Manitowoc Travel Guide

A piece of Sputnik crashed into a street in Manitowoc in 1962. Now the Rah-West Museum hosts an annual alien-themed Sputnikfest - complete with Space Junk Girl costume contest and out-of-this-world cake decorating.

An old ice cream parlor that still makes their own everything. They have great chocolates (try the smidgens!), candies, and fantastic sundaes. Their food is pretty good and cheap also. Definitely a must to get the Manitowoc experience (kids can try the hog n' dog, a smaller sundae that has a chocolate hog and dog)

Favorite Dish: Could be the Boston Nut, or the Turtle sundae, or the smidgens, or the shakes...it's all great

This is a fantastic bar, which offers an amazing selection of wine and martinis! Placed in an old bank, it stick out of the normal bar Manitowc, or Wisconsin in general, has to offer. The men who own The Riverbank are fantastic also!! Try the Ruthie Martini! They have specialty nights, a dance night, if I remember correctly and I can't remember how the food works but they have some of the best hummus I've ever had! There is also a room in the old vault where you can have private champagne parties.

Dress Code: Wear whatever you want, although you would probably feel most comfortable dressing for a night on the town.

The SS Badger is a 4 hour cruise from Manitowoc to Ludington, MI. It is a relaxed pace way across Lake Michigan, bring your car to keep traveling. Or it can be a mini-vacation by itself, with restaurants, karaoke, bingo, movies and more.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: The weather in Manitowoc changes by season, but remember it is right next to a lake. This means it is often cooler than other parts. However, I've known the temperature to differ 30 degrees through the course of the day so pack in layers. Winter coats during winter are a must, plus gloves and scarves and hats (remember that winter can last until April or even May so check the forecast, and plan for a bit worse).