I Took a Winter Road Trip to Wisconsin’s Tallest Waterfall, Spectacular Sea Caves, and My Favorite Supper Club

One of my favorite ways to get out and enjoy winter - that is, avoid cabin fever - in the Upper Midwest is to pack up the car and set out on a road trip, whether it's for a day or a whole weekend. I did a recent winter day trip in Wisconsin that I liked so much I thought I'd better tell y'all about it so you could add it to your must-do list. It's a pretty short jaunt in terms of driving time, so you'll have plenty of daylight (a commodity in short supply at this time of year in the Badger State) for exploring before you reward yourself with a hearty meal. Superior, Eau Claire, and even the Twin Cities are all great jumping off points for this trip. Just click on the interactive map below to get started from your location and navigate the route.

1. Big Manitou Falls - Pattison State Park

Your first stop is Big Manitou Falls at Pattison State Park, which is located just a few minutes south of Superior. At 165 feet, it's Wisconsin's tallest waterfall, and as beautiful as it is in the spring and summer, this cascade is dramatically stunning in the winter, especially when ice starts to form in the gorge. The hike to the waterfall is an easy, 0.8-mile loop, so it's doable even in the winter. That said, you'll probably want to bring along some Yaktrax or another traction device in case trail conditions are slippery.

2. Meyers Beach - Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

From Big Manitou Falls, you'll drive a little more than hour to Meyers Beach, a unit of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore that's located just outside of Cornucopia. Start out by heading down to the beach, itself, for breathtaking views of Lake Superior and its artistry in sculpting the shoreline during winter, coating the beach, rocks, and anything else in its reach in shimmering layers of ice.

Then strap on your Yaktrax once again and hit the Lakeshore Trail, which is accessible directly from the parking lot area for the beach. The whole trail comes in at 4.3 miles, out and back, but you'll have a view of the main attraction, the famous Meyers Beach Sea Caves, after about a mile. At that point, you can decide whether to press on or, if you're satisfied with the views from that point, return to the trail head. These Wisconsin sea caves are carved into the sandstone cliffs along this section of the Bayfield peninsula and, in winter, they're adorned with dramatic and stunning ice formations - definitely worth hiking to see!

Before you go, check the conditions on the NPS website to make sure the trail and the road to the trail head are both open. You'll also want to download the trail map on AllTrails Plus, as cellular service in this remote location is unreliable.

3. Dreamland Supper Club - South Range

After all that hiking in the winter chill, you'll have definitely worked up an appetite. Fortunately, you won't have far to go for a hearty meal and a quintessential Wisconsin supper club experience. You'll find Dreamland Supper Club just outside of Superior in the community of South Range, and it's all you'd want in one of these Badger State institutions.

You'll get strong drinks, classic fare like steaks, chops, fish, and sandwiches, as well as the requisite relish tray - all at really affordable prices. In fact, if pressed to name a favorite supper club, at this moment, Dreamland would be at the top of my list. Visit the supper club's website for more information.

I can't think of a better winter day trip in Wisconsin than one filled with waterfalls, sea caves, and topped off with supper club dinner. Can you? If so, we'd love to hear about it!