Washington County: Surprises Around Every Corner

In this bonus episode, Ana and Eric greet you from West Bend with several friends: Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, West Bend Mayor Joel Ongert, and Kewaskum Village President Fuzz Martin. Between all five, the topics run the gamut to every corner of Washington County and expand on the recent Discover Wisconsin episode on Washington County, which was called "Love Your Neighbor." All corners of Washington County get some love from the standpoint of visitors, residents, and businesses. West Bend, the county seat, has a charming and vibrant downtown with Main Street freshly repaved, re-scaped, and ready for great shopping, dining, and entertainment with the Historic Bend Theater welcoming regional and national acts in its 1920s-era-but-updated venue. Across the Milwaukee River you can take in some amazing art at the MOWA - Museum of Wisconsin Art and places like The Volunteer Center and The Hub, its associated coffee shop, were showcased in the recent Discover Wisconsin episode. West Bend also has Riverside Brewing, historic buildings, the Eisenbahn Trail for biking and hiking, and Regner Park, which hosts everything from summer concerts to the beautiful holiday lights in winter. Kewaskum is a prime example of Washington County's beautiful villages, and Village Prez Fuzz Martin dives into activities to enjoy from hunting for antiques to hitting the slopes and Sunburst Ski Hill, which also boasts the largest tubing park in the world with nearly 50 lanes! Nearby in Slinger, Little Switzerland is another popular area for skiing, snowboarding, and tubing. Since Washington County straddles the Kettle Moraine region, the topography is beautiful for any activity, and places like the Pike Lake Unit of Kettle Moraine State Forest next to Hartford are ideal for enjoying it to the fullest. You can stop at Aspen Sky Winery in Slinger after (or, heck, before) to imbibe if that would complement your day. Perched atop the highest point in southeastern Wisconsin, Holy Hill Basilica and National Shrine draws visitors from around the world. Whether for religious pilgrimage, to marvel and its beautiful architecture, take in the views, or find treasures at the Holy Hill Art Fair, Holy Hill is an incredible place to visit. You can get beautiful views of Holy Hill from the golf course, too. Erin Hills is a nationally renown course in the Town of Erin; home to the 2017 U.S. Open, the course follows the natural landscape and offers views of Holy Hill. Kettle Hills is another highly-rated golf course on the other side of Holy Hill. Washington County Golf Course outside Hartford ranks among the top 50 municipal courses in the United States, while other options include Hon-E-Kor in Kewaskum, Scenic View in Slinger, and several in West Bend.Hartford, on the western edge of Washington County, offers up its own fun downtown which includes the Wisconsin Automotive Museum, a car-themed wonderful ice cream shop called Scoop de Ville, The Mineshaft restaurant which served as Wisconsin's largest for a long time, plus tons of great shops of all kinds. The city's architecture features classic buildings, some crowned with pagodas. Germantown is the largest village in the county, literally across the street from Milwaukee on the southeast. The village has historic sites like Dheinsville and Freistadt that bring you back to 19th century settlements and some newer breweries and wineries. They include Old Germantown, a new brewery in a farmstead that serves up classic craft brews and wood-fired pizzas, 1840 Brewing, which was featured in the show, and Apple Works Winery, a winery that has grown out of an orchard at Behnke Estates. Germantown is a growing bedroom community but they still have plenty of farms, too. You can explore other farms nearby that offer family fun, including Basse's Taste of Country in Colgate and Peck & Bushel Fruit Company in Colgate.This is why we say Washington County has surprises around every co