Some of Hot Springs most favorite restaurants are located a good distance from the National Park Bathhouse Row and downtown Hot Springs. But when we visit we are there for the camping, hiking, and history that the National Park offers so when we eat out, it is downtown near the park headquarters.
Famous and Infamous people like Babe Ruth, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Jr., Al Capone, Bugsy Segal and others have sat at this historic bar.
Located across the street from Bathhouse Row, the historic Ohio Club has been doing business since it opened in 1905 as a Casino and Saloon, with brief periods of closure due to fires, floods, and illegal gambling. During prohibition it disguised itself as the Ohio Cigar Store and continued to offer gambling and drinking services to those who knew the password. Over its history, the Ohio Club has served many notable figures in entertainment as well as infamous gangsters who were drawn to its casino operations and clandestine betting parlors.
Both in its exterior and inside, the Club maintains the character of 100 years ago. Its opulent back bar goes back even further than its 1905 beginning, estimated to have been made around 1880. The story is the bar was originally in a Cincinnati tavern and was purchased by the Club’s original owner and transported to Hot Springs where it became the back bar of the Ohio Club. The bar and the interior furnishings give the Club an A+ for atmosphere.
Service Grade A, Food a B+, and the Beer a B.
The service from the wait staff was excellent and very attentive. Grade A. My water glass was refilled without having to ask, one indicator I use to gauge if the wait staff is on the ball. We had sandwiches and beers. Jo ordered her signature Mushroom & Swiss Cheese burger, topped with lettuce and tomato. I had the Portobello Mushroom Veggie Burger. Both came with a helping of thick fries and a dill spear. Adequate size portions and served on a tasty bun. Loved the fries. We rated the food a B+, decent quality for an under $10 burger basket. Our tap beers were a Porter and a Milk Chocolate Stout. OK, but I felt a bit pricey for tap beers – $6 and $7.
A fun place to stop in, soak up some neat atmosphere, and have a sandwich and beer. And if you like live music, they have it seven nights a week.
Other Good Restaurants in downtown Hot Springs near Bathhouse Row
Another Hot Springs Restaurant we like a lot is Steinhaus Keller. They are on Central Avenue a few blocks south of the bathhouses. They have a decent selection of brews, great German cuisine, and a unique Biergarden. We’ve dined there a couple of times and always came away very happy with the food and the service. See our earlier Restaurant Review of Steinhaus Keller here.
Another unique pub is the Superior Bathhouse Brewery, located in the actual National Park, along Bath House Row and across the street from the Ohio Club. Their beer is brewed with the same 144 degree thermal spring water that serves the other bath houses and the water fountains that are along Bathhouse Row. The Brewery also offers a selection of pub food to accompany your craft brewed beer. Two years ago, we stopped in there shortly after the Brewery first opened and the food service was limited. From reading reviews in Zomato, the menu has expanded dramatically and is getting some very favorable comments. So next time we are Hot Springs, we must eat there (as well as sample the brews).
Rolando’s Restaurante is another downtown restaurant that gets good reviews for its atmosphere and food. If you like Southwestern, Latin and Central American dishes this is the place you should try.
If you are Irish or like Irish dishes, try the Copper Penny Pub. We’ve only had a few brews there during the very crowded post-St. Patty’s Day Parade Celebration (see our video). In the reviews, some have liked the Fish & Chips and other Irish fare, but others not so enthused. So we’ve got to try them ourselves on the next visit.
The Shiloh Visitor Center is an important stop on your tour of Shiloh.
Travelers on the historic Natchez Trace Parkway should consider taking a 45 mile detour to visit Shiloh, a large, well preserved National Historic park and the most significant Civil War site in the Mississippi River valley.
Brief History of the Battle
The historic two day Civil War battle at Shiloh is closely tied to the town of Corinth, 22 miles south of the Shiloh Battlefield. General US Grant had encamped at Pittsburg Landing along the Tennessee River and was awaiting arrival of General Buell and the Army of Ohio to then advance on Corinth. Corinth was at the strategic rail cross roads between east-west and north-south rail lines. So Shiloh itself was not the object; it was Corinth. Capturing it from the Confederates would substantially impair their movement of troops and supplies. Confederate General Albert Johnston, commander of the Corinth region, recognized this threat and was aware of the Union Army advancing on them from the north. Rather than meet the Union forces at Corinth, he decided to seize the initiative and move his 44,000 men to attack Grant at his encampment at Pittsburg Landing and near the Shiloh Church. The battle of Shiloh began at dawn on April 6th, 1862 when a Union patrol discovered the Confederates advancing through the forest and fields near a small log church named the Shiloh Meeting House. In two days of bloody fighting (Grant’s 40,000 man army vs Johnston’s 44,000) Grant with the help of Buell’s army arriving on the second day repealed the Confederate attack. Johnston perished during the battle and was replaced by General PGT Beauregard who to save his Army was forced to retreat Corinth. In the bloody two battle, 23,746 lives were lost.
Sunken Road separating the thicket where Wallace’s line confronted Johnston’s advancing Confederate troops.
Later in April, a Union force of 100,000 troops advanced from Pittsburg Landing with the goal of capturing Corinth. Their arrival within cannon range of the Confederate encampment at Corinth and the overwhelming size of the Union forces forced Beauregard to withdraw his forces south to Tupelo, Mississippi. So Union troops occupied Corinth and the strategic railway crossroads. But that wasn’t the end of things. In October, Confederate General Earl Van Dorn launched a surprise attack on the Union Garrison in Corinth but after 3 days of fighting was forced to retreat. The three day battle of Corinth cost another 6,500 lives and marked the last Confederate Civil War offensive in Mississippi.
Corinth Civil War Interpretative Center
Corinth Military History Visitor Center
The Corinth Interpretative Center is worth a visit before touring the Shiloh Battlefield Park. It has an excellent film telling the story of Corinth and how it connects to the epic battle at Shiloh. There’s also several educational exhibits on the Civil War and some interesting artifacts. Theh center is built on the former cite of Battery Robinett. The center is conveniently located on the west side of town, with an ample parking lot, and handicap accessibility. There are a few other Civil War sites of interest in the Corinth area including the Corinth Contraband Camp. Now a park, a portion of the old camp has been set aside with a commemorative trail with bronze figures depicting the lives of residents of the camp. Navigating to visit Shiloh from the center is simple (just go north about ½ mile and turn right on Shiloh Road and follow the signs).
Shiloh Battlefield
Shiloh Map
Pittsburg Landing was the southern-most landing for river steamboats on the Tennessee River. The river afforded General Grant the opportunity to move large amount of men, supplies, and armament towards the military objective of Corinth. Above the landing was a high plateau of forest and farm land occupied by a scattering of small farmers who worshiped at a log cabin known as the Shiloh Meeting house. It was an ideal spot for Grant to encamp and use as a base of operations for the Corinth assault.
Fortunately over 4200 acres of the original battlefield have been preserved as the Shiloh Military Park. The park has an extensive network of roads throughout the park joining several key battle sites, each with a commemorative monument (cannons and other military artifacts) and plaques describing the conflict that occurred at that point or the strategic importance of the site. Visitors to the park should first stop at the Shiloh Visitor Center to pick up maps and guides to touring the park. You can take a driving tour or hike trails within the park. There are also interesting exhibits in the visitor center as well as a bookstore for more detailed accounts of the Shiloh and Corinth battles and other Civil War history. Another resource at the Visitor Center is the staff itself. They are more than just courteous hosts or park service agents; you’ll find them quite well-steeped in Shiloh history – a human interactive educational resource to complement the more high tech interactive exhibits!
Shiloh was at the time the bloodiest battle of the Civil War and the ninth overall most costly battle. If you include the casualties at Corinth, which was part of the same campaign it would rank in the top five Civil War battle sites. Visiting Shiloh Military Park is an impressive educational experience. I look forward to a return visit to Shiloh and plan to do some advance reading of Shiloh history as a guide to my next visit.
Our Reviews of Best Restaurants and Pubs in Natchez, Mississippi
In March of 2017, we spent a few days sampling visitor attractions in historic Natchez, Mississippi including food and drink establishments. Here’s some reviews of places we tried, plus some we missed and plan to sample the next time we are in town.
Reviews on this page: The Camp Restaurant, Bowie Tavern, Steampunk Coffee Roasters, and Fat Mama’s Tamales.
The Camp Restaurant Review
Great river views from the outdoor dining deck of the Camp Restaurant
We wanted to dine within view of the river and found The Camp was listed among the Top 10 Natchez Restaurants in Zomato so we gave them a try. Great location on Silver Street below the bluff and on the waterfront in an area called Natchez Under-the-Hill. It is part of a collection of historic old buildings set off from the rest of Natchez (Natchez proper is on high ground above the bluff). Their website tag line is “Cold Beer. Good Food . . . at one of the best restaurants in Natchez.” We agree.
They have outdoor seating in their beer garden in back and out front on the porch overlooking the Mississippi River. Inside there are two or three dining rooms including one that has a wall that kids can draw on. So it’s a family friendly kind of place that also has a sport bar character.
Their intimate tap room commanded by friendly bartender Mike offers 18 beers on tap, mostly from southern breweries. Finding out we were dark beer lovers, Mike recommended a coffee porter from Natchez Brewing Co. An excellent choice, stands up to the best of porters we’ve had.
18 beers on tap in the Camp’s cozy bar.
While more of a sports bar, The Camp takes a great deal of pride in its food service. They make their own bread for burgers and sandwiches, cut their own potatoes for frys, and hand-form their own patties. Food is made to order, not pre-made and then microwaved. The menu includes a wide variety of sandwiches, burgers, taco baskets, soups, salads, and choice of three entre dinners with fresh side veggies. As we had a mid-afternoon snack, we weren’t ready for a large meal so were attracted to their “Slider Menu.” These are mini versions of their regular burger baskets. The Sliders have all the fixings of their big brother version and the pattys were thick and juicy even though small in diameter. Likewise the bun was very tasty but scaled down in size fitting the burger. They came with an order of fries and cole slaw. Jo had her signature Mushroom & Swiss burger and pronounced it excellent. She could tell fresh mushrooms were used vs. ones coming from a can. I had the Brisket Slider – sliced smoked brisket, Sweet Heat BBQ sauce, cole slaw, house pickles. We loved the sliders and the “concept.” It gives you a smaller portion but in every other way its quality and amendments matches the full menu version. A tasty meal that was surprisingly filling.
BTW For younger readers, the name “slider” comes from the famous mini-burger produced by the White Castle hamburger palace, a fast-food chain that pre-dated McDonalds. The burgers were about the size of your palm, the pattys were square with a holes in the middle so they could cook fast. As a teenagers, we found a bag of five sliders would be about the right meal size! Link to their menu.
Bowie’s Tavern occupies the former 1840s warehouse, across the street from Bluff Park.
We were attracted to Bowie’s Tavern because of its historic architecture and it was located on Broadway Street across from the Riverwalk Promenade and Gazebo that overlook the Mississippi River.
It was too early in the day for dinner, so we opted for some brews and a Nacho basket on their outdoor patio overlooking the park. Inside the interior is highlighted by a huge antique mahogany bar and other appointments that give a clue to the building’s history in Natchez, originally a cotton warehouse built in 1840.
We dined at Bowie Tavern’s outdoor patio overlooking the Mississippi River Bluffs.
Not everything inside is old-tyme due to several large flat-screen TVs creating a sports bar atmosphere. Their menu also reflects their sports bar theme, featuring wings, burgers, Po’Boys, seafood platters, soups and salads, and some specials. Rated by TripAdvisor #18 out of 66 rated Natchez restaurants, it gets some good recent reviews . . . but also a few disappointed customers. I’d rate it as a fun place to have some brews, watch some games and have good to passable bar food. Reviewers noted happy hour prices are very good.
Have coffee and pastries inside or if the weather is nice, enjoy the attractive outdoor patio at Steampunk Expresso Bar.
Steampunk isn’t a full service restaurant, but rather a coffee house/expresso bar that does serve some bakery items, chocolate, and yogurt to accompany your fresh roasted coffee drink (see the menu here). As their coffee is roasted in the back room of the cafe, you can be assured it is fresh roasted and have a nice selection of brews. You can also get your coffee in a variety of brewing concoctions (expresso, cappuccino, latte, french press, turkish, iced, etc.). We had a dark roast, traditionally brewed with two huge blueberry muffins. They roast and brew a decent cup of coffee and the muffins very good. Comfortable, cozy coffee house atmosphere and good service. Located in a re-purposed historic 1868 cabin, they also have an attractive patio for outside service. Steampunk gets almost a perfect 5.o rating on Trip Advisor so they have lots of satisfied customers. Great place for excellent coffee and light breakfast or afternoon snack.
In March of 2017, our RV was parked at the Natchez Visitor center. From there we walked to the downtown and historic district and passed Fat Mama’s on Canal Street only a few blocks from the Visitor Center. But every time we went by them either we weren’t ready for a meal or had already eaten. They had an attractive looking outdoor patio that seemed an appealing place to dine. It looks like a fun place to eat and I regretted not including it during our visit to Natchez.
Jo enjoying her Fat Mama’s Margarita out on the dining deck.
But we corrected that omission on a later trip. See our Fat Mama’s Restaurant Review. Rated 3rd best Natchez Restaurant on Zomato, people generally love the Tamales, although their menu also includes Po’Boys, Salads, and Casseroles so you aren’t limited. People also rave about the Margaritas, but if that isn’t your favorite, there are also several tap beers and other mixed drinks available.
More Best Natchez Restaurants and Pubs We Must Try on our next Visit
A place we somehow missed on our walk through the Natchez historic district, King’s Tavern is the oldest standing building in Natchez, dating back to 1789. In addition to its history, Kings is noted for its specialty mixed drinks and exceptional flatbread cuisine. The menu doesn’t offer a broad variety of items but what is available is as several reviews have commented “awesome.” But it isn’t a restaurant in the conventional sense. More properly it is a Pub that serves food, which you order at the bar itself. King’s is the #2 rated Natchez restaurant by Trip Advisor, The second floor of the tavern has some ghost history exhibits plus a small gift shop. For the history, ambiance, and a lighter meal, we will make sure to stop here the next time we are in town.
Roux 61 isn’t actually located in Natchez proper but south of town on Route 61. Its rural location offers lots of parking and is an attractive setting. Lots of seating inside and a very popular place with both locals and Natchez visitors. It seems to be the consensus place to go for Seafood and Cajun and Creole dishes in the Natchez area. But if seafood or Cajun isn’t what you want, they get rave reviews on their steak, chicken, pasta, burgers and a wide variety of other dishes. Superb, friendly service. It rates out at the #2 of Best Natchez restaurants on Zomato.
Natchez, Mississippi celebrated its 300 year anniversary in 2016. Rich in historic preservation, Natchez is the oldest city on the Mississippi River and the southern terminus of the historic Natchez Trace, now a Scenic National Parkway which runs over 400 miles through three states.
Antebellum Homes, Historic Mansions & Structures
Natchez was fortunate to have a large number of its historic structures survive the great Civil War. Several Antebellum Homes are open for tours year-round and special Pilgrimage Tours are offered in the spring and fall. Maps for walking tours around town identify numerous other historic buildings, some open to the public for tours. Sprinkled among the historic buildings in the downtown historic district are arts and crafts studios, antique emporiums, specialty shops, and bars and taverns offering southern cuisine and blues music.
Rosalie Mansion (1832) was constructed on the former site of the French Fort Rosalie, built in 1716.
In addition to the Spring & Fall Pilgrimages of historic homes ( March and April, September & October), other annual Natchez events include a month long music festival (in May) and a Food & Wine festival in July.
The Darby Fudge Factory is one of many interesting shops in the downtown historic district.
Natchez National Historic Park
There are two National Park facilities in Natchez. One is the William Johnson House Museum and Visitor Center. William Johnson was a barber and prosperous business man who built this house in downtown Natchez in 1840. The park service has restored the building and furnished it with pre-Civil War furnishings similar to those used by the Johnson family. There are also interactive exhibits depicting the lives of Johnson, his family, and the era that he lived, gleaned from a diary that Johnson kept from 1835 to 1851. What makes this exhibit especially interesting is that Johnson was a free black man and he himself owned several slaves.
The second Natchez National Historical Park facility is located on the edge of town. The 80 acre park includes the former Melrose Plantation estate. The estate includes the main Mansion and numerous out-buildings including the kitchen, dairy, octagonal cistern houses, smoke house, privy, carriage house, barn, and the last remaining slave quarters in Natchez. Some think it is the most complete restoration of a southern plantation in Mississippi. Here’s an excellent article and photos of touring the Melrose Plantation.
Walking Tour City of Natchez Trails
Natchez has organized five walking trails (links lower down the page) covering interesting natural and historic points of interest. One trail runs along the bluff park promenade with scenic views of the Mississippi River; another traces through the downtown historic district. Plaques and kiosks located along the trails give background on the history of some of the more impressive structures. Walking the trails gave us some good exercise and we saw lots of beautifully restored antebellum mansions, smaller private historic register homes and other historic structures. During our stay in Natchez, we boondocked our RV in the parking lot of the Natchez Visitor Center and each day took a different walking tour.
The Natchez Visitor Center should be your first stop on visiting Natchez.
Slide Show of the Natchez Bluff Trail
Scenic views and historical markers along the Bluff Trail
The upper Bluff Trail Walk offers a nice view of the Mississippi River
The gazebo, built by the Spanish in 1790, is the centerpiece of the Bluff Parkway
Thw Ealey Brothers commemorative fountain is along the Bluff walk and is also part of the Blues Trail of historic events and people
The "Bridge of Sighs" is an attractive point of interest along the Bluff Top Trail
A stairway from the Bluff Trail leads to another lower river front trail that runs below the bluff along the river.
Slide Show of Natchez Historic Private Homes
Just a few of the many beautiful restored historic homes in Natchez
Myrtle Terrace was built in 1844
The Parsonage of the Methodist Church was built in 1852
The Dorsey House dates back to 1835
The Cherokee House was built in 1794
Best Restaurants & Places to Eat in Natchez Mississippi
The Camp Restaurant, Bowie Tavern, Fat Mama’s are some of the fun places to dine or just have a burger and beer. See our reviews of these Natchez restaurants and more here: Best Restaurants in Natchez, Mississppi
A family posing with their catch from the morning’s charter fishing cruise
The Margaritaville is one of several bar-dining-shopping-entertainment venues along the Destin Harborwalk.
Destin was founded in the early 1800s as a fishing village by Captain Leonard Destin. While now home to 15,000 year round residents, it retains its connection to the fishing industry with over 150 commercial and charter fishing boats in its fleet. It is a mecca for sport fisherman as well as offering opportunities for anyone who wants to experience cruising in a charter boat and fishing in the gulf. You are not likely to come away without catching some fish.
Destin’s unique protected harbor and white sugar sand beaches made it an ideal spot for development of a gulf coast beach community. Hotels and condos line its beaches offering lots of entertainment for its guests. In addition to the hotel and condo beaches, there are about a dozen public beach access points along the Destin shoreline. There is also a popular beach front state park, Henderson Beach State Park, with over a mile of public beach front for day visitors and campers to enjoy. In total the greater Destin area offers over 24 miles of beach along the emerald green gulf coast waters.
Jo stops to view the schedule for the Dolphin Cruises.
Jo and I stopped for a pair of Bloody Mary’s at one of the many outdoor bars along the HarborWalk.
If you are just visiting for the day, the must-see place in Destin is the Destin Harborwalk village. It is built along an extensive boardwalk and walkway along the Destin’s protected harbor. All sorts of amusements and fun things to do and see are offered along the harborwalk: charter fishing, boat excursions, kayaking, paddle boards, jet skis, parasailing, zip line, dining, seafood, musical entertainment, nightlife, specialty shops are among the many enjoyable recreational pursuits.
We enjoy just walking along the quarter-mile long boardwalk with the fresh gulf air and sights and sounds of so many things going on. We’ll generally stop at one of the outdoor cafes along the boardwalk to get a bite to eat, have a beer, and enjoy the musical entertainment.
We are the owners of a classic motorhome admired and desired by many prospective motorhome buyers: the Winnebago Rialta (shown at the top of the page). In production from 1995 to 2005 the Rialta ceased being manufactured by Winnebago because the VW Eurovan chassis upon which it was built was no longer being made for the American market.
We love the low profile, aerodynamic and attractive body style and we get stopped often by people admiring it as what they have been looking for. Besides looks there are other features we like about the Rialta.
Short length (21 feet) enables parking in a conventional automobile parking space
Driving and maneuvering it is as easy as a pickup truck
Doubles as a deluxe passenger van with seating for 4 adults and up to 3 kids
Large coach windows, with natural light lending an open feeling to the interior
Large rear-facing picture window with view from the driver’s seat
Good gas mileage: 17 – 19 highway
Has the same coach accessories/conveniences of much bigger units.
But our unit is getting “long in the tooth” and one of these days we will have to buy a new Class C. Which is the reason we began doing serious research on the alternatives.
Every year when the new models come out, our heads are turned to see “what’s new” and what might be a viable replacement if and when we decide to sell our Rialta.
Here’s our review of leading candidates.
Compact Class C Motorhomes – Europe Sets the Standard
In our attendance at RV Shows and searching online we’ve yet to come upon any units (made in USA or Canada) that provide a nicer bed setup and better mechanical service options without compromising many of the features of the Rialta we love.
It seems the kind of motor home that would be a good alternative to the Rialta is only built in Europe. They seem more dedicated than US manufacturers in providing the most in space and convenience in the smallest possible footprint.
To follow are samples of several European models of compact motorhomes that manage to pack a whole lot of room in a small footprint
European Style Motorhomes set the standard in Class C
Hymer Motorhomes
Typical of the kind of compact motor home you find in Europe are the models made by German Manufacturer Hymer. Their motorhomes manage to pack in a huge amount of internal and external storage in a small footprint. Their build is quality throughout with ingenious engineering touches.
The smallest of their units is the Hymer Van At 19.65 feet long, the Hymer Van is even shorter than the Rialta. And at 9 feet tall it is only a little taller. It is an amazing little unit with a permanent bed system – either double or twin, a dinette area for 3, van seating for 4, large exterior storage, and ingenious storage drawers and units throughout the interior. Quality design and materials throughout. It is built on a fuel efficient Fiat Ducato Chassis. The only downside to the Van model is apparently coach Air Conditioning isn’t an option. Here’s a video profile of the Hymer Van.
Larger Hymer Compact Motorhomes
To get a larger kitchen set-up, more space in general, and coach air-conditioning you’d have to upgrade to either the T-Class CL model or their Hymer ML-T model.
The twin-bed bedroom model T-Class CL 574 is 22.3 feet long; the queen bed model T-Class CL 698 is 24.1 feet long. Both these models are on the Fiat Ducato chassis with an option to upgrade the hp from 130 hp to 180 hp. The ML-T models are built on a Mercedes Sprinter chassis. The ML-T 560 offers a double-bed setup for the permanent bedroom. The 560 measures 22.9 feet long and 9.5 feet high overall. Quite compact compared to Sprinter builds we find in the US. It seems US motorhome builders can’t build on a Sprinter Chassis any less than 24.5 feet. Europeans must have access to a slightly smaller Mercedes Van Chassis or it is just that European idea of not making something any bigger than it needs to be for the features you want?
Both the ML-T and Class CL have dining for 4 persons and dry baths wit a separate shower unit. Like their smaller 314 Van little brother, ingenious storage drawers and cubby spaces all over the place providing lots of storage – no wasted space. The outside external storage (called the garage) offers a massive amount of storage space.
Hobby Optima Motorhome
Just to show you that Hymer isn’t alone in offering spacious, quality-built, compact motorhomes, lets take a look at another German motorhome manufacturer: Hobby. They offer similar quality and options to Hymer but give the buyer a few different options or layout configurations not offered by Hymer. I like their Optima model 65 GQ. While spacious in the interior it runs only 22.9 feet in length. The dinette can can handle up to 5 people and their are seat belts for 4 passengers. This model comes with a queen size bed. With an average set of options, the Optima prices out around $75,000 US dollars. Take a look at the Hobby Optima Video here:
In researching on the Internet I discovered another possible reason for the space and size efficiency of European motor homes. Apparently in Europe on a regular automobile license you can only drive a vehicle weighing up to 3500 kg. Anything over that and you need a special license. So there is a consumer incentive to offer full-featured motorhomes under that weight. Unfortunately in the US there isn’t that incentive.
Here’s a few more examples of the kinds of compact, yet full-featured motorhomes offered in Europe sent to me by reader Mathias of Austria.
LaStrade Nova EB
LaStrada Nova EB
The Nova EB is a class B sized motorhome 22.9 feet long built on a Mercedes sprinter chassis with very clean lines. But it is a Class C because coach section is manufactured by LaStrada. It is under 10 feet in height and about 7 feet in width. It has a dedicated front lounge with seating for 4 at the dinette table and a dedicated sleeping area in the rear which can be two twins or one large double bed. Generous garage style exterior storage. A very attractive unit that would sell well in the US.
Dethleff Pulse
Dethleff Pulse
The Pulse is a low profile Class C from Dethleff’s that is 22.9 feet long, less than 10 feet high and 7.5 feet wide. It has ample garage style exterior storage, a dedicated front lounge/dinette area and a dedicated bedroom in the rear with either twin beds or one double bed. It is built on a Fiat chassis which is similar to the Dodge Ram. That extra interior space from a custom cab unit makes it so much more livable. It should be built here but US manufacturers are tied into essentially doing Conversion Vans on the narrower profile.
Wingamm City Suite
Wingamm City Suite
The City Suite is built on a Fiat Ducato chassis that is 22.9 feet long. However it’s width is the same as the Fiat Ducato van but it isn’t a class B due to the fact that Wingamm builds the entire coach section – “The bodywork is not the sheet metal of the van, but a fiberglass monocoque with all the thermal and acoustic comfort guaranteed by Wingamm standards. The entrance door is not the huge sliding door of the van, but a solid hinged door made of insulated double-shell fiberglass.” While the same width as its Van counterpart, the custom built coach allows a bit more interior room and layout options than you get with Van conversion style Class Bs. Also unlike Class B motorhomes the City Suite has garage style generous exterior storage. Like other Euro Compact Class Cs, it has a dedicated front lounge for 4 and a rear double bed.
Unfortunately European standards haven’t been copied here. There is no viable alternative to the Winnebago Rialta made in the US or Canada. If you believe there is let me know in the comments so I can find out more about it!
Billing itself as “. . . Iowa’s oldest food & drinking establishment” Breitbach’s was originally built in 1852 and has been run by six generations of the family since 1862. Current owners Mike and Cindy Breitbach have several of their children on site working in the kitchen, waiting tables, washing dishes, or tending to the bar ensuring that in time there will be a seventh generation continuing the family tradition.
The dining area is spacious and comfortable with a few antique touches.
We first discovered Breitbach’s in 2006 while taking our first trip along Iowa’s Great River Road north of Dubuque. At that time the original structure, built in 1852, still existed. (See photos below). It was a neat old building filled with 150 years of antique furnishings and memorabilia collected over the years. Besides a step-back-in-time to a genuine old fashioned country tavern, the food itself was genuine home-cooking. In addition to the delicious Iowa Pork Chops, I recall the most extensive and flavorful salad bar I’d ever experienced.
Since that original visit we’ve returned several times. Unfortunately, in 2007 the original Breitbachs burned to the ground in a gas explosion and fire. Almost all the antiques and collections from several generations were destroyed. A new Breitbach’s now occupies the original foundation. The dining area is much larger and is finished in beautiful oak beams and trim with some nice touches of antiques here and there. But nothing could replace the charm of the old 1800s era building and its contents.
All you can eat Buffet draws people from long distances to tiny Balltown Iowa.
However what hasn’t changed is the Breitbach family is still there running the place. Great small town service and excellent home cooking featuring famous Iowa Beef and Pork. On our most recent visit in October 2017 we caught their fantastic all-you-can-eat Dinner Buffet. We had a choice of beer battered cod, beef tips, popcorn shrimp, and broasted chicken. All excellent tasting, hot and moist. Jo particularly loved the homemade noodles, reminding her of those her grandmother used to make. Mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn rounded out the main course. But then there’s the exceptional soup and salad bar completely homemade by Cindy Breitbach and her kitchen crew. Still the best and most varied salad bar I’ve ever had. So much delicious food and even though I stuffed myself I couldn’t sample everything. Well that leaves more for next time.
From the Balltown scenic overlook, looking towards the Mississippi River bluffs. Wisconsin in background at top of picture.
Next to dining at Breitbach’s Balltown’s most notable attraction is the scenic lookout over the Mississippi River valley. At 1185 feet in elevation it is the second highest point in Iowa. Our latest visit was mid-week so we missed the music and Octoberfest celebration in the beer garden behind the restaurant. We caught that one year and it was lots of fun. In October you can also catch some good color and scenic river overlooks along the Iowa River Road Scenic Byway from Balltown to Guttenberg.
According to Zomato reviews and recommendations from friends, Brewery Creek Pub is one of Mineral Point’s most popular places to eat. The Inn and Pub are located in a restored 1854 Warehouse. In the pub the original thick limestone walls, exposed hand-hewn timbers, solid oak tables and chairs, and classic bar complete the intimate and genuine old time pub atmosphere. The dining area and its adjacent bar are not very spacious, yet you didn’t feel crowded. Something to do with how the space was arranged with an eye towards good use of space and providing variety. Perhaps it was also the high open ceilings exposing the thick old floor joists of the floor above and the rough sandstone rock walls did a nice job of cushioning conversation from the bar or adjacent tables.
Their own beer is brewed on-site and they offer a limited but diverse selections of brews. They were temporarily out of their Porter so we chose their Dark Amber ale instead. While advertised in their menu as “mild” we found the brew had good body and a full taste. And it was darker in color than the usual amber brew. Perhaps the “mild” referred to alcohol content, which we didn’t miss, particularly on a day when the temperatures were headed above 90 degrees!
Jo ordered their California Burger and I had their Wild Sockeye Salmon sandwich. Each came with a choice of sides; we both elected the fries. Brewery Creek touts their use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients, and injects an home-cooked artisan approach to their pub menu. The California burger came with tomato and red onion and their specialty garlic mayo sauce. Jo gave it good marks for taste. The hand-made patty was moist and not over-cooked and just the right size for a filling meal but not over-board.
In contrast, my Sockeye Salmon sandwich was a disappointment. All the ingredients were right. Nice sesame seed bun, adequate size salmon fillet, crisp fresh lettuce and tomato, decent sauce, etc. But as I picked up the bun, I could feel the top slice was chilled! And when I removed the tooth pick with the mini-cucumber at the end the mini cuke itself was chilly too. Undeterred I took my first bite, the salmon was room temperature, not at all hot. I was too hungry to send the dish back for a replacement, so I finished my meal. Something weird must have happened to my salmon sandwich because this is not the usual customer experience. Perhaps the finishing procedure of preparation is to flash microwave the entire sandwich once all the ingredients are assembled and somehow mine never got this final treatment. Perhaps the cold bun and cuke fresh from the fridge served to cool off the salmon which sat too long before served. A mystery.
Our waitress was friendly and courteous but only gets about a C+ compared to what one would expect from Brewery Creek’s reputation. She wasn’t attentive in asking how things were going mid-meal, nor noticing that my water glass was empty. She didn’t inquire how we “liked the meal” until we just about done. When I told her about my salmon sandwich, she’d said she’d have to tell the kitchen staff about it. But she never came back later with any mention of my complaint. It was as if I never said anything. Our dining at Brewery Creek was on a Sunday lunch time. They were busy but not over-crowded, still a few empty tables. Considering its reputation and neat ambiance, this dining experience was a disappointment. We’ll do a re-visit sometime and hope our next experience rises to their reputation.
A recent trend in travel trailers is the ultra-mod, compact, high-tech camper aimed at a younger, active life style demographic. These are campers who like off-the-beaten-path remote camping, go mountain biking or kayaking, like to pack light and leave a small foot print, but do like certain creature comforts and have support for their mobile technology. (manufacturer website links are at the bottom of this page)
Even the luxury travel trailer icon Airstream is going after this Extreme Demographic. The BaseCamp comes with several standard luxuries like 2 way refrigerator, sink, cooktop, bath/shower, pre-wired for solar, LED lighting, USB Ports, blue-tooth speakers, hot water and cabin heating systems, and many more. While almost every amenity is standard equipment, options include solar panels plus an AGM battery upgrade and two different tent-ad-ons that can expand your living space an additional 120 square feet.
What I particularly love about the BaseCamp is the wrap-around windows allowing lots of light in the interior and panoramic views of outside. It makes the small space seem much bigger. I like the kitchen area with more cooking and meal prep counter space than units 2 or 3 times its size. Airstream’s engineering and attention-to-detail in its design allows its small footprint to contain lots of quality comfort and convenience features. Everywhere you look in the unit you find ingenious touches.
Lots of counter space for a compact camper and gobs of natural light.
One of the 2 styles of optional vestibule tents attaches here.
What particularly “makes” the BaseCamp for the extreme camper is its rear hatch door and open center aisle more than 10 feet long that will allow indoor storage of kayaks, bikes and other toys. Larger wheels & tires plus protective underbody and skirts allow it to be towed over gravel and rougher roads. Its’ light weight, compact aerodynamic design, and balance make it easily towable by mid-size SUVs.
Retail Cost is $36K to 40K fully loaded – 2021 price
Cricket Camper Travel Trailer
Rugged, tank-like in appearance. The Cricket is a better engineered option to the traditional pop-up camper. Its kitchen has a large counter with covered sink and 6 large cubbies for prepping, cooking, and storage and supported by a 15 gallon plumbing system with heated hot water and a gray water storage tank. There is an outdoor shower with hot and cold running water, but no indoor bathroom however. But most other amenities are there either as standard or optional. It is wired for both 110 and 12 volt systems, has LED lighting, and is pre-wired for the solar panel option. You can get optional furnace, air-conditioning, and a 12 volt refrigerator.
Kitchen area. The 12 volt refrigerator is in the lower left hand corner of the picture.
Lots of room to load gear in from the rear hatch.
Rugged exterior, 15 inch all-terrain tires with 12″ of ground clearance allow you to travel down gravel and single track woods roads. “The Cricket camper has sleeping room for two adults and up to two children, along with Taxa’s NASA inspired design and integrated plumbing and electrical systems, you’re good to go days off-the-grid with this camper.” Weighs less than 1500 lbs so practically any 4 cylinder or above vehicle could tow it.
It has a roof rack system for hauling bikes, kayaks or extra gear. It also has a large rear hatch that allows you to transport bikes inside. Awning and privacy cabana.
$27,868 USD – MSRP 2021 price
T@b Outback
While most of the Tab Travel Trailers have the neat pop-top outdoor kitchen that opens up in the back, extreme campers who might encounter extreme weather conditions, want their kitchen and dining inside the RV where it is more protected from the elements. The Outback and its new cousin the Tab 400 provide that luxury plus an indoor bathroom/shower combination. These models include just about all the other amenities found in larger camper trailers: TV, air conditioner, furnace, stove, refrigerator, LED lighting, dinette area separate from the sleeping bed (tab 400) and other features. All of this still in a compact, easily towable package under 3000 lbs.
Tab Outback has a dinette, bed, living room combination. Tab 400 has separate dinette area.
Outback kitchen. Entrance to the bath/shower in background. Lots of features in a small space.
The Outback package offers a Yakima Roof Rack, heavy duty off-road style tires, diamond plated stone guards, cargo netting, and other durability options.
Approximate Price: $28,000 2021 price
Sylan Sport Go Camper
An ingenious package that serves as a rugged towable carrier for bikes, kayaks, canoes, or surf boards and also is a novel soft-sided compact pop-up tent camper with some unique features.
The tent is stored in the pop-top and when the top is raised the tent drops down for easy assembly. The entire tent system can be set up by one person in less than 15 minutes. Inside there is a fold down table that can accommodate up to 4 people for dining and can also be converted to allow sleeping space for up to 4 adults.
Lightweight, weighing in at only 840 lbs the Go Camper is easily towed by smaller cars or SUVs (like a Subaru) but can carry a huge amount of cargo or personal sport vehicles.
Also works as a utility trailer. With the pop-up tent top completely removed, the Go Camper converts into a utility trailer that will allow hauling of large items like a refrigerator , laundry appliances or a riding mower. For day trip adventures it can carry several kayaks or bikes. The deck will handle up to 800 lbs and the upper rack will handle an additional 160 lbs.
The dining table in a different configuration is the platform for a full width bed.
Folded up in travel position with extra space for lots of gear or bikes.
The Go Camper is a quality, well-engineered piece of equipment designed for years of use and to stand up to transport in back-woods roads. Watching the video on setting up the unit you’ll see how ingenious is the engineering.
ChicagoLand RV Show
The 2017 Chicagoland RV and Camping Show was held Feb 16 – 19th at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. The Donald E Stephens Convention Center is a large facility but the exhibit space is quite odd-shaped so it was really easy to get turned around and lose your sense of direction. At last year’s Chicago RV Show I told myself if I went again I’d want to bring a compass to help navigate. Well I forgot the compass and got turned around several times – again!
We were very impressed with the Thor Vegas, an affordable coach-style motor home.
We again scored some discount coupons online which saved us “seniors” $4 off the regular $12 show price. We also saved some money by parking at the CTA Blue Line Depot at 5801 N. River Road (2.5 blocks north of the Convention Center.
In addition to checking out “what’s new” across the spectrum of RV Motorhomes and Travel Trailers, our personal goals for this year’s show was to look closely at Class B and smaller Class C motor homes and also lightweight and retro or vintage-style travel trailers. We might be in the market for either of these two kinds of RVs.
Retro Travel Trailers
In last year’s post on the 2016 Chicago Show we showed several pictures and manufacturer links to Retro or Vintage Travel Trailers, an increasingly popular style. One of the originators of this new “back to the 50s and 60s style of travel trailers” is Riverside RV who makes the Whitewater Retro trailer. This year they have expanded their line of Retro style trailers with Retro Toy Haulers.
The couches in the living room of this Retro Toy Hauler fold up to provide room to haul your 4 wheeler or snowmobile.
The retro theme continues in the kitchen and back bedroom of the toy hauler.
My favorite retro-style travel trailer is Gulf Stream’s Vintage Cruiser. As they say in their promo the Fun of the 50’s married to the Technology of the 21st Century. The Vintage Cruiser comes in a variety of lengths and floor plan configurations. My favorite is the 17rwd as it weighs less than 3000 lbs, is a compact 20 feet long, yet feels roomy in the interior.
For 2017-18 Gulf Stream has carried over the wood-grain look from the interior to the exterior.
I like the cozyness, yet room for four, of the dining area of this 17 foot model.
Sort of semi-retro looking is Forest River’s R-Pods. The RP-179 has a slide-out dinette area and was Jo’s favorite. Like the Vintage it is a compact 20′ long and weighs less than 3000 lbs.
Comfortable dinette, full closet with storage drawers, and queen bed had Jo thinking “pretty nice.”
Lots of kitchen counter space, convenient layout, nice view from the kitchen window.
A Unique Cheese Country Attraction – The Toy Train Barn Museum & Railway
Kids of all ages and model railroad enthusiasts will have a fun-filled afternoon touring Buck Guthrie’s toy train exhibit and riding on his Argyle & Eastern railroad.(see our Toy Train video near the bottom of the page)
One leg of our Cheese Country Scenic Drive passes through Argyle, Wisconsin. In 2016 on our way through Argyle to visit Monroe we noticed the sign and the uniquely painted barn of the Toy Train Museum along Wisconsin highway 81 about 2 miles east of Argyle. We didn’t stop but later looked up the attraction on the Internet and made a note to find an occasion to visit them soon.
That occasion came when we were looking for fun things to do with two of our grand nieces who were visiting with us. So we loaded Keena and Dee Dee in the Rialta motorhome and took off for a day trip to Argyle to visit the Toy Barn.
Inside the Toy Train Barn near Argyle, Wisconsin
Inside the barn is one of the most extensive model railroad collections I’ve ever seen. As a kid I enjoyed the huge Christmas time train layout at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. While the Science and Industry layout may have more feet of track, it doesn’t have near the amount of detail in the surrounding villages as the Toy Barn layout and I think there are a larger number of operating trains in the Toy Barn layout.
Surrounded By Model Trains
Every where you look you’ll see a train operating, running across trestles, through mountains, tunnels, cities, and villages. And in the various villages you’ll find action, things moving, and animated action figures working and playing. In some respects the running trains are a backdrop to the unique village creations as there is so much detail and activity depicted a person could spend hours inspecting and discovering the goings-on within the villages. Push buttons allow visitors to control the movement of some of the trains and activate other action features of the displays.
Our railroad conductor-host Jan Guthrie operated the trains, provided an entertaining history of the development of the train and village layouts, and helped guide the kids in exploring all the fun things to do.
The creator of the Toy Train layout and interactive villages is Jan’s husband Buck Guthrie. Prior to his retirement Buck was a real-life engineer for the Southern Wisconsin & Calumet Railroad.
Riding the Argyle & Eastern Railway
Although retired, Buck has found a way to continue being an engineer. On the farm surrounding the Toy Barn is a narrow gauge railway Buck has constructed and named the Argyle & Eastern Railway. He also built a locomotive, the Zepher, and several passenger cars to operate on the railway that runs among the 18 acres of the farm. The railway crosses creeks, runs over trestles, and passes intersections. A fun ride for all ages, for kids and for older people who enjoy being a kid again every once in a while.
Kids can actually operate the trains at the Toy Train Barn
Taking a ride on the Argyle & Eastern Railway
See our Video of the model trains in the Train Barn and taking a ride on the Argyle & Eastern Railroad
The world-famous Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron is based at the Pensacola Naval Air Station adjacent to the National Naval Aviation Museum. While the Blue Angels perform air shows all across the country their practice sessions for these shows occur most Tuesday and Wednesday mornings (March to November) at the Naval Air Station and the public can watch these practices at the Museum Flight Line north of the Museum. Admission is free.
Fat Albert, the C130 Hercules Transport, provides transport of support crew and materials for the Blue Angels shows.
The Mitchell B-25 fighter-bomber was my favorite WWII aircraft when I was a kid.
We caught one of these practice sessions in March. It was a great show. I wish that we had arrived early enough to get a seat in the bleachers (room for 1000) as they had the best views of the action plus could better hear the announcer who provided “background color” for the demonstrations. Practices typically begin at 11:30 a.m.(Central Time), and last about 55 minutes. But if you’d like to catch one of those bleacher seats, consider arriving at least an hour earlier.
Backpacks are not allowed, nor are daypacks or luggage items. Small purses, small bags for medication or diaper bags are allowed, however they are subject to search at the entrance. Visitors over the age of 16 also need some identification. If you aren’t in the bleachers you can bring your own folding chairs or can rent one for $3 at the concession area. Concessions also offer bottled water, sport drinks, light food/treats and souvenir merchandise. I don’t recall seeing any porta-potties in the exhibition area so take care of your “bathroom needs” before you arrive.
One surprise bonus of attending the Blue Angels practice was seeing a number of other vintage aircraft located on the Flight Line field.
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet flown by the Blue Angels has served them since 1987. It is a naval strike fighter introduced in the mid-1980s. “Equally at home in air-to-air or air-to-ground missions, the aircraft is highly maneuverable and instrumented to optimize single pilot control of numerous weapons systems.” Although the F/A-18 can reach speeds of 1400 mph, the fastest speed flown during an air show is about 700 mph and the slowest is about 120 mph.
Attending the Air Show practice is neat experience, one I’d recommend to any visitor to Pensacola. On our next visit, I’ll plan to arrive early in the hope of getting a bleacher seat. If I do get one I can take some better pictures and video than I have here.
According to Trip Advisor, the Grand Marlin is the number 1 rated restaurant in Pensacola Beach. But as it is also listed as the most expensive restaurant in Pensacola Beach we’ve not dined there. But considering its good rating, perhaps we ought to find out “how expensive” it is! 🙂
But we have had a chance to sample some of the Beach’s other top rated restaurants.
Our Reviews of Best Restaurants in Pensacola Beach
Below are reviews of:
Flounder’s Chowder House
Red Fish-Blue Fish Restaurant
Native Cafe.
Review – Flounders Chowder House
Flounders is a beach front casual, seafood dining and entertainment emporium that has been in Pensacola Beach since 1979. It is full of nautical paraphernalia, antiques, and fanciful creations. A former world record 980 lb Blue Marlin hangs from the ceiling of the Marlin Bar. Adjacent to the street-side entrance is the 55 foot former shrimp boat, the M/V Flounder named after its owner Captain Frank Flounder. Frank’s three sons opened Flounders Chowder House after serving their tours shrimping.
Diners have a choice of seating: an open-air outdoor deck adjacent to their beach, a covered outdoor deck, and inside seating. There’s also a separate, cafeteria style Sushi Bar. The stand-up Tiki Bar is out on beach and the more spacious Marlin Bar is in the open-air covered area.
The sand beach fronts on Pensacola Bay and includes a long pier with boat docking facilities for guests arriving by water. The large beach area also hosts a volleyball court and a kids playground area within view of the restaurant so Mom and Dad can keep an eye on the kids while they dine. The entertainment stage looks out over the the deck, but no one was performing the day we were there. But Jamaican music played in the background on their PA system.
The former Flounder’s Shrimp Boat welcomes visitors to the restaurant.Beach volleyball in front of Flounders Chowder HouseDining on the deck at Flounders Chowder House.
Rating Flounders Food & Service
I had the Grilled Mahi Taco Salad and Jo chose her favorite burger basket, a Mushroom & Swiss Burger w fries. The food portion size was large and the quality good, but not outstanding. We’ll give it Four stars. The wait service was prompt and friendly. A fun, family friendly, entertaining place to spend an afternoon or evening. Next time I’ll have to try their signature Floyd Flounder’s Phenomenal Chowder, a past winner of the Great Florida Chowder Cook-off.
Red Fish Blue Fish is another funky beach front dining and entertainment also located on the Pensacola Bay side of the island. Like Flounders it has an extensive white sand swimming and lounging beach, in fact maybe a little larger than Flounders. As with Flounders you can be in the open-air patio, the covered deck, or inside away from all the elements. There’s no volleyball court but there are corn-hole game sets on the patio and on the beach.
The day we were there a country-pop trio was performing on the outdoor stage. They had a Simon & Garfunkel style of close harmony and a wild electric fiddle that I loved. It was an idyllic afternoon, good food, good music, sun, beach, ocean breezes, and a very tasty Bloody Mary.
Our lunch was Grilled & Blackened Mahi on a bed of steamed asparagas, rice & spinach. Excellently prepared and decent wait service. We’ve had and enjoyed Grilled Mahi at other Gulf Coast eateries and the dish served up by Red Fish Blue Fish didn’t disappoint us.
Relax on this funky bench outside the entrance to Red Fish Blue FishThe Patio of Red Fish Blue Fish Restaurant in Pensacola Beach is where everyone wants to be.Some great tunes out on the Patio of Red Fish Blue Fish
Also a bit away from the hustle and crowds is the best breakfast spot in Pensacola Beach (also serves lunch until 3pm). Nestled in a plain jane strip mall east of Pensacola Beach’s entertainment center, Native Café is easy to miss unless you know about their reputation. We found out about them on Trip Advisor where they are rated the #2 Restaurant in Pensacola Beach behind the Grand Marlin, which is the top rated place to eat in the Beach – but is also the most expensive.
Their artsy marquee was matched with a funky, artsy and intimate interior. Some light jazz played in the background adding to the unique café atmosphere.
Native Café is family run, operated by fifth generation Pensacolians, Joyce and Charles Brown and their children, Josef Wiggins, Jesse Brown and Arin Brown. Their commitment to good food, a fun atmosphere and good service has people like us going to an effort to find them.
Native Cafe’s South Western MotifDelicious Mahi-Mahi Tacos in the foreground, Mahi-Mahi PoBoy background.
Rating the Native Cafe
We were there for a late lunch. Jo had their signature PoBoy Mahi-Mahi sandwich basket that included a side of fresh veggies. I had their famous Florida Fish Tacos, which contains sautéed Mahi which chopped cabbage, tomato, and bell peppers and 2 kinds of sauce. Excellent taste, large portions left us stuffed. Great food coupled with fast, friendly service stands up to their #2 rating. Love the artsy coffee shop atmosphere and their choice of music. 5 stars. We look forward to returning the next time we are in Pensacola Beach.
Other Top Rated Pensacola Beach Restaurants.
Peg Leg Petes Pensacola Beach(pictured at the top of the page) Bustling, pirate-themed seafood restaurant featuring a children’s play area & raw bar
We’ve driven by Peg Leg Pete’s several times on the way to and from Fort Pickens. The parking lot was always full so we never stopped as we figured there would be a long wait for a table. They get good reviews on Google and Trip Advisor so one of these days we have to give them a try. (We finally did in 2020 – see our review)
Grand Marlin The Grand Marlin is at the tip of peninsula that juts out into Santa Rosa Sound with a terrific panoramic view of the cove between the island and the Gulf Breeze peninsula. Highly rated by Trip Advisor for the quality of their food and service. But warning you also pay top dollar for that four star rating. With extensive docking facilities it is a popular dining and entertainment spot for boaters. One of these days we’ll dig into the Piggy Bank and stop there for dinner or lunch.
The Pensacola News Journal recently posted some announcements of new Pensacola Beach Restaurants recently opened that included The Drift Casino Beach Bar & Grille.
Visitor Attractions Pensacola Beach on Santa Rosa Island Pensacola Beach is a beach community located near the western end of Santa Rosa Island, a thirty mile long, narrow barrier island strip of dunes and grass lands that protects Pensacola Florida from the hurricanes and storms that roll across the Gulf of Mexico. To the east … Read more
Touring the ice sculptures of the Bayfield Lake Superior Ice Caves was easily the most popular 2014 & 2015 winter event around Lake Superior. In 2016 and since that time, the Lake Superior Ice was not safe enough to allow travel to the Ice Caves and Formations.
But the winter Lake Superior Region Weather Forecast provides hope that travel to the Sea Cave formations will be possible, perhaps as early as Feb 1.
Ty Daniels tool this shot in 2014 from the inside of one of the ice caves
Jo in front of one of the many ice cave sculptures done by Mother Nature
In 2014, For the first time in 5 years the ice on Lake Superior around the Bayfield Peninsula and the Apostle Islands was thick enough for people to safely hike out to the unique ice sculptures that form in the caves formed in lake shore bluffs the Apostle Islands National Park mainland. See some photos and directions to the Ice Caves from our last visit – Wisconsin Lake Superior Ice Caves.
Tips on Visiting the Ice Caves
If you go up to Bayfield to see this display of Mother Nature sculptures, here’s a few tips for you.
While at times snowshoes would be helpful to travel to the caves, it is likely when you go thousands of people have already trekked out across the ice and snow to the see the caves. So expect the trail to be quite tamped down. (However if it snows heavily just before you go, this may change.) So if you have ice cleats that clamp on your boots, bring them along. Or wear whatever boots you have that will give you decent traction on ice or snow. If you’ve got some ski poles or hiking sticks, bring them.
Also pack a beverage and some energy or granola bars. I figure the hike across the ice to the caves is about a mile and the hike along the caves could be almost a mile. So figure at least four miles round trip and extra time to explore the caves means you’ll be out there a few hours. And this amount of time also means a bathroom break prior to your trek wouldn’t hurt either (Because of the high bluffs the caves are formed in, you can’t sneak off into the woods for a pottie stop!).
Directions to the Ice Caves
The Ice Caves are accessed from the Meyers Beach unit of the Apostle Islands National Park. The road to the beach is off Highway 13 four miles east of Cornucopia, Wisconsin or 17 miles Northwest of Bayfield, Wisconsin. There are places to eat and get grocery items at both locations. Here is a link to our Lake Superior Region Snow & Weather Reports page for information on traveling.
Lodging. You’ll want to Google for motel accommodations in Bayfield, Washburn, and Ashland as your best bets for finding a place to stay. If all what is available is booked, it is feasible to get lodging in Superior, Wisconsin as via Hwy 13 it is about 60 miles to the Ice Caves from Superior. There are spots between Ashland and Superior that are closer – like Iron River and Brule – but my guess is if Ashland – Bayfield motels are filled for your desired dates, these would be filled as well. Make your reservations as early as you can.
We hope to see the caves again this year. Maybe we’ll see you there.
