Wausau, WI Road Trips

1 Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, 700 North Twelfth Street, ☏ +1 715 845-7010. Tu-F 9AM-4PM, Sa Su noon - 5PM. The museum's permanent collection is known for its focus on nature with historic and contemporary paintings, sculptures, and works on paper that focus on birds. The annual Birds in Art exhibition in September and October attracts both international artists and visitors. The gardens dotted with sculpture invite visitors to "outdoor galleries." The museum building itself is impressive. In 1976, John and Alice Woodson Forester transformed their English Cotswold-style residence into a museum to display her mother's collections of Royal Worcester porcelains and Victorian glass baskets. Consult the schedule of events section of the web site for specific exhibition and program information. Free Admission. 2 Marathon County Historical Museums, 403 and 410 McIndoe St, ☏ +1 715 848-6143. Tu-Th 9AM-4:30PM, Sa Su 1-4:30PM, closed M F and major holidays. In 1954, Leigh Yawkey Woodson and her daughters donated the home of her late parents, lumberman Cyrus C. Yawkey and Alice Richardson Yawkey, to the Historical Society. The house was built in 1900 in the Classical Revival style and later remodeled in the Prairie School style and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The Yawkey House has been renovated to its original state with an authentically furnished music room, dining room, and parlor which give a taste of gracious living of a bygone era.

1 Granite Peak Ski Area, 3605 North Mountain Road (County Highway NN) (one mile west of the US 51/SR 29 exit), ☏ +1 715 845-2846, [email protected]. M-Sa 9AM-9PM, Sunday 9AM-5PM, in season only (usually mid-November to mid-March depending on conditions - see web site for details). 74 runs with a 700 foot vertical drop making it one of the largest ski areas in the Midwest. Extensive snow making equipment and lighted runs for night skiing. Base area has a variety of food outlets and bars as well as a ski shop, rental area and ski school. Lift tickets start at $52 for one day - 9AM-4PM ($28 for night skiing - 5PM-9PM) for an adult and $99 for two days. Additional days are $36/day. Special internet prices available via the web site include free night skiing and a discount for additional days. Family discounts available. If you can make it work to come here on a Wednesday night, they offer $15 lift tickets with free ski rental (normally $37) from 4-9pm. 2 Wausau Cyclones, 1201 Stewart Ave, ☏ +1 715 869-3132. See website for current season schedule. Enjoy a North American Tier III hockey game at Marathon Park. Price varies by seat location. (updated Aug 2023) 3 Wausau Woodchucks, 324 E Wausau Ave, ☏ +1 715 845-5055. See website for current season schedule. Cheer on the minor league baseball team at Athletic Park. Price varies by seat location. (updated Aug 2023) For a city of its size, Wausau hosts a large number of festivals and activities. For a current listing of activities, visit Wausau Visitors and Convention Bureau website .

Several very good restaurants in Wausau like the Back When Cafe. The Pinewood Supper Club in nearby Mosinee offers "northwoods" dining overlooking a wooded lake. The Back When Cafe, ☏ +1 715 848-5668. Lunch Tu-Sa 11AM-3PM, dinner W-Sa 5:30PM-10PM. Serves dishes containing only fresh ingredients that are organic or locally grown. In 2003 a 2nd dining room, an outdoor dining area, and a new kitchen were added. The architecture is an eclectic blend of the old and new with a touch of northwoods flair. WISH (Wisconsin Steakhouse), 5006 E. Jelinek Ave. Weston, ☏ +1 476 298-2903. Treu's Tic Toc Club, 1201 W Thomas St, ☏ +1 715 848-2465. Nice neighborhood feel. Carry-outs available. Daily lunch specials. Bluegill Perch Haddock Scallops Jumbo Shrimp. Daily 10AM-close, Friday Fish Fry 11AM-9PM. Burgers, sandwiches, appetizers, soup, pizza. CHAR Grillhouse, 203 Jefferson Street, ☏ +1 715 848-2900.

Most of the lodging in the Wausau area is similar to what you would find along any Interstate highway but the last ten years have seen an increase in bed and breakfast inns close to downtown as well as one major hotel at its very center. Highest rates tend to be found on weekends during the ski season and during some of the major festivals in summer and autumn. The greatest number of motels can be found at or near the following US-51 exits starting from the south: Business US-51/Rothschild, County Highway NN/North Mountain Road and Stewart Avenue/State Highway 52/Sherman Street. A few options follow. AmericInn Lodge & Suites, 4115 Barbican Av (SR 29 at Camp Phillips Rd./County Highway X exit), ☏ +1 715 355-0077, toll-free: +1-800-634-3444. Weston. Newer but typical roadside motel with indoor pool and a large water slides. 67 rooms. $59-104. Hampton Inn, 615 S. 24th Av (exit US-51 northbound at Sherman St. or southbound US-51 at WI-52/Stewart Av.), ☏ +1 715 848-9700, toll-free: +1-800-HAMPTON (4267866). Indoor pool and whirlpool. Near to a variety of restaurants. 89 rooms. $142. Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, 1000 Imperial Av, Rothschild (US-51 "Rothschild/Business US-51" exit), ☏ +1 715 355-1111, toll-free: +1-888-272-2792. 148 rooms on four floors with a full service casual restaurant and bar as well as an indoor pool, whirlpool and small fitness room. Close to a variety of restaurants. $72-179.

Traveling north and south, Wausau can be reached via I-39/US-51, and traveling east and west, Wausau can be reached by State Highway 29. Wausau can be reached from Minneapolis in about three and a half hours via I-94 and State Highway 29. Milwaukee is about three and a half hours away as well via I-94 and I-39. Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA), 12 miles south of Wausau, provides daily service to and from Detroit (Delta Air Lines), Minneapolis (Delta Air Lines), Chicago O'Hare (American Airlines or United Airlines). Lamers Bus Lines offers a daily trip to/from Milwaukee via the Fox Valley which may be ticketed through Greyhound (or Amtrak if connecting to a rail leg). 1 Wausau Downtown Airport (AUW IATA). A General aviation airport (updated Jun 2019)

Public transportation is limited in the Wausau Area. Metro Ride (formerly WATS or Wausau Area Transit System) operates eight bus routes in the City of Wausau which run at 30-minute intervals; one bus route in the Village of Weston, which runs at 30-minute intervals; and one bus route to Rothschild and Schofield, which operates at 60-minute intervals. Passengers can transfer between routes at the Metro Ride Transit Center, which is located at 555 Jefferson Street in the downtown Wausau, one block from the Wausau Center Mall. Passengers can also transfer between Route C and Route K at Shopko in Rothschild and between Route E and Route I at Aspirus Clinic in Wausau. Buses are clean and uncrowded but the limited schedule makes them somewhat impractical to all but the most dedicated transit user. Travel by car is very easy in the Wausau area and the preferred method of transportation. Roads are well maintained and marked. Ample, free, at-door parking is available everywhere outside of the downtown area. Downtown, parking is easy to find and very inexpensive. As the city and surrounding area are oriented north/south, for trips from the far north to far south side or vice versa, it is quicker and easier to use the US 51/I 39 expressway which runs along the west edge of the city.