Green Bay, Wisconsin

Green Bay is cool, which is another way of saying ‘boy was I wrong about Green Bay!’ Before my recent visit, I would have assumed, based on no personal knowledge whatsoever, that Green Bay was an industrial town with a kick-ass football stadium and a beloved team.  That’s basically right, but it doesn’t nearly do justice to this hip town full of vintage charm and natural wonders. Let’s say you are visiting for a football weekend and wondering what other diversions you might find. You came to the right place, my friend. Here’s your plan.

Stay

St. Brendan’s Inn
This place is a little slice of County Clare in Wisconsin.  (I should know as Clare is my ancestral homeland.) The hotel is warm and welcoming and the friendly staff will make you immediately feel like a member of the family.  The rooms are large and comfortably furnished with impressive, open-concept bathrooms that include a big soaking tub and separate rain shower. Green Bay hosts all the usual national chain hotels – Fairmont Inn, Best Western, etc. but for a unique local experience, I can recommend this place with confidence.

Eat & Drink

St. Brendan’s Pub
Yeah, you’ll eventually want to leave the building, but while you’re staying at Brendan’s I insist that you spend some time in the pub.  Have a pint – the menu features imported Irish beers and local brews – and indulge in some Irish comfort food. If I concentrate, I can still taste the Guinness Pot Roast. Served with creamy mashed potatoes and sauteed veggies. It was heavenly.

Vintage Cantina
At Vintage Cantina “Every day is Taco Tuesday”.  Now there’s a sentiment I can get behind. The tacos are amazing (fried avocado! What?!) and you’ll find that margaritas slip down nicely when seated at a groovy art deco-style bar.

Al’s Hamburgers
Keeping it old school since 1934 is Al’s Hamburgers where there’s no need to choose between a burger and brat.  Just order the tailgate burger and enjoy both in each bite. Or perhaps a breakfast burger is more your jam? Al’s menu includes a morning-themed sandwich topped with bloody mary ketchup. These are my people. Oh, and there are basic burgers too.

Refuel

Daily Buzz Espresso Bar
This friendly spot on Washington Street serves a tempting array of breakfast and lunch options along with the best lavender honey latte around.  Wait, you say you’ve never heard of lavender latte? Oh, what you’ve been missing, friend.

Explore

Packers Heritage Trail
Here’s what’s amazing about the Green Bay Packers – it’s just as much about the fans as it is about the team. This truth comes to life along the Packer Heritage Trail, a nearly 3-mile stroll through 25 significant sites in the team’s storied history.  The trip is enlightening even to those of us who may not have closely followed the team over the years. Ehem. As an added incentive, the trail ends at Titletown Brewing, because no matter our team affiliation, we’re all fans of beer, right?

Green Bay Children’s Museum
If you have the littles in tow, head over to the Green Bay Children’s Museum for a pint-sized Packer experience.  Yes, even here you can worship the Pack, dress for action in a mini locker room, hit the field for some friendly competition. I am, on the other hand, oddly drawn to the human digestive system exhibit to see what happens to that bratwurst after we swallow. Did I lose you?  Moving on…

River Walk

From this collection of Washington Avenue’s vibrant sites, follow a wide, welcoming path along the Fox River to discover the area’s lovely historic neighborhoods.  A short walk or bike ride (St Brendan’s offers bikes for guests to borrow) brings you to the Astor Historic District, where well-preserved, century-old homes tell the stories of the area’s well-heeled residents of a bygone era. Visit the Hazelwood Historic House Museum to learn more about the neighborhood and peek inside one of its finest homes. Follow the river a bit farther and arrive at the De Pere District where more than a dozen historic homes representing a range of architectural styles typical of the late 1800 to early 1900 600-acre along North Broadway Avenue. Old houses and big trees always make me smile.

Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary
Located along the shore of Green Bay, the Great Lakes estuary that gives the city its name, this 600-acre wildlife preserve offers miles of hiking and an up-close look at the regional wildlife.  My personal favorite, the American White Pelican, an annual seasonal resident of the Green Bay and Door County, can be seen soaring overhead of gentry bobbing the the water. The site of this large, uniquely beautiful bird astounds me every time and, I admit, reveals my nerdish enthusiasm to anyone within earshot.  Sorry, folks.

And if this doesn’t fill your day, I hear there is occasionally some football to be watched in this town.