With 15,000 lakes, 84,000 miles of rivers, and the majestic lakes Michigan and Superior shorelines, Wisconsin is the perfect place to cool off and have some summer fun with the kids. These family-friendly attractions offer relaxation, recreation and opportunities to make memories.

Creativity thrives all year long across Wisconsin, but somehow, it’s at its most inspiring in the peak of summer.

In Wisconsin, there are several of these unusual “art environments” as they’re called, made by people with no training in sculpture, art or design. Most of these remote installations involve castoff materials.

Two-time nominee Lisa Carlson and partner Carrie Summer, (who are both Kansas City Barbeque Society Certified judges; Summer’s also a pastry chef), co-own the cozy Chef Shack in Bay City, within a block of the Mississippi River. Their weathered clapboard building, a former tavern, is open—at most—three days and 14 hours per week.

Vintage shopping is an activity that has its own magic—the thrill of the hunt, scoring one-of-a-kind finds and exploring shops and markets that are as far from big-box as you can get. Wisconsin holds many antique shopping gems, along with vintage-inspired inns and restaurants to turn it into a weekend to soak up the past.

Kenosha’s Italian immigrant history weaves a rich cultural and culinary story.

In her hit “Big Yellow Taxi,” singer Joni Mitchell lamented that “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” At the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the alumni association has done just the opposite. It removed a parking lot and replaced it with Alumni Park, celebrating UW alumni and traditions.

Plan your two-wheeled adventure on the Ozaukee Interurban Trail that offers plenty to see and do.

Pie is a gorgeous vehicle for seasonal fruits, a genius way to make vegetables delicious and the best thing to hurl at a frenemy during a food fight. We’ve got eight places making some of Wisconsin’s most unique and tasty varieties—but don’t even think about starting a food fight at them!