Burlington, WI Health and Fitness

With few trees to knock down errant drives, the wide-open course at Kestrel Ridge rewards control and course-management skills for players negotiating its more than 6,000 yards. Players point their tee shots down the center of the fairway from one of four different sets of tees, taking care to avoid numerous lurking fairway bunkers and the water hazards that run alongside the fairways of holes 1, 8, 9, and 10. When they're not engaging in physical altercations with swirling crosswinds, visitors should take time to appreciate the open expanse of rolling Wisconsin countryside through which the course winds. The track saves its crown jewel for last, with an 18th hole that forces players to nail a small, sloping landing area from the tee and then carry their approach over a rock ravine that runs alongside the right of the hole and contains fossils of Neanderthal golfers.

After a round, tired golfers can head to the clubhouse bar for traditional pub fare or re-create dramatic putts on the two large putting greens. A driving range hosts hitters on both grass and rubber mats and challenges them to assail greens located strategically between 125 and 230 yards away.

Originally a family farm before two families of ski enthusiasts purchased the land in 1961, Sunburst Ski Area now encompasses 13 sundry ski runs as well as terrain parks and steep tubing lanes for winter athletes of all skill levels. Skiers and boarders plummet down nine runs that range from rolling bunny hills to harrowing double-black-diamond steeps. Flashy alpinists can trick out at the terrain parks, which boast a series of rails, ramps, and tables for mid-grind picnic lunches. Additionally, patrons can carve through the fresh powder after dark, as a full spotlight system keeps the slopes open until 9 p.m. from Monday–Thursday and 10 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. On the tubing hill, riders seated in inflatable tubes zoom, bob, and spin down 12 chutes measuring 900 feet long and spanning a 10-story descent. The tubes can reach speeds of more than 40 miles per hour, which is just fast enough to outpace the hungry snowmen that think each one is a gigantic donut.

The colorful and spacious facilities at Maximum Performance Training are rarely crowded—the staff sees to that by keeping its boot-camp sizes small and its member base intimate. The staff packs its club with a comprehensive selection of professional strength-training and cardio equipment from names such as Precor and Life Fitness. Beneath the gyms’ vibrant graffiti and bright lights, instructors lead boot camps, personal training, and sports-performance training sessions. Trainers strive to form personal relationships with their clients, familiarizing themselves with their restrictive issues, injuries, and favorite Rocky movies in order to customize workouts accordingly. Additionally, parents can keep their little ones busy in the studios’ onsite playrooms.

Owner Debbie Stoffregen has taught children to swim for more than 15 years, a background that helped her develop Catch the Wave Swim Club's unique instructor training program. Stoffregen only mints adult teachers and personally coaches them once they have achieved certifications in Red Cross CPR, lifeguarding, AED, and first aid. Instructors teach water safety with compassion, creating a family-like atmosphere to help adults overcome their fears, introduce infants as young as three months old (accompanied by a guardian) to the warm, 90-degree pool, and acclimate adolescents to their newly sprouted gills. Surrounded by healthy, confident swimmers, Stoffregen realized the sport could be used as a therapeutic intervention, and created classes for special-needs individuals and those desiring a low-impact way to stay fit.