I’ve been itching to get away for awhile now and in the midst of planning our next big vacation, I felt like I needed a little weekend getaway. Plus, I wanted to take advantage of the gorgeous fall colors. So I booked an impromptu “fallcation” for us with our 2 year old daughter and I’m hoping a little fall getaway becomes an annual thing.
For those looking to get away in Northern Wisconsin, Minocqua is worth the trip. As a born and raised Wisconsinite, Minocqua has somehow stayed on my “Some Day” list for all this time. Well, I thought it was about time to fix that and see what this idyllic little town had to offer. It didn’t completely steal my heart like Hayward and Bayfield does, but it measured up pretty well. Let’s be honest, northern Wisconsin has it’s own special personality anywhere you go.
A resorty little town surrounded by water, it seemed Minocqua had a lot to offer from shopping to eating and hiking. I could have spent a couple hours (and more in my wallet) checking out the cute little boutique stores. Or enjoy a leisure cup of coffee at a local cafe in the morning. But the reality was neither of those things made the list. Let me tell you why…
Saturday morning started off with an attempt to explore the shops downtown, which as the shopper in the family I was all about. However, our usually prepared selves forgot to pack the snacks in our daughter’s backpack. As parents know, an outing without snacks means bad things are bound to happen. I’m not sure if all toddlers are like this or just ours but her hunger comes out of nowhere. One second she’s fine and the next she’s a crazy person that can hardly function. (My husband says she takes after me when I’m hungry. I guess I need to work on that.).
As you can guess, our shopping didn’t go over so well. Instead, our casual shopping of little boutiques turned into a not-so-casual hunt for a snack for this crazy girl. On top of her abrupt crankiness over hunger, this child who claims to be a “big girl” hates her stroller, but won’t walk on her own and has to be held and snuggled while walking through the entire town. “I’m cranky” she always states. “Hold me, hold me.” Oh boy…..
The day already didn’t seem to be going in our favor at only 9:45 in the morning. But I figured this is sometimes what traveling with a toddler is all about. Picking and choosing activities based on what they’re able to handle at the moment. Sometimes they cooperate and sometimes they don’t. With just a couple years of parenting under my belt, I’ve slowly been realizing that sometimes the expectations we create are our own worst enemy. Things don’t go as planned with a toddler. So parenting has done a number on my ability to be more flexible and live in the moment.
So with a change of course, we headed to the adorable little park right downtown. And you know what, it was truly wonderful. I’ll just say the park was our saving grace that day. To be honest, I wasn’t looking to hit up all of Minocqua’s must see tourist destinations. I really just wanted a relaxing weekend away. And watching her play at the park, not just once, but three times that day was enough for me. And a quick shift of my expectations was all it took to have a wonderfully enjoyable weekend.
It’s safe to say toddlers are unpredictable. You can have your own idea of what you want to do on a vacation. You can get frustrated when things don’t go as planned. Or, you can adapt to the situation and go with the flow. You’re probably not going to hit all the “must-sees.” In fact, you may spend more time at a city park that you very well could have just done in your own hometown. Or, you may order carryout pizza instead of going out for pizza. Or, you may spend the majority of your time in the hotel pool and hardly even see the sites. Whatever your vacation ends up being, just go with it. Your toddler will be a much happier travel companion. Sometimes you just have to let them take the lead instead of your own expectations.
So while I’m no expert now on the ins and outs of Minocqua, I can recommend a few things if you’re looking to make the trip. Here are a few highlights you don’t want to miss on a trip to Minocqua.
Torpy Park:
If you ask my daughter what her favorite part of the weekend was, she’ll say the park. It was so pretty right on the water and complete with a great playground, beach and dock. Her favorite was the firetruck and I have to say it was mine too. We rode that thing a million times while singing our own version of “Row Row Row Your Boat.” Drive, drive, drive your truck quickly down the road. Beep, beep, beep, beep! We’re off to save the day!” Cheesy? Yes. But, fun? You bet.
Anytime we go somewhere and there’s a microbrew in town we have to go. It’s a must. The food was yummy, the atmosphere was nice and she inhaled the cheesecurds in about five minutes flat. And the bartender made me the strongest perfect margarita I’ve ever tasted. This mommy didn’t need another drink after that!
They have salted caramel. Need I say more?
On the inside, this definitely wasn’t anything fancy, but the pizza was amazing. And the Billy Bread appetizer we ordered was a pizza all in itself. One word describes this experience: Delicious. They put cornmeal on the on their crust which makes it extra crispy. It reminded me just how my dad used to make homemade pizza when I was a kid (so yummy).
I loved this little joint, right up until we left and had to change our daughter’s diaper. It was surprising to find that this family restaurant with a large bathroom didn’t even have a changing table. I get pretty annoyed when I have to lay my daughter on the floor of a bathroom to do something that all human beings have to do, use the bathroom! It makes perfect sense to me that a diaper changing table is an infant/toddler’s version of a toilet. So why do establishments feel they don’t need one? This is a subject I tend to get quite passionate and opinionated about it and could go on an on. Someday I hope, people will smarten up. So Minoocqua Pizza Company, your pizza was great. Your ability to accommodate toddlers in the restroom was not.
A bit of a surprise to find zebras and giraffes in Northern Wisconsin (who knew?!), but it was great fun. And I got to practice taking pictures. It helps when I have good models (the animals and Jade!)
So that’s our Minocqua getaway in a nutshell. Would I go back? Sure, why not. But would I rather try some place new, of course! I’m always looking for a new tikeventure.
Go find your own “fallcation” and keep in mind to change your expectations at the intersection of a toddler meltdown.
Happy Travels to You!
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