11-07-31
by Glenda Winders
The route to Elkhart Lake, Wis., runs through
green countryside and past red barns, finally
winding up at a city limits sign that reads
"Population: 1,019." That would suggest the small,
sleepy resort town harkening back to a different
era that it is. The surprise, however, is that the
village is also home to a world-class racetrack
that attracts the likes of Tim Allen and Mario
Andretti and frequently roars to life with the hum
of motorcycles and automobile engines.
"Elkhart Lake has two faces and diverse
opportunities," said Lola Roeh, general manager at
the Osthoff Resort. "We offer adrenaline-producing
activities and resort-type relaxation."
The centerpiece of the community is, of course,
the lake, which was carved by glaciers and named
by the Potowatomie Indians for its shape. Here it
is possible to swim, fish, water-ski and pontoon.
On Sundays, when a no-wake rule is enforced, the
water is still astir with sailboats, canoes and
kayaks. Visitors looking for land-based exercise
can walk the four-mile footpath that encircles the
lake.
The town was settled by German immigrants who
found the terrain similar to that of their
homeland and saw its potential for farming. In
1886, one of those immigrants, Otto Osthoff, built
a resort that attracted wealthy families from
Chicago, St. Louis and Milwaukee. These summer
residents arrived with steamer trunks and were
transported by horse and carriage to the hotel.
Prohibition-era gangsters such as John Dillenger
came for the gambling. It wasn't legal, but local
officials turned a blind eye for many years.
In the 1950s, the resort was sold to become a
theater camp. Later it was rebuilt to its original
glory and reopened in 1995 as a four-star resort.
Today it hosts such special events as jazz
weekends and a holiday market each December with
European vendors coming to sell their wares. As
part of the festivities, children can have
breakfast with Santa and make cookies with Mrs.
Claus.
The Osthoff Resort also offers beauty and
relaxation treatments at the Aspira Spa, and
visitors can take French cooking lessons at
L'Ecole de la Maison. Chef Scott Baker directs his
pupils in creating a full lunch menu of Classic
French Onion au Gratin, Tenderloin of Beef au
Poivre and Crepes Suzettes. Other options include
seafood, pastas and desserts.
Resorts account for much of the entertainment
around the lake and in the village. Across the
street from the Osthoff is the Siebkens Resort,
operated by the great-granddaughters of a couple
who left Germany in 1916 because of political
unrest. In addition to offering comfortable suites
and rooms, they also operate the Stop-Inn Tavern,
which, according to Auto Week magazine, is one of
the best bars on the racing circuit.
The third resort facing the lake is the
Victorian Village, which has on its grounds a
theater where college students produce plays and
song-and-dance revues. Outside near the beach is a
tiki bar that often features live music.
The passion for racing began here with road
races in the 1950s. World War II had ended not
long before, and automakers were catering to
returning soldiers with stylish cars to rival the
ones they had seen in Europe. One automobile
enthusiast was Jim Kimberly, a Chicago resident
who flew over the area and determined that Elkhart
Lake had the perfect terrain for developing a
circuit through town. He organized a group to
conduct the races, and the first ones were run in
1951.
"Hay bales and snow fences were erected and
fingers were crossed," said Tom Hoelfelder, a
member of the Elkhart Lake Historic Race Circuits
Preservation Society.
Just two years later the annual event was
halted after a child at a racecourse in New York
was killed and the sport became illegal. Elkhart
Lake had the bug, however, and wanted to keep on
racing. Clif Tufte, who owned a local sand and
gravel company, figured out a way to make that
happen. Business had fallen off, but his company
owned lots of land. He proposed using it to build
a closed-circuit track, and Road America was born.
Today visitors come from all over the world to
see racing events and vintage car and motorcycle
shows, but there's a lot more happening on any
given day. Corporate groups, family reunions and
other groups of at least six people can take part
in driving lessons, paintballing, karting and
geocaching. The courses are laid out to give
participants maximum opportunity to see all of the
grounds.
There's also a lot to do in and around Elkhart
Lake that doesn't require so much adrenaline. A
short drive away is the Wade House museum in
Greenbush, established in 1844, which became a
stagecoach inn in 1850. Today it's possible to
visit the taproom where men drank liquor while
women and children waited in an adjoining salon.
People can also tour several bedrooms, one of
which is maintained as it was when a wounded Civil
War soldier came to recuperate.
Also on the grounds are a working sawmill and
blacksmith shop where docents dressed in period
clothes demonstrate how the work would have been
done in the 19th century, and there are also
opportunities for visitors to get involved.
Hearthside dinners involve working together to
produce a meal using only the equipment and
utensils that would have been available during the
house's heyday. In the "At Work-At Play" program,
children work in the gardens and do chores around
the property, then relax with a game of baseball
played by 1860s rules. The Wesley Jung Carriage
Museum features nearly 100 antique fire-fighting
carriages, stagecoaches and more.
The Two Fish Gallery and Sculpture Garden in
the village offers high-quality art from local
artists. At the nearby Hennings Cheese Factory
guests learn how cheese is made and can sample the
wares at the end of the tour, and at Henschel's
Indian Museum visitors can explore an
archaeological dig. At Broughton Sheboygan Marsh
Park and Tower, they can fish, kayak, bird-watch
and climb the largest observation tower in
Wisconsin.
The sleepy little town turns out not to be so
quiet after all, but the 19th-century ambience
prevails. That being the case, what better way to
end a day than with an ice cream soda or an
old-fashioned phosphate at Gessert's. The shop
remains exactly as it was when it opened in the
1920s, and the delightful white-haired owner
behind the counter has been working there since
she was 13.
WHEN YOU GO
Where to stay: The Osthoff Resort:
www.osthoff.com; Siebkens Resort: www.siebkens.com;
Victorian Village Resort, www.vicvill.com.
I opted for the restored Victorian Jay Lee Inn,
where owner Monica Lettow offers comfortable,
elegantly appointed period rooms and delicious
food (ask for the wild rice quiche!). The inn is
within a short walk of the village and the
resorts, and guests often include racecar drivers,
who put an exciting spin on breakfast-table
conversation: www.jayleeinn.com.
Where to eat: The resorts all offer excellent
dining options. A short stroll away is the Paddock
Club, whose specialties are trendier dishes. Tapas
night on Tuesdays allows patrons to sample a
medley of unusual flavors:
www.paddockclubelkhartlake.com.
The Lake Street Cafe boasts a wine list of 600
varieties to complement bistro-style food:
www.lakestreetcafe.com.
Gessert's ice cream parlor doesn't have a
website but is located at 99 S. Lake St.
What to do: For kayak rental and other
activities on the lake: www.ecologyoutfitters.com
Road America: www.roadamerica.com
Two Fish Gallery and Sculpture Garden:
www.twofishgallery.net
Wade House: www.wadehouse.org
Hennings Cheese Factory: www.henningscheese.com
Henschel's Indian Museum:
www.henschelsindianmuseumandtroutfarm.com
Broughton Sheboygan Marsh Park and Tower:
www.threeguysandagrill.com
Glenda Winders is a freelance travel writer. To
read features by other Creators Syndicate writers
and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate
website at www.creators.com.
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