Winthrop Harbor, IL to Kenosha, WI

Southport Marina advertises as “Lake Michigan’s Newest Destination”. The marina doesn’t appear “new”, but It definitely is new to us! They have 435 slips, wonderful amenities, and is within walking distance of downtown restaurants and attractions.

Even though Kenosha has a population of approximately 100,000 people, and is situated half way between Chicago and Milwaukee, it is considered a suburb of the latter. It is the headquarters for both Snap-On tools and the apparel maker, Jockey, which conveniently for us, has an outlet store smack in the middle of their small downtown area. When do you not need new T-shirts and underwear?

Near the marina is the Kenosha Promenade/Art Walk which runs along the Kenosha Harbor Inlet.

From here, there is also a terrific view of the Kenosha Lighthouse.

Originally built in 1906, this lighthouse now serves as a beacon to the art community of Kenosha. In 2011, the Coast Guard sold this lighthouse to a married couple, John Burhani and Heather McGee. John was a local artist, sailor and water lover, who saw the lighthouse as his ideal art studio for crafting his nautical paintings. Unfortunately, shortly after the purchase, John was diagnosed with cancer and died in 2015 at the age of 49. Today, his wife still owns the lighthouse and, to honor her late husband, transformed it into a community destination for artists and art enthusiasts alike by offering opportunities to provide studio space and showcase events for fellow artists.

As one strolls along the streets of Kenosha, its hard to miss the brightly colored streetcars. Of course, we had to take a ride. The cost is only $1.oo, and exact fare is needed. From 1903-1932, electric rail was the regular mode of transportation in Kenosha. In 2000, Kenosha brought back this mode of transportation with a two mile rail track which loops through the downtown area. There are 7 beautifully restored streetcars, each one painted in the colors and the lettering of a city in North America that operated these cars in the 1940 and 1950’s. We were on the “Pittsburgh” car, but there is a Cincinnati car, along with a San Francisco, Johnstown, Chicago, Toronto and Philadelphia.

Unfortunately, during our several day stay in Kenosha, it either was cold, rainy, or smoky, which did not lend to many outdoor activities. The smoke from the Canadian wildfires, on several days, actually burned your throat.

We concentrated on exploring indoor attractions. Nearby our marina were two museums. We decided to tour the Civil War Museum. Surprisingly, this small town has a remarkable Civil War Museum. Unlike any other in the country, it focuses only on the Civil War from the perspective of the Midwest states – Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Although no battles were fought in these regions, the Midwest provided a vital role by supplying troops and supplies.

While the weather was not the best, we did take advantage of our “down” time, and Tom fixed the water heater, which has been leaking since we first took possession of Prime 11. As with any boat repair, everything takes twice as long, blood always flows, and the costs are quadrupled.

Finally two more discoveries…