De Pere – 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:
– Green Bay (10 minutes NE)
– Door County (45 minutes NE)
– Fox Valley Cities – Oshkosh, Appleton, Neenah (30 minutes SW)

Nature/Outdoor Activities:
– De Pere Riverwalk and Wildlife Viewing Pier
– Lost Dauphin State Park (no vehicle sticker necessary – it’s very small)
– Fox River State Trail (arguably the best section is here in De Pere, but the entire trail is 25 miles, from GB to Calumet)
– East River Trail (quieter and smaller than the Fox River Trail)
– Numerous parks along the Fox River and East River
– The Fox River – plenty of recreational opportunities – from fishing and boating to waterskiing and wake boarding

Beer/Wine/Distilleries:
– Cocoon Brewing
– Gnarly Cedar Brewery (for now… moving to Wrightstown soon)
– Ledgestone Vineyards (technically Greenleaf but it’s just outside of the boundaries of De Pere)
– And obviously you’re 10 minutes away from 5+ breweries, wineries, and distilleries in Green Bay

Supper Clubs:
– Union Hotel – this is also a historic supper club, being frequented by Packer legends of the past
– The Marq
– The Redwood Inn in GB is a 10-15 minute drive from De Pere as well

Got Kids?
– An absolutely insane amount of crazy good parks for kids… 2 with pools, almost all with some sort of awesome playground, and essentially a good park every other mile… you won’t be disappointed with the De Pere park system!
– The Mulva Cultural Center typically has one or two exhibits that will interest older kids (ages 9 and up)
– Fishing! If your kids enjoy fishing, bring the boat up! If you don’t have a boat, fish from the shore or the pier! There are TONS of great and accessible fishing spots in De Pere. Voyageur Park is known for its plethora of fishing spots
– Urban Battlefield LLC – a laser tag arena
– Mr. Golf – 3 hole course, golf simulator just 1 minute outside of De Pere
– De Pere Cinema
– I feel like I need to mention the parks again. You could walk from anywhere in the city and reach a park that has a decent playground and other things to do. As a kid, every single park was within biking distance of my house, and they all had so much stuff to do. From basketball courts to volleyball courts to baseball diamonds to jungle gyms to pools… seriously, if you have kids and you’re in De Pere and they happen to get bored, take an hour break and bring them to Legion, Voyageur, Jim Martin, Optimist, Braisher, Kiwanis, Rotary, Ledgeview, VFW, Westwood, Kelly Danen, and even the Brown County Fairgrounds and Lost Dauphin State Park
– Seroogy’s Chocolates is a must stop if you’ve got a sweet tooth

No Kids?
– Mulva Cultural Center – mini museum with some very interesting stuff. It also has a fancy feel to it if you’re looking for a high end vibe without the cost
– East and West downtowns… The east side downtown area has a lot of cool little boutiques with plenty of stuff to pique your interest. Several coffee shops and cafe’s on both sides, along with plenty of bars and restaurants. With St. Norberts campus on the west side too, you’ll find a bit more bars on places to eat on the west side of the bridge, while more retail can be found on the East side
– Cocoon Brewing, Gnarly Cedar, and Ledgestone Vineyards are always great. Cocoon has personal mini-cabins with TV’s and wifi if you’re looking for a private party at a brewery. Gnarly Cedar and Ledgestone have great live music with an awesome backdrop of Scray’s Hill (the Niagara Escarpment… check out our Sturgeon Bay History post for more info on that)
– Beer Gardens! Every Tuesday in the summer, Voyageur Park hosts a beer garden. The money raised goes towards the park system, and honestly, if you ask me, I think that’s the best way to do this. Every city and town in our state should be doing this. It’s a relief on our tax burden, gets people out together spending time in the public parks, and who doesn’t love to drink beer outside in great weather? They also have 3 different food trucks at every one of these events. Seriously, this type of thing needs to be more popular
– Luna Cafe on the west side is a great cafe, and while it’s definitely kid friendly, the atmosphere is more suited towards adults and young adults. Great coffee and great food

Lodging:
– Nuks Executive Suites – right on the river, reasonably priced, and a great downtown location. I will always be recommending this place to other people
– Cobblestone Hotel and Suites – located in the heart of downtown west side
– Ascend Hotel – also on the west side, this time right across the street from St. Norberts campus
– Sleep Inn & Suites – right off Hwy. 41 in southern De Pere. Location-wise, this is the worst, as you’re not only right off the highway, but you’re also close to the business park, which means you’re not in a walkable part of town

Dining:
– As always, it’s pointless to list every single restaurant in the city, but my favorite place to eat in De Pere, hands down is Pasquale’s
– Pasquale’s International Cafe is a Chicago Italian restaurant on the west side. Now, I’m not normally one to pump up anything with the name “Chicago” in it, but this food is the exception. From sandwiches to pasta, not a single thing in this restaurant isn’t worth it. My go-to when I’m there is the combo (Italian beef + Italian sausage), but I’ve had almost every sandwich they offer, along with almost every type of pasta, and it never disappoints
– If you’re in the mood for Mexican, Caliente is my favorite, but El Maya on the west side isn’t bad either
– Nicky’s Lionhead Tavern has better-than-bar-food bar food, and you’re going to want to get their fish fry. And their cheese curds? Probably the second best cheese curds in the entire state!
– Gallagher’s Pizza is the must for your pizza needs
– Union Hotel for anything supper club-ish
– Nuks Thai Cuisine is superb, and Orsetta has got your Italian fix
– McGeorge’s Pub is also a favorite
– Again, too many great restaurants to name them all… do your research before you make your decision!

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 De Pere, the answer is YES. I mean I did used to live here, but I would not mind having to move back, for multiple reasons.
– 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 De Pere, the answer is YES. Although, again, to be fair I have family in the area so I WILL be back, but I would not be opposed to having to stay at Nuks Executive Suites again.

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.