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Finding romance and luxury in Kohler, Wisconsin.

Monday Sep 11, 2006.     By Joanne Hinkel

Travel + Tourism Feed

My husband's parents live in Manitowoc, so escapes to Wisconsin are regular trips for us. Jason and I delight ourselves with cheap thrills, from watching Packers games in bars that pour $1 shots to eating butter burgers dripping with cheese to setting off fireworks in vacant fields. Our most recent trip north, though, made us behave and wear pressed pants. We ventured to the romantic village of Kohler for a night to celebrate our second anniversary.

Our drive from Chicago on a late Saturday morning in August began with a painful crawl up I-94. But after passing Milwaukee the miles began to melt away. We whipped out the Grateful Dead CDs for one of the first times since college, listening as we passed dairy farms, corn fields and remote Cracker Barrels, leaving humanity in our dust.

After three hours on I-43, which runs parallel to Lake Michigan, we rolled into the village of Kohler, just a few miles off the highway. Though situated in the boonies, Kohler appears as a beacon of civilization, marked by German-inspired brownstone buildings, manicured gardens and parking lots full of classy, vintage American cars. White Lexus SUVs branded by the words "Destination Kohler," seemingly high-class security vehicles, drive by.

Too early for our 4 p.m. check-in at the Inn on Woodlake, the most "affordable" of the hotel options at $240 a night, we opted for a visit to the Kohler Design Center. Every attraction in Kohler proved to be a two-minute drive from one another, thanks in part to an absolute lack of traffic. Yes! Inside the center, we ooohed and aaahed at model bathrooms, our favorite being an Asian-styled set-up with bamboo walls, his and her showers and a head pillow that was a part of the bathtub, then took in kitchens that came with double boilers, cutting boards and colanders built into the countertops. Dreamy!

After finding out that our room was not yet ready at 5 p.m., we thought we'd explore some more. We checked out the Kohler Waters Spa, where I was planning to make a hot stone massage appointment for the next morning, until I learned it costs $190. We considered relaxing in the spa's common areas, which include a steam room, sauna and variety of whirlpools, for $25 each, but opted to drive to the Sport Core Health and Racquet Club to do a quick game of tennis. Sizing up our pockets again, we learned it costs $35 to play indoors and $16 to play outdoors. We wound up taking the "free" approach, relaxing on some chaises at the Sport Core's beach on Woodlake, which was a nice choice.

The reality of our location had officially set in: Though built on the sweat and toil of factory workers churning out bathtubs and sinks since 1873, Herbert Kohler (grandson to the man who began the plumbing empire) developed the town into a resort area in 1981. Now the area truly caters to the white-collar crowd, and features seven championship golf courses and Wisconsin's only five-diamond hotel and restaurant, The American Club.

There are many nature-oriented things to do in Kohler, from inland fishing to horse back riding to hunting. If we had more than one night there, Jason and I would have toured the Kohler factory (only open for tours on weekdays) and visited the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, in nearby Sheboygan, to see some contemporary art.

After slowly savoring a bottle of Dom Perignon, which was a gift from Jason's dad (what a nice guy!) and each showering in the Kohler-designed shower that had a nifty foot spa and a variety of body sprays, we got in the car and drove seven miles down a county road to the Whistling Straits Restaurant.

In our booth overlooking a golf course designed after the Scottish countryside, full of marshy reeds and green rolling hills, we indulged in a world-class meal in an Old-World style club house with a massive fireplace. Over a bottle of Zinfandel, we savored sauteed escargot and parmesan encrusted scallops for starters ($12.50 each); Jason had a rack of lamb ($32), while I had the filet of turbot over lobster risotto ($32). We bought a cigar for desert.

The 10-minute walk back to the car was under a pitch-black and star-filled sky. Though we admittedly broke the bank for 24 hours in our quest for romance, at that moment, with our bellies full of spirited food, our senses calm from the elements, and our hands intertwined, it felt...well, it felt priceless.

Plan your own getaway to Kohler with a little help from www.destinationkohler.com.