Wisconsin bucket list: 20 things you have to do

When a friend moved to Arizona recently, she was determined to get to a few Wisconsin places before she left the state.

One of those was House on the Rock — the museum to the eclectic mind of architect Alex Jordan. For a friend who has a healthy fear of the paranormal, it was an interesting choice.

Maybe it's because I grew up in Wisconsin and had taken my share of school field trips to the bizarre home, but I was amused that she considered a visit essential before she left Wisconsin.

It did get me thinking, though, about other must-visit places in the Badger state — a bucket list of sorts, or quintessential places every Wisconsinite should experience.

The criteria are subjective, of course. An avid snowmobiler might consider a visit to the Snowmobile Hall of Fame essential, while a wine lover would want to visit Wollersheim, a national historic site that dates to the 1840s.

Whatever the benchmark, the places should be unique to Wisconsin, and they should be worth driving a little to see.

Here are 20 places to put on your bucket list.

Devil's Lake State Park

The state's most popular state park holds that crown for a reason, with dramatic 500-foot russet bluffs surrounding a 360-acre lake. Summer brings crowds to the sandy beach along the lake and the stair-like trails up the bluffs, where rock climbers attempt to send routes on the slick quartzite. Visit during the week for fewer people, and trek up the East Bluff for a look at some of the park's major rock formations, including Balanced Rock and Devil's Doorway.

Lambeau Field

The best way to experience this sacred ground is game day, of course. But if you can't snag a ticket, plan a visit anyway to tour the stadium and the Packers Hall of Fame. A tour includes a look at the even-more-unattainable suites, a walk through the same tunnel the players do on game day and photos on the field. Save your Lambeau Leap for outside the stadium, where a smaller wall on the Harlan Plaza lets Average Joes and Janes pull it off.

Door County

The Cape Cod of the Midwest offers something for every kind of traveler. Five state parks, 19 county parks and 300 miles of shoreline for outdoor lovers; fine dining and wineries for foodies; quaint bed and breakfasts and inns for romantic getaways. Don't visit without trying some of the classics: cherries or apples (pick your own at an orchard), a fish boil and a visit to Peninsula State Park for views of Green Bay from the top of the Niagara Escarpment.

Taliesin

The Spring Green home of Wisconsin architect Frank Lloyd Wright draws visitors from around the world. A tour of the architect's home and studio — still used by fellows in the School of Architecture at Taliesin — reveals Wright's distinctive Prairie-style architecture, plus the dark history of the home that saw two fires and a brutal murder spree by a servant.

House on the Rock

If you're in the Spring Green area visiting Taliesin, you might as well visit another architect's home in the area. Yes, Alex Jordan's home and its dizzying array of collections are weird. But it is a must-visit for its level of weirdness: a 200-foot sea monster battling a squid in a four-story room, the self-dubbed Largest Carousel in History (269 animals, but no horses?), music machines that provide auditory madness to match the visual. All of that in a house built on a 60-foot column of rock. Set aside at least half a day to wander through the madness.

Elroy-Sparta State Trail

The state's first rail-trail — a trail created on an old railroad line — is also the country's first. It's a notable distinction, but what really makes this crushed limestone trail special are the three railroad tunnels, all dating back more than 140 years, that cyclists and hikers pass through on the trail's 33-mile journey between Elroy and Sparta. Bring flashlights for the long, dark tunnels and be prepared for a wet, cool experience. The tunnel doors are closed in the winter, to keep the tunnels warmer and help prevent the freezing and thawing that can lead to rocks falling. They're usually reopened for the season on May 1.

Ishnala Supper Club

Most Wisconsinites have their favorite supper club, but few have reached the legendary status of Ishnala on Mirror Lake in Lake Delton. The log-cabin lookalike is perched above the lake, with views of the placid water from the horseshoe-shaped bar (set to be expanded this summer) and parts of the dining room. One of the prized tables, tucked into a corner along two walls of windows, is the site of many an engagement. Reservations aren't accepted, so be prepared for a wait. But with a brandy Old Fashioned in your hand and a beautiful, peaceful view of classic Wisconsin scenery in front of you, waiting is half the experience.

Duck ride in the Wisconsin Dells

The waterpark capital of the world has a beautiful natural side, and it's that side that put it on the map in the first place. A classic way to see the actual Dells, those sandstone bluffs along the Wisconsin River that were a tourist draw long before waterslides and wave pools, is via an Original Wisconsin Duck. The amphibious vehicles that date to World War II take tourists on a rollercoaster ride through wooded terrain before launching onto the river for an up-close look at the bluffs.

Milwaukee breweries

Even if you're not a beer drinker, a dive into the Brew City's fermented legacy is a must. Tour one of the classics, Miller (now MillerCoors), to see the caves that were once used to store the beer that helped make Milwaukee famous. New craft brewers are booming in the city, too, from Good City on the east side and Black Husky in Riverwest to Mobcraft in Walker's Point and Third Space in the Menomonee Valley.

New Glarus Brewing Co.

The home of the legendary Spotted Cow is a destination for beer fans from near and far — notice the cars with Illinois plates packed with cases of the stuff in the brewery's parking lot. But New Glarus offers much more than its famous flagship, from award-winning fruit beers to a terrific Octoberfest lager, available seasonally beginning in late summer. Sip samples on the brewery's beer garden, perched on a hill overlooking rolling countryside. Visit on a weekend for a brewer-led tour of the newer hilltop brewery, or nab a spot on the Friday hard hat tour that includes a look at the original riverside brewery.

Green County cheese

There's cheese everywhere in Wisconsin, but Green County has established itself as a go-to spot for experiencing the best the state has to offer. A dozen creameries produce more than 50 varieties. In Monroe, stop by Roth Cheese, home to the Grand Cru Surchoix, the winner of the 2016 World Championship Cheese Contest. Baumgartner's Cheese Store & Tavern in Monroe is the spot for finding many of the county's offerings, including the stinky Limburger; Green County's Chalet Cheese Cooperative is the only creamery in America that produces it.

Wisconsin River paddling and camping

The Lower Wisconsin River flows along a sandy, unimpeded course for 90 miles from Prairie du Sac to its confluence with the Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien. The lazy current makes for a perfect paddling trip, and the sandbars that pop up when water levels are low enough are open to free camping. The natural shoreline is protected from development by the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway, making this a wild trip not too far from Wisconsin's major population centers. The stretch between Prairie du Sac and Spring Green is the most popular, so head west for a quieter experience.

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

One of four national park properties in Wisconsin (along with the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, the North Country National Scenic Trail and the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway), the Apostle Islands are a gem worth the long drive from Milwaukee. The 21 islands are spread out in cold Lake Superior off the Bayfield peninsula, their red sandstone sea caves a favorite for kayakers in the summer. Go with a guide if you're not experienced, or hop on a cruise boat to see more of the islands and their historic lighthouses.

Ice Age Trail

This 1,200-mile national scenic trail is located completely within Wisconsin, tracing the farthest point the last glacier reached in the state from St. Croix Falls to Sturgeon Bay. Popular segments include those in the Kettle Moraine State Forest's southern and northern units. Try the Parnell segment for an especially hilly hike along glacial features including moraines, kettles, eskers and drumlins.

Cranberry country

Wisconsin leads the nation in cranberry production, and Warrens is the heart of it. The city hosts the world's largest cranberry festival every September, but you can tour the bogs where it grows in the summer and fall. Wetherby Cranberry Co. in Warrens hosts a Cranberry Blossom Day the last Saturday in June, when anyone can drop in for a tour, along with Harvest Day tours the first Saturday in October.

In Vilas County's Manitowish Waters, free marsh tours are offered at 10 a.m. every Friday after July 4 through the first Friday in October.

Holy Hill

The Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians at Holy Hill is one of the highest points in southeastern Wisconsin, perched 1,330 feet above sea level. The two towers of the church (one of which is open to visitors), allow for an even higher-up view of the surrounding Kettle Moraine and, if skies are clear, Milwaukee, 30 miles to the southeast. It's one of the most popular spots for viewing fall colors, but the view is just as terrific in the summer, when crowds are smaller.

Waaswaaganing Indian Bowl Living Arts and Culture Center

Wisconsin is home to 11 sovereign American Indian tribes, each with its own history and culture. Objibwe culture is on full display at Lac du Flambeau's Indian Bowl, which re-opened in 2017 after the bowl was completely rebuilt. Weekly powwows are held on Thursdays in the summer.

The Northwoods

This is a vaguely broad, but essential Wisconsin experience: Spend time in the state's vast northern forest. Find a lake surrounded by pines and hardwoods and soak up the fresh air and forest sounds. There is plenty of public land to pitch a tent on (try Laura Lake in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Forest County), or opt for a stay at a classic Northwoods resort like Black's Cliff in Hazelhurst.

Great River Road

Wisconsin's most scenic drive is also one of the country's most beautiful. The Great River Road, which traces the Mississippi River for 250 miles in western Wisconsin (and continues south to the river's confluence with the Gulf of Mexico), was voted America's "prettiest drive" by Huffington Post readers in 2012. The national scenic byway winds between the river and limestone bluffs, with charming small towns acting as rest stops along the way.

American Players Theatre

Wisconsin's leading classical theater is made even better by its picturesque setting: an outdoor stage perched on a wooded hill outside Spring Green. The theater's national chops include a claim of being the country's second largest outdoor theater devoted to the classics, and alumni such as Carrie Coon ("The Leftovers," "Fargo") and Amy Acker ("Alias," "Person of Interest"). This summer the outdoor theater will stage Shakespeare's comedies "As You Like It" and "Measure for Measure," among others.