My family has traveled from Chicago to Hayward, Wisconsin, for decades, so I know the route by heart. The first 300 miles of I-94 are dull. But everything changes north of Eau Claire. The rolling farmland of central Wisconsin gradually rises to thick stands of evergreens. As you turn off I-53 and ramble down County Highway M, generic gas stations and outlet malls give way to bait shops and fiberglass animals. It’s official: You’re up north!
Recreation
At first, it’s just scaly green tail above the shops on Route 27. With a start, you realize it’s the backside of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame (10360 Hall of Fame Drive, Hayward, WI 54843, freshwater-fishing.org, open April 15, May, September & October from 9:30 AM – 4 PM, and June, July & August from 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM?). The enormous musky you’ve been ogling is half a block long and four and a half stories tall. When you stand in its gaping mouth, you feel like a king or a minnow.
If you’re too lazy to climb four flights of stairs, head west on Route 63 to Camp Namekogan (Springbrook, WI, 54875, (715) 766-2277 campnamekagon.com?). For just $11, you can rent a tube and take the shuttle upriver, then drift along the Namekogan at your leisure. I’ve never felt more American.
Dining
Restaurants near Hayward kill you with kindness and cholesterol. If you can handle a lot of the latter, check out the Angler’s Haven Resort (15437 County Highway Kk, Hayward, WI 54843?, (715) 634-2757, anglershavenresort.com) near Lac Courte Oreilles (pronounced “lah-COO duh-RAY” by the Cheeseheads). In little Stone Lake, the Black Bear Pub and Grille (16877 Main Street, Stone Lake, (715) 865-6565, www.blackbearpubandgrille.com/) is also a treat. If you can, stock up on brats and marshmallows at our local grocery store and have a cookout.
Lodging:
The Comfort Suites (15586 County Road B, comfortsuiteshayward.com?) is clean, inexpensive, and adjacent to a movie theater. It’s a great base camp for a quick family vacation. But if you have more time, you might enjoy one of the area’s many campgrounds. I recommend Vee’s Musky Blvd. Resort & Campground (4547 N. Sissabagama Road, Stone Lake, WI, 54876, (715) 865-454 veesmuskyresort.net?) on Big Sissabagama Lake in Stone Lake. Bring your trailer, fill your cooler with Leinies, and try to break the lake record for the biggest musky!
For more info, visit http://haywardlakes.com/.