Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
The best small town in America.
By Susan Sims, Publisher
Enchanting is the first word that comes to mind. The resort village of Elkhart Lake has the feel of another time, a simpler time that made traveling during Covid last year a welcome respite from the worries of the world.
Walking around town with our two rescue hounds, Junior and Honey opened our eyes to a way of life that the nearly 1,000 residents experience every day.
But make no mistake, just because it feels small town, doesn’t mean it falls short in offering even the most sophisticated of us big town amenities from a Spa experience at Aspira to boutiques and first-class dining at The Osthoff Resort’s Concourse Restaurant and Lounge.
And then there is the lake. Legend has it that the Potawatomi Native Americans, the original tribe of the area, called the lake “Me-shay-way-oden- ni-bis” or Great Elk Heart Lake. It was so called because of its general shape resembling an elk’s heart. The Native Americans also believed the water of the lake to have curative powers and when bathed in them, they would be “rejuvenated and handsome again.” Taken from Legends of Elkhart Lake.
If you enjoy racing and race cars then gentlepeople, start your engines as there is a huge history lesson waiting in Elkhart Lake about the Historic Race Circuits. The open road sports car races around Elkhart Lake ran for three years, starting in 1950 and ceased after the 1953 event when it was deemed unsafe to hold the private event on public roads. Present day will find a permanent, four-mile closed road race course called Road America for race enthusiast to enjoy. It’s hard to miss historical markers on your walk around town such as The Hard Left, marking the first sharp corner on the 1951-52 circuit, making it one of the most dangerous and challenging turns. Since we were on foot, we seem to navigate the turn just fine.
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