Harboring History: Manitowoc and Two Rivers, WI

See and do

In addition to shipwrecks, the area is home to the sturdy SS Badger, the nation’s last coal-fired passenger steamship. This 410-foot car ferry makes four-hour trips across Lake Michigan between Manitowoc and Ludington, Michigan, from mid-May to mid-October.

Boaters not only have Lake Michigan to explore, but also wildlife-rich rivers to roam. Along the 20-mile Twin Rivers Water Trail are more than a dozen access points to the East Twin and West Twin rivers (the origin of the Two Rivers name). Endpoints
are downtown Two Rivers and the village of Mishicot.

Boaters have two options for docking in the neighboring towns: Manitowoc Marina and Seagull Marina & Campgrounds. Manitowoc Marina serves as a full-service marine facility at the mouth of the Manitowoc River, with 250 deep-water slips (40 transient), a six-lane launch ramp, fuel and pump-out services, vessel repair, a ship’s store, and convenient access to downtown dining and attractions, making it a popular hub for both transient and seasonal boaters. In Two Rivers, Seagull Marina & Campgrounds offers 50 slips, marine supplies, launch ramps, fuel, and a large RV park right on Lake Michigan’s shore.

At Rogers Street Fishing Village in Two Rivers, there are buildings and other remnants from nearly 200 years of commercial fishing history. Pretty and popular is a half-mile walk along the pier to the century-old Manitowoc Breakwater Lighthouse, where lighthouse tours are free on July 4.

The 7-mile Mariner’s Trail shadows the Lake Michigan coast and links the cities of Two Rivers and Manitowoc, whose combined population is around 46,000. Follow the paved trail on a bicycle from Two Rivers Rentals (which also stocks watercraft) or hoof it. This scenic stretch of shoreline is part of the 1,200-mile Ice Age National Scenic Trail, too.

Duck into Lighthouse Inn, at Two Rivers’ shoreline, for an overnight stay, a warm meal or a cold beverage. Nearby is Two Rivers’ unique Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum; visit to see letterpress printing and the world’s largest collection of type. Fun fact: The headline fonts used in this story in our print edition are from the Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum’s Type Collection.

The lakefront West of the Lake Gardens in Manitowoc has 63 kinds of roses and 60-year-old topiary on 6 acres. Admission is free, as is the Rahr-West Art Museum, an inland mansion in Manitowoc where tours are self-guided, and holdings include original paintings by Chagall, Wyeth, Warhol, Dali, Picasso, O’Keeffe and other influential artists. The biggest talker, though, may well be the museum’s 20-pound piece of Sputnik IV, the Russian space satellite that crashed in 1962; debris landed outside the Rahr-West’s front door. An annual Sputnikfest, in September, celebrates this chunk of local history.

One-of-a-kind lodging awaits at the USS Cobia, a National Historic Landmark and World War II submarine that is a part of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. The sub accommodates up to 60 overnighters.

Also in downtown Manitowoc is Dead By Dawn, a deliberately ghoulish bed and breakfast lodging. Innkeepers guarantee “an unrestful night” and also operate The Shrunken Head Creepeasy (a cocktail bar, open by appointment), plus The Mad Hatter, a high-end shop of horrors (for collectors of things like still-boxed Chucky dolls).

Unique in Two Rivers is Still Bend, a 1938 Frank Lloyd Wright house designed for a Life magazine article. The property accommodates up to eight. One-hour tours can be arranged, based on availability.

Wine and dine

On Saturday mornings from May to October, a robust farmers’ market along Manitowoc’s downtown riverbank includes Amish vendors who sell baked goods and veggies. Look for the market where river meets lake, within view of the maritime museum, whose rooftop turns into the Sub Pub, serving Wisconsin-made beer and cocktails on some warm-weather evenings.

To savor the taste of Great Lakes fish, head to Susie-Q Fish Market in Two Rivers, operated by six generations of the LeClair family and the area’s last commercial fishing business. The local catch is whitefish, but other species like salmon and perch are also smoked with maple wood.

Kurtz’s Pub and Deli, open since 1904 in downtown Two Rivers, serves hearty German cuisine and beer poured by the mug or yard — that’s right, a yard-long glass. In downtown Manitowoc, an 1885 beer hall has morphed into Courthouse Pub, serving burgers, steaks, brews made in-house, spiked slushies and craft cocktails.

What’s for dessert? That’s easy, regardless of whether roaming inland or along a waterfront. Two Rivers is credited with creating the ice cream sundae in 1881 at an ice cream parlor that is open during summer and part of Washington House, a local history museum.

In Manitowoc, Cedar Crest is a family-owned ice cream factory that opened in 1976 and produces 80-plus flavors. The factory’s ice cream shop is a popular stop; look for the 14-foot-tall statue of Bernice, a Guernsey cow, and you’re there!

Enjoy all of the many definitions of sweet satisfaction during a visit to Manitowoc and Two Rivers, an area rich with history, fun and adventure — both on and off the water.