Hayward – The Facts

Without further ado, this is the long and short (more short than long) on what to do in Sturgeon Bay. Facts only, commentary omitted (for the most part 😉

Near:
– Ashland (1 hr. NE)
– Cable ( 15 minutes NE)
– Minong (30 minutes west)
– Spooner (30 minutes SW)
– Stone Lake (20 minutes south)
– Clam Lake (30 minutes east)

Nature/Outdoor Activities
– DOZENS of trails in the surrounding Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
– Amnicon Falls State Park (1 hour north)
– Copper Falls State Park (1 hour NE)
– Plenty of kayaking/canoeing on the Namekagon River
– Plenty of fishing/boating on the Chippewa Flowage
– Fishing on pretty much any and every lake up there
– Nelson Lake is the big lake here
– St. Peter’s Dome/Morgan Falls – hiking and scenic waterfall (45 minutes NE)

Beer/Wine/Distilleries
– Angry Minnow Brewpub (Hayward)
– Tamarack Farms Winery (Hayward)
– Out of the Woods Winery (Hayward)
– Perlick Distillery (Sarona – near Spooner)

Supper Clubs
– Tally Ho (Hayward)
– The Ranch (Hayward)
– The Steakhouse and Lodge (Hayward)
– Trailways Inn (Hayward)

Got Kids?
– Mini Golf, at least two locations
– Lumberjack Shows (hands down, these are the coolest. If you have kids, or even if you don’t, everyone needs to do this!)
– Take your kids out in nature… expose them to what we often lack so much in society
– Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame for a picture opportunity (and they’ll love the other fish statues too)
– Wilderness Walk (essentially a petting zoo)
– Spider Lake Ranch (every family with a girl has a horse girl… that’s just a fact. Let them ride the horses up north. The random horse girl will appreciate it)

No kids?
– 3 very close golf courses (Hayward Golf Course, Fiddler’s Creek, and Big Fish [which is a very cool one])
– Fun downtown and Main Street scene with plenty of shops. A couple candy stores, clothing stores, book stores, and more
– Can’t forget about the wineries and brewery
– The Moccasin Bar (not going to spoil this gem, just go here for a beer… you won’t be disappointed!)
– Lumberjack shows! Not just for kids!
– Two casinos – Sevenwinds and Grindstone Creek
– Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame – if you’re a big fisherman/woman, you need to check this place out. It’s not just for kids. I’m not as into fishing as I’d like to be, but even I can tell if you enjoy the sport there’s some cool things here
– All the outdoor activities you could possibly hope for: mountain biking, hiking, boating, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, ATVing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and more
– A few cool thrift stores
– https://haywardlakes.com/activities/ – this link has the activities separated by season, which is cool
– NATURE – just get up here and check it out. Even if that means just going for a drive through the national forest. Life is too short to not enjoy the Northwoods

Lodging
– Since this is the Northwoods, I’m going to define this section a little different than normal. I highly recommend either camping/staying at a campsite, renting a cabin, or something similar. Get out in nature for your stay up north. Now, some of those options might be trickier in winter, in which case hotels/motels might become more of a necessity, but the true treasure of the Northwoods is the untamed wild. Getting into it is the best thing you can do

Dining
– Once again, it would be ridiculous to attempt to list every place to eat in this city/area, but some of my personal favorites include the three supper clubs (see above for the list), Angler’s Bar and Grill, Coop’s Pizza, and Main Street Tacos. There’s plenty of places to choose from, especially downtown, and I have to say I’ve never had a bad experience with any of them. In fact one of my favorite memories of Hayward is the first time me and my siblings “broke free from the nest” so to speak and ventured into Hayward without our parents. It was later evening, and the main street scene had calmed down. We shopped for a bit before getting hungry. We saw TNT Sports Bar and Grill looked pretty good and headed inside. We sat outside on the back patio. Weather was perfect, the food was good, and the cold drinks perfectly complimented the incoming storm. We enjoyed the night and even though it wasn’t planned, it was a great stop.

Last but not least… I have two points I like to focus on for whether or not YOU should visit. 
– Point 1: Would I live here? From time to time during my travels, I often lapse into a daydream about living in that city. I will randomly get the urge to just pick up and move… nothing major, not a total life reset, but a nice change of scenery. And so I ask myself, “could I see myself living here? Like, if I find a decent job I enjoy that pays decently too, would I be able to enjoy living in this town/city?” If the answer is yes, I believe you need to visit this city… and for Hayward, the answer is YES. So much yes in fact that I look for jobs here from time to time. I plan on spending my retirement up in the Northwoods, so why not get a head start now?
– Point 2: Do I want to visit this place again? Regardless of whether I’ve done it all yet or not, do I want to ever revisit here? Life is short after all… would I want to spend $200-$300 on a 3 day weekend HERE, when I could go somewhere new? If the answer is yes, I believe you need to visit this city… and for Hayward the answer is YES.

What did I miss? If you’re a local, what do you recommend that isn’t on this list? Or if you’ve been here before but I left something out, please let me know in the comments! I DO plan on coming back, and I’m always open to doing the things I haven’t done before. Life is too short, and I want to spend it in WI.