy Hill which are part of a natural kettle area with several rustic roads including portions of St. Augustine Road, Monches Road, Emerald Road, Shamrock Lane, and Donegal Road (12+ miles in total). Northwest in Sheboygan County near the Kettle Moraine State Forest is Rustic Road County S (2.4 miles), very near the Wade House State Historic Site and the Wesley Jung Carriage Museum.
Dramatic cloud formations have given photographers ample photo ops this year! On Sweetcake Hill we watch the clouds advance, usually from the west, then move out over Lake Michigan. This photo captures the duality of storm and clearing, the lake water a reflection of the sky. It is not unusual here within the course of a day to experience clear skies and full sun, puffy white clouds turning to dark grey ones, rain or fog or simply overcast skies followed by a serene sunset and starry moonlit night. One of us prefers blue skies and the other prefers dramatic clouds……..and we can each be happy part of most every day!
One of the distinctive sounds we’ve grown accustomed to
since moving to Port Washington is the honking of geese as they wing their way between the shoreline of Lake Michigan and areas inland.
In Iowa where we grew up, pheasants were common but geese were not!
They offer entertainment throughout the winter as they arrow through the skies.
A walk along the harbor gives ample opportunity to observe the antics of a variety of ducks bobbing about in the water.
Geese, ducks, gulls are ever present and a myriad of other birds are sighted as they move through the area during their spring and fall migrations.
Ample viewing areas overlooking the shoreline make Port Washington a birding paradise!
At the Port Washington Inn our guests can pick up the Great Wisconsin Birding & Nature Trail Lake Michigan Region AND the Ozaukee Trailside Birding Guide.
Then they can walk to the lakeshore
and Interurban Trail with binoculars and cameras in hand to capture the moment!
This new Birding Guide was just published and is available at the inn.
Quoting from the guide:
It is certainly true that Ozaukee County is for the birds.
Our geographic location and divergent land uses create a great environment for birds and for bird watching.
Some of the best birding in Wisconsin, throughout the year, is done at key locations in the County.
During migration, the Lake Michigan shoreline guides numerous species of ducks, geese, gulls, hawks, shorebirds, and many Neotropical migrant landbirds to their breeding and wintering sites within, and far away from, Ozaukee County.
The Milwaukee River corridor provides important feeding and resting habitat to a multitude of migrating warblers, sparrows, thrushes, and wrens.
The fields, forests, and farmsteads also serve as breeding habitat for many of these species.
We also have our resident woodpeckers, cardinals, finches, chickadees, and jays that brave the winter and stay fed at our feeders.
The Port Washington Inn’s location is perfect for accessing the
Birding Hotspots within Port Washinton:
the Interurban Trail, Upper Lake Park, the Port Washington Harbor, and the Port Washington Ravine.
Port Washington is also a good central point along the trail making it easy to venture south or north of the city for uniquely differing experiences of the trail.
Take one of our Gourmet Picnics with you for the day and you will be birdwatching without interruption!
The beauty of a winter landscape softened by snow is magical; there is a peacefulness that can be most appreciated as you hike, cross country ski, or snowshoe such Ozaukee County treasures as Riveredge Nature Center, Harrington Beach State Park, and the Interurban Trail. With miles of trails including vistas of Lake Michigan, the Milwaukee River, and fields connecting picturesque towns, your outdoor time will be full of fresh air and plenty of photo opportunities. Plan your trek to include stopping points at small towns along the Interurban Trail or let the Port Washington Inn provide a steaming thermos of hot chocolate, coffee, tea, or cider, and some high energy treats to sustain you!
Interurban Bike Trail in AutumnOriginally uploaded by port_washington_inn
Enjoy the colors of autumn as you bike the Interurban Trail throughout beautiful Ozaukee County!
Bike trail access is 3 blocks from Port Washington Inn where your bikes can be securely stored. Bikes can be rented from Grafton & Port Ski & Cyclery by calling 262-377-5220 in advance of your stay.
For more information on the trail visit www.interurbantrail.us
Originally uploaded by port_washington_inn
Our Picnic Special was so popular in 2006 that we offered it again this year. We tailor your picnic so you are certain to enjoy it. Then it is packed in your choice of a picnic basket or backpacks. The retro tablecloth and napkins will cause you to remember the 70′s (if you are old enough) OR pictures from the 70′s (if you are younger).
The picnic is complimentary with a two night stay at the inn but there have been requests to enjoy the picnic with a single night stay so that is also an option; the cost is $45.
There are so many great picnicking sites in our area and we’ve created a folder of information about them to take with you. Some guests have chosen to eat their picnic on our back deck and said it was the best picnic they ever had!
If you are biking the Interurban Trail (just 3 blocks from the inn), you might prefer to have your picnic packed in individual backpacks. No problem! Just let us know your preferences.
